While Santa and his elves have been busy constructing toys up in the North Pole, Joe Castro and employees at Karma Candy have been feverishly making the season’s official sweet treat – candy canes.
You see, Karma Candy is the only manufacturer of candy canes in the country and it’s located in Hamilton, Ont., about 5,194 km south from where Santa’s workshop is believed to be.
And being the only candy cane maker in the country means there’s a lot of pressure to deliver Christmas’ favourite sugary treat.
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“Everyone likes candy canes because they’re traditional,” says Castro, general manager at Karma Candy. “It brings back memories of childhood.”
When many think of the treat, they think red and white peppermint deliciousness. But candy canes made by Karma Candy come in all shapes, sizes and flavours, including crushed canes, mini candy canes, jumbo size, cherry flavoured, blueberry flavoured – you name it.
Castro estimates that the factory turns out about a million candy canes a day, and tens of millions in a year.
The factory begins making the candy canes as early as March, Castro says.
To make a candy cane, employees mix sucrose and glucose and cook it for several minutes.
The mixture is then cooled and put into a kettle where colours are added.
It’s then put through a pulling machine where the mixture is stretched and aerated – a process that turns the candy white – then flavour is added. Stripes are painted on and the candy is put into other machines called a batch roller and several sizers, which rolls the candy into a 7ft long log, beginning the shaping process.
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Once it comes out the other side, the candy is wrapped and the candy’s curve is shaped at the end.
Once cooled, the candy is put into a box and is ready to be shipped to stores across Canada and the United States.
For Castro, the best part of the process isn’t the candy itself, it’s the people’s he’s been working with over his 31-year career at Karma Candy.
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