# Candy question **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 5, 2012, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-question/636843 "2012-10-05T20:45:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![adhemar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@adhemar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adhemar)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-question/636843/1 "2012-10-05T20:45:20Z")
I am looking for hard candy not made with refined cane/beet sugar and not made with artificial sweeners such as aspertame. Honey, stevia or the like would be good. does anyone know of such to purchase I don’t want to make it)? ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-question/636843/2 "2012-10-05T20:58:08Z")
My understanding is that you can’t cook pure honey to candymaking heat. There are companies that sells straws of flavored honey, as a yummy treat in and of themselves. Not really what you had in mind though. > **[Amazon.com : Honey Stix Variety Pack : Grocery & Gourmet Food](https://www.amazon.com/Holy-Honey-Stix-Variety-Pack/dp/B0051UM51Q)** > > Amazon.com : Honey Stix Variety Pack : Grocery & Gourmet Food ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-question/636843/3 "2012-10-05T21:01:49Z")
Pure maple candy perhaps? Typically it is made with the consistency of fudge (like grandma used to make) but I have been disappointed by some commercial stuff that was pretty hard. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-question/636843/4 "2012-10-05T21:02:24Z")
> [@adhemar](#): > > I am looking for hard candy not made with refined cane/beet sugar and not made with artificial sweeners such as aspertame. Honey, stevia or the like would be good. does anyone know of such to purchase I don’t want to make it)? I assume corn syrup is out too? ---
**Author:** ![edwards\_beard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@edwards\_beard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwards_beard)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-question/636843/5 "2012-10-05T21:19:00Z")
How hard do you want it? ---
**Author:** ![boozilu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4da419/32.png) [@boozilu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boozilu)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-question/636843/6 "2012-10-05T21:43:50Z")
> [@edwards\_beard](#): > > How hard do you want it? That’s what she said. sorry ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-question/636843/7 "2012-10-05T22:52:33Z")
Bit-O-Honey? The stale ones at the Dollar Store qualify as hard candy. 😉 [http://greenwillowblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Bit-O-Honey-Greenwillow.jpg](http://greenwillowblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Bit-O-Honey-Greenwillow.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2012, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-question/636843/8 "2012-10-06T02:40:36Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Bit-O-Honey? The stale ones at the Dollar Store qualify as hard candy. 😉 > [http://greenwillowblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Bit-O-Honey-Greenwillow.jpg](http://greenwillowblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Bit-O-Honey-Greenwillow.jpg) The first two ingredients in bit o honey are corn syrup and sugar. Like all honey flavored candy that I’m aware of, honey is a minor ingredient. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2012, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-question/636843/9 "2012-10-06T02:54:43Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > The first two ingredients in bit o honey are corn syrup and sugar. Like all honey flavored candy that I’m aware of, honey is a minor ingredient. It’s not like they don’t warn people right on the label. It’s only a bit of honey. ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2012, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-question/636843/10 "2012-10-06T04:08:12Z")
I think the “hard candy” quality you want is a product of sugar itself. It would be next to impossible to achieve that quality with any substance other than sugar. ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![dzeiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@dzeiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzeiger)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2012, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-question/636843/11 "2012-10-06T04:25:31Z")
> [@VOW](#): > > I think the “hard candy” quality you want is a product of sugar itself. It would be next to impossible to achieve that quality with any substance other than sugar. > ~VOW Bag O’ Glass? ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2012, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-question/636843/12 "2012-10-06T04:33:37Z")
There are sugar alcohol (sorbitol, xylitol, mannitol) hard candies out there. Would that count as artificial for you? Velamints was a common brand name, but I don’t think I’ve seen them in a while. ---
**Author:** ![adhemar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@adhemar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adhemar)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2012, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-question/636843/13 "2012-10-06T16:01:24Z")
sugar is really bad for your teeth and sugar alcohols are bad for your innards, I was hoping for a third option. I guess I will keep my teeth and hope the amount of sugar alcohol in a couple of pieces of hard candy won’t be too detrimental to the rest of me. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2012, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-question/636843/14 "2012-10-06T16:35:47Z")
I must say I’m surprised at your reasoning. What do you think honey is made of? Some supersecret sugar that doesn’t promote tooth decay? Honey is 82% sugar, mainly fructose and glucose. In sugar content, it’s almost identical to corn syrup. Obviously it doesn’t taste the same nor does it cook the same nor is it made by the same process. But from the POV of tooth decay, there’s no difference.