Hard candy, like sour balls, especially the individually wrapped ones, would probably hold up well, but how many kids actually want sour balls these days?
Chocolate bars would probably not fair well, as they would probably bloom. Now, blooming doesn’t reduce its edibility, but it doesn’t look nice, and most kids would object, and most parents would probably toss it out. Waste of time, resources, and not great for your reputation, either.
This Witch Needs Coffee Before Any Hocus Pocus Essential T-Shirt
Most full-sized candy bars cost in the neighborhood of a dollar, these days. You would probably save money if you just bought a couple rolls of dimes or quarters and gave one to a customer. This might give you a reputation for being a cheapskate, but you won’t be promoting tooth decay, diabetes, or sugar rushes, and if you are particularly flush, you could give 50 cent pieces or even a dollar, if you are in a low frequency neighborhood.
My older brother lives near an “attraction,” so he sees LOTS of kids, (about 1k last year). He bought three grocery bags of candy, and when that ran out, he just shut off the lights and called it a night.
It’s not mandatory to give out candy —I had one lady who handed out bible verses on little business-sized cards— but the days of handing out pomegranates and oranges from off your tree are long gone, and so are the tricks like soaping windows and egging, so just buy a bag or two of fun-sized candy bars, hand them out, then shut out the lights knowing you provided some treats to the early birds. Neighborly participation fulfilled, bankroll tolerably dented, and on to Christmas.
It depends on what kind of candy it is and where you store it. Chocolates don’t hold up well in warm weather so you would need to refrigerate them. Even better, put them in the freezer. Hard candies should be fine. Be sure to check bags for possible expiration dates.
As adults, we don’t participate in handing out candy. I think that people are putting their children at risk to allow them to consume candy from strangers. Your question underlines my feelings. Do you know what the expiration date on candy is? I suggest that if the cost is a factor for you, just turn off your lights, don’t answer the door and don’t worry about it. It’s not exactly a holy holiday. It’s just another way to sell merchandise and separate people from their money.
This Witch Needs Coffee Before Any Hocus Pocus Classic Vintage Distressed Design T-Shirt
it’s pretty tacky. most candy is only good for around a year. so by next year, it won’t be so fresh. i wouldn’t give kids stale candy. if you are going to do this, at least check the best by date. if the best buy date is december 2022, you’re good. but if it’s april 2022, you’re not.
You need to answer these questions: Would YOU like to eat old, likely expired candy? Would you like YOUR kids to receive it? I know I sure would not. It’s a tacky move, honestly. Look, we’ve all been there. Candy is expensive in bulk. If you can’t afford to hand out candy, just turn your porch light out. I’ve had to do it myself a few years when I just didn’t have the extra funds. There is no shame in skipping it. It’s better than handing out year old candy.
this witch needs coffee before any hocus pocus Classic T-Shirt
Yeah dumbass, don’t be cheap bastard. Trust me your more likely to have your house vandalized for giving away year old candy than giving away apple slices. Save a little more money, or give away less candies. Don’t be a penny pinching prick.
IF you are able to avoid eating it in the coming year… and If you can find where you hid it.
Having had experience with year old candies, due to actually trying it out one year, chocolate can stay good indefinitely in a freezer, but not at room temperature. What happens is the outside becomes whitish and chalky and no longer looks so good.
Hard candies can stay fresh as long as they are Halloween 2021 left in the original sealed bag: But even then age can affect the candy itself by making it more brittle or crumbly.
Some types of hard candies actually begin to liquefy with age, becoming a sticky mess. I’ve had to clean or throw out containers because the old candy inside had become a sticky ooze due to age.
Not to mention the problem of resisting the urge to eat the candy as well as relocating the five pound bags of candy you bought and set aside a year earlier. If ants don’t find it first.
My advice would be NOT TO DO THIS. Hard candies are cheap enough to buy and were never meant to last long to begin with.