Until today I thought I was aware of just about every tasty item that could be stuck on a stick and cooked over a campfire. Then someone told me how yummy Starburst candy is when cooked over a fire.

This is where you need to picture a person with a perplexed look on their face along with a text bubble with “What?” written in it.

Then picture a person with a “could that really taste good?” look on their face and a text bubble that has “sounds kind of yucky to me” in it.

Since I’m on a “picture this” roll, next picture a person trying to roast a Starburst over the campfire, but every Starburst is melting and falling off the stick into the fire. You’ll have to come up with your own text bubble for that picture because I really shouldn’t write words that like in this blog!

Anyway, those are the first few thoughts that crossed my mind when I heard about roasting Starbursts.

But, I also became intrigued and already have Starburst candy written on my shopping list for my next camping trip. Since I also read that Tootsie Rolls and Bit-o-Honey candies are also good roasted over the fire, they’re going on my list too.

But, even though roasting them sounds simple, sometimes the easiest sounding things can be deceptively tricky.

So, when roasting Starbursts, Tootsie Rolls or Bit-O-Honeys, here’s are 4 “good to know” tips from others who are successful at it:

- Use a wire roasting utensil and not a wood stick to prevent the candy from sticking. A metal marshmallow fork, hot dog fork, or even an untwisted metal coat hanger will do the the trick.

- Unwrap the candy before roasting it. Roasting them in the wrapper will result in burned wrappers and a sticky mess so take off the wrapper and roast them naked!

- Don’t overcook them or they will melt and fall into the fire. Cook them until they just start to turn puffy and brown, holding the candy about 6 inches from the flame.

- Be careful when removing them from the stick. Be patient and let them cool slightly, about 30 seconds, before pulling them off to avoid getting burned. (While looking online for tips on how to roast Starburst over the fire, I found several posts and pictures from people showing the burns they got from the hot candy).

So the next time you want a sugar rush while camping and aren’t in the mood for marshmallows, try roasting some Starbursts, Tootsie Rolls, and/or Bit-O-Honey’s over the fire.

And, if you’re already a seasoned hand at roasting/toasting Starbursts, Tootsie Rolls, or Bit-O-Honey candy over the fire, share your tips and thoughts in the comments section below.

Happy Camping and Happy Roasting!

P.S. How come we all want to roast sweet and sticky things over the fire but nobody ever says, “Hey let’s roast some celery and carrots sticks over the fire!”