Did you know that over 500 Million - no, this is not a typo - Lemonheads are produced yearly!

Sharability: 10

Denture Danger: 7

Convenience: 7

Novelty: 8

Overall: 9

 Not to be confused with the 90’s rock band, lemonheads are a small ball of a hard candy coated in a soft sugary layer that adds the bang to the tang.

The big lemon heads are good, I mean who doesn’t like one of their favorite candies in monster size, but they don’t have the same tang as the small original lemon heads that you get in the concessions box at the movies. It has to do with the ratio of hard candy center to the soft sour outer shell.

The original lemonheads have a perfect ratio that blends well whether you chew it up your let it melt away in your mouth. The big lemon head has a thick sour coating that is delicious, but is gone well before the large ball of candy.

 Lemonheads originated in 1962 from the Ferrara Pan Company using the same method used to make Red Hots. The hard candy center is made by mixing and heating sugar and corn syrup, pulling and kneading the dough-like clump of sugar to aerate it, and forming it into a rope that is pressed between two rollers that form the candy balls.

After cooling, the balls are put into the same revolving pan that Ferrara’s atomic fireballs were put into, a process known as the cold panned process. As the candy beads spin around and around corn syrup and sugar are added which gives them a sugary coating that continues to build in layers to form the shell as the pan continues to spin and more ingredients are added.

 Through my personal experience I have seen Lemonheads hoarded by kids and I have seen them being shared amongst friends. One little Lemonhead holds the same sweet and sour satisfaction as ten so don’t hesitate to dish out Lemonheads to your envious friends. Approximately 500 million lemonheads are created by the Ferrara Pan Company each year, get out there and eat your share.

Satellite Wafers Candy have been enjoyed by candy lovers for over fifty years!

 

 

Sharability: 10

Denture Danger: 0

Convenience: 5

Novelty: 9

Overall: 7

Also known as UFO candy, this candy is back from the 50s. These wafers remind me of what the priest puts on everyone’s tongue at communion. These paperlike bubbles come in blue, orange, white and pink and are filled with multicolored beadlike sugar candy balls.

As soon as you drop the UFO into your mouth you taste the plain styrophoam like disc immediately begin to dissolve. As soon is the seal is broken the alien inhabitants pour out and scatter into your mouth taking over. Without you knowing those little sugar beads posses your mind and before you know it, the aliens have succeeded, and you are eating another one.

The sugar candies in the inside are tasty but if you rip open the pouch and just eat the candies they prove to be a little too sweet. They taste especially good after the cardboard tasting piece of styrophome wafer has touched every taste bud on your tongue. Then again, not much would taste bad after cardboard. They figured out (through many tests I’m sure) that the best taste directly after cardboard is little multicolored sugar balls. Try it out, but it won’t be easy to find something that tastes better after cardboard than the little aliens inside the satellite.

Well,  enjoy Satellite Wafers and as you eat them  remember that over 50 years ago kids were doing the exact same thing.

A Cracker Jacks Advertisement from 1919

Cracker Jacks  have been an American icon ever since their introduction in  1893 at the World’s Fair in Chicago. Their name was given by a bystander who said, “That’s a Cracker, Jack” when he had his first taste!

Nineteen (19) years passed and in 1912, the first toy “surprise” was included and this is one of the first examples of a company marketing a “limited” edition” which has become commonplace in the candy industry in the past few year…

1918 was another banner year for branding as Sailor Jack and his beloved mascot Bingo were introduced.

Perhaps the piece of trivia that I find most intriguing is that Cracker Jacks were one of the first products to actively benefit from subtle product placement which has become the norm. Think of ET and Reese’s Pieces or Ronald Reagan and Jelly Bellies and this will give you an idea of where the trend started.

According to Mike Pesca, a correspondent for National Public Radio, the inclusion of the famous lines, “Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks” in the 1908 classic “ Take Me Out to the Ball Game” generates approximately $25 million dollars worth of free advertising!

The boxes have become increasingly difficult to source but, like peanuts, they remain a staple of American summers and long nights at baseball games….

By the way, if you can tell us which rock star mentions Cracker Jacks in one of his songs, please let us know and we will send you a $10 Sweetcertificate!

Are you still searching for Lik-M-Aid?

True candy lovers know that the classic “lick and dip” candy known as Lik-M-Aid was introduced in 1942 and disappeared in the late 1980’s only to reemerge as Fun Dip. 

The candy was always intended for dipping but the iconic “dipping stick” known affectionately as Lik-A-Stick was not added until the 1970’s.  The actual flavor remains a mystery and a subject of debate.

As for the powdered sugar ,different variations have been introduced throughout the years and they remain similar to what is found in Pixy Sticks which ,ironically, is owned by the same company, Nestle USA, and featured in their Willy Wonka line..

Despite all, one thing is often overlooked and that is that Fun Dip is a candy with an illustrious, close to seventy year (70) old, history. If you look closely at current packaging, you will see that Fun Dip still pays homage to its original namesake as well it should!

McCraws Giant Taffy Sticks are back!

Mc Craws Taffy disappeared from the shelves of candy stores about two (2) years ago without explanation. The phone number for the original manufacturer was disconnected and rumors circulated as to whether this classic taffy would ever be available again. 

A few months ago, it was announced that the original owners were back in business and candy lovers rejoiced! 

Why the fuss you ask?

Mc Craw’s Old Fashioned Taffy Sticks have been a cult item ever since their accidental discovery in 1900.   They are colorful, great tasting and oh so retro.

Originally, the company sold popcorn and the taffy was introduced as something to compliment the line. Ironically, as time passed, the fame of the taffy grew and the popcorn business dwindled.

Ironically, when the company changed ownership last year – the original owner sold the company and then repurchased it – they found themselves closed on their hundredth anniversary which is sad as this would have guaranteed them a place in the pantheon of oldest candy manufacturers in the United States.

Regardless, despite this ever so brief hiatus, the box still states that they have been “ticklin’ the taste buds since 1908” and that these taffy sticks are “ lovingly crafted by the fine folks in Farmersville, Texas.”

As the slogan goes, “try to eat a piece without smiling….” We wish you the best of luck in this endeavor….

Grether’s Pastilles
More than you want to know about a great product

Grether’s Pastilles are perfect for throat dryness associated with colds, flu, overtaxing of the voice, environmental influences like heating and air conditioning, smoking, medications, age-related conditions, etc. The main active ingredient, glycerine, based on vegetable oils, creates a comforting, moisturizing protective coat on the mucous membranes of the mouth and throat. People who stress their vocal cords by speaking a great deal or singing (among them Bill Clinton, Celine Dion and Sting) value the comforting relief given by the unique pastilles

Grether’s Pastilles have not only this soothing effect and an excellent flavor, they also have a remarkable history: the first mention of pastilles made from blackcurrant juice harken back to the 19th century in England, where the family business Allen & Hanbury Ltd, London got the long pastille tradition off to its start. The pastilles were available in Switzerland as early as 1910 under the original name Allenbury’s. In the early 70s, concurrent with the transfer of production from London to Switzerland, the brand was taken over by Doetsch Grether Ltd. Basel and renamed Grether’s Pastilles.

The demanding, time-consuming production process requires special knowledge and experience, and unique production facilities. Some of the ingredients are still ordered from the same suppliers who provided them for the pastilles’s inventor. The most important of these, Agar Agar, which gives pastilles their smoothness, makes mass production impossible. This gelling agent, produced from saltwater algae, must be soaked for many hours and then combined with the remaining ingredients and cooked. This fluid is then be left to settle to release its air. In the meantime, special wooden cases are filled with corn flour. The Grether’s Pastilles moulds, with the typical GP emblem, are pressed into the cornstarch and then filled with the pastille mixture.

During approximately 6 weeks of the first maturing phase, the corn flour soaks up the surplus moisture of the pastilles. When the required firmness is reached, they are separated from the cornstarch, sprayed with steam and dried overnight. They are now ready for the second, several-week long maturing process: the fruity aroma of the pastilles develops in air-conditioned rooms. So that none of the aroma escapes, the surface of the individual pastilles is coated with a tiny bit of beeswax and vegetable oil, which gives them their shine. Following a strict quality control regimen under the supervision of the Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products, Swissmedic, the Grether’s Pastilles are then packed in their air-permeable packaging, enabling them to breath and mature further to be ready for sale.

In light of the Academy Awards last night, I got to thinking about some of the great movies released in the past year. Yes, it’s been a great year for The Departed and DreamGirls, but I was thinking of the smaller films – the “surprise” hits. One such surprise was Thank You for Smoking, starring Aaron Eckhart. As I was reflecting on how the movie so skillfully mocked the tobacco industry’s knack of denial and lack of responsibility, I realized that there was a candy solution to the smoking problem. Why continue to smoke when more and more states are taking steps to ban smoking in restaurants and bars, cancer research is becoming harder to ignore, and you can’t go up a flight of stairs without wheezing? Why not turn to fun and great-tasting alternatives, like chocolate and licorice?

I’m not talking about a bland over-the-counter chocolate bar or Twizzler. I’m suggesting the Cigarette Candy Chocolate and Licorice Pipes. No, I’m not naïve. I know there are components like nicotine that you won’t find in the original Cigarette Candy and Bubblegum Cigars. Let’s give your lungs a break, and turn instead to rejuvenating your tastebuds.
Try one, and we will thank you for smoking.

Never have I associated so much pop trivia with a candy bar! Mars Bar is not only known for its scrumptious caramel, nougat, and almond all doused in milk chocolate, but it is also dipped in some delicious myths, legends, and controversy.

1960s: One popular myth that never died throughout the decades tells us that while raiding one particular Rolling Stones party the police found the legendary Mick Jagger eating a Mars Bars strategically between the legs of Marianne Faithfull. Of course, she denies it to this day. Even if it wasn’t true, that is certainly one way I’ve never considered eating a Mars Bar.

December 2003: Friends or foe, the Mars Bar appeals to all. Our United States military captured Saddam Hussein with a stash of Mars Bars within arms reach during Operation Red Dawn.

July 2005: The parent company of Mars Bars recalled their shipment in Australia due to an extortion attempt against Sydney’s Star City Casino. The extortionist claimed to have poisoned several Mars bars at random, so the company recalled the product in New South Wales. This just goes to show that such a sinfully delicious chocolate bar has its negative aspects too.

And the list goes on. It’s a shame that this delectable gem is no longer sold. However, the parent company does sell a line of Snickers that acts as the official replacement of the Mars Bar. So the next time you take a break from these dreary winter days and take a bite out of the Snickers Almond Mars Bar, just think – you’re a part of chocolate history.

While surfing through the McKeesport Candy Co. website I found the Retro Candy Gift Pack, all of which comes straight and direct from the hazy days of my childhood. The late 80s and early 90s were, for this twenty-something, the pinnacle of sugary achievement. This pack includes it all, but I’m going to focus on a few particular items which deserve attention all on their own.

1. Candy Jewelry

Is there a single girl out there who didn’t love wearing candy jewelry? Heck, I’ll still wear a candy necklace from time to time with a T-shirt, just as a fun accessory. Candy jewelry loves to taunt you: it just hangs there on your neck or wrist, the delectable sugary goodness teasing you. You know if you eat it, the cuteness of the candy necklace will be gone, but how can you not? The answer is simple: buy two, eat one, and save one to wear. Or just eat them both. That’s what I would do.

2. Fun Dip

Oh, Lik-M-Aid. Fun Dip took the candy concept (sugar + flavors) and simplified it to its most basic parts. You have your packets of flavored, colored sugar substance, and you have the Lik-M-Stick, which seems to be basically a compacted stick of sugar. Lick the stick, dip it in the sugar, and pow! Plus, it’s like getting four kinds of candy in one: you get the three flavors of powder (including one that looks blue but turns itself and your mouth green when you eat it) PLUS the added satisfaction of devouring the sugar sticks when you’re done. However, I have one caution that comes from learned experience: don’t attempt the Fun Dip on crowded car trips. Between the bumps and jostles, powdery disaster could result. I’m not going to give the Pixie Stix much verbage, since they’re basically the same thing as Fun Dip, without the sugar stick, but Pixie Sticks are fabulous. I would always get the really huge, couple-foot-long Pixie Stix and just pour that powered sugar down my throat. Mmmmmm.

3. Sugar Daddies and Babies

When I got my braces in middle school, I pretty much disregarded all the restrictions they gave me about eating food. I chowed down on popcorn and gum and ice, but I quickly discovered that some of my favorite candies were now off-limits. The first time I attempted to down some Sugar Babies, well, disaster struck. It took me almost a day to untangle my metal molars from the sticky stuff, but man, it was almost worth it. Such caramel-ly goodness! I do have to object to the blatant patriarchal domination of this candy: where’s the Sugar Mama?!? We demand candy equality!

4. Pop Rocks and Sweet Tarts

There’s not a whole lot to say about these two candies besides that they’re fabulous. Penny for penny, Pop Rocks are some of the best fun you can have. I mean really, where else can you get a few minutes of mouth-popping excitement for under a buck? That’s what I thought. And Sweet Tarts, well, their name says it all. They have been a Halloween staple my entire life, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

There are a few of these retro candy packs available, and they all have a far bigger selection than I’ve talked about here. After writing this, all I have to say that I really wish I were 10 and tonight was Halloween.

~Janet

For those of you who like licorice, there’s a great brand called Licorice Allsorts. Not only does it boast the same great taste you licorice-lovers come to expect and crave, its unique appearance adds to the fun of eating. One bag contains licorice shaped in pink, orange, blue and white cubes and sprinkled spheres. 

My very first experience with licorice was a bad one. I tried a string of black licorice when I was in kindergarten and it seemed as if I would never be able to wash that strong taste out of my mouth. That day, my teacher had to coax me with a cherry Blow-pop to calm me down. Ever since then, I have been extremely wary of any type of licorice. When I bravely decided to try Licorice Allsorts, I was pleasantly surprised by not only its welcoming designs and easy-to-eat shapes, but also by the taste. They didn’t taste at all like the black licorice string I first tasted so many years ago. 

Licorice dates as far back in history as 5000 years ever since the Chinese first thought that eating licorice root was healthy. It was even found among King Tut’s treasures! Even he was a fan of the chewy confection and found it important enough to be buried with them by his side. I am now a licorice fan. It’s fun to eat and also a great social treat for its fun colors.