Candy Reviews, Nostalgic Candy Favorites

Now or Later? That is the Question.

June 25, 2009 by
 
 
Now & Laters Candy

Now & Laters Candy

 
 
Sharability: 9

Denture danger: 9

Convenience: 10

Novelty: 7

Overall: 9

Now and Laters are quite the classic candy. Their old slogan, “Eat some now, Save some for Later” was replaced by the popular and true slogan, “Hard ‘N Fruity now and Soft ‘N Chewy Later”. This slogan describes the candy’s cycle that represents the main difference between the Now and Later and the Laffy Taffy. Compared to the Laffy Taffy, the “Soft’ N Chewy” Now and Later has a slightly denser consistency than the Laffy Taffy which has a greater ‘denture danger’ is softer and stickier. Though the corresponding artificial flavors between Laffy Taffys and Now and Laters are almost indistinguishable, the Now and Later is subtly less sweet than the Laffy Taffy which is a nice relief from the shockingly sugary Laffy Taffy.

Now and Laters were originally introduced by the Phoenix Candy Company in 1962 with its original red, green, and blue flavors. Farley’s and Sathers Candy Company currently manufactures Now and Laters with twenty-four flavors available including banana, cherry, sour apple, grape, and strawberry. Whether you enjoy this candy now or later, your craving for that soft (or hard), chewy, juicy, taffy candy will be pleasantly satisfied.

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34 Comments

  • Reply Denise Matos September 25, 2009 at 12:46 pm

    Beatrice Foods owns Now and Later Now, I did not even know Beatrice still existed. I know that Beatrice owned Now and Later in about 1996??? are you mistaken about 2006.

    I was with Now and Later from 1976 until it closed manufacturing in NY and moved to Mexico. That was Farley Sathers and that was in 2003.

  • Reply Becca September 25, 2009 at 7:59 pm

    Thanks for pointing that out Denise, the mistake has been corrected.

  • Reply Angela October 4, 2017 at 11:44 pm

    Which is the hard now and laters the classic or the original

  • Reply Jenn March 22, 2018 at 8:37 pm

    None of them are hard any more, they have obviously changed the recipe. Now and layers used to make your mouth water while sucking on them almost as a jolly rancher but eventually getting chewy like a hard taffy. Now ever since they came out with the new soft chew now and layers the recipe has not been the same. The original now and layers are almost just as soft as the newer softer version.

  • Reply Heather June 20, 2018 at 4:36 pm

    Was not happy when I realized the now or layers were not as sour and chewy as they used to be .will not be buying them anymore

  • Reply Big K June 29, 2018 at 1:30 am

    Your so right Jenn and I am not a fan of this new version at all. I wish they’d bring back the original recipie.

  • Reply Russell Harper March 23, 2019 at 10:50 pm

    Why do they not make chocolate now laters anymore?

    • Reply Jonah Half April 3, 2019 at 2:00 pm

      Like so many candies, formulas and flavors changed over the years. As to why, not sure..

  • Reply Collin April 4, 2019 at 6:22 am

    Jenn! You 100% took the words out of my mouth. I remember being a kid in the early 90s and my two older cousins playing games with me and for reward giving me all different flavor now and laters and they were so hard but so amazing and then just enough sucking they’d become chewy… I miss that old recipe they were amazing… and would really make your tongue underneath have that thing where it squirts lol

  • Reply Jessica Chisolm May 12, 2019 at 10:48 pm

    What year did now and later make the chocolate and vanilla flavor

  • Reply Mary July 31, 2019 at 11:39 pm

    I hate this new recipe I miss the hard original now and laters! Bring back the pink lemonade original not the chewy

  • Reply Miss K October 1, 2019 at 10:59 pm

    I hate the chewy now and later BRING BACK THE ORIGINAL!!!

  • Reply B October 26, 2019 at 8:41 pm

    Can we not buy the originals back? The harder squares with their very distinctive taste? I hate these chewy things. Not the same.

  • Reply Tony Williams November 5, 2019 at 9:19 pm

    I’m with you guys, I love the old hard originals and can’t find them anywhere.. I just stopped buying them. The hard ones were the very best ones hands down!!

  • Reply LaVonda Smith February 29, 2020 at 4:38 pm

    Do you still make lemon and orange now laters

  • Reply Roy Lee March 10, 2020 at 3:53 am

    You can pick them up at Jeff Bezos place. Very close anyhow I have been buying them there for a while. Just stay away the big jugs and the other offering the crunchy hard ones come in boxes with 24 packs of 6. I am ordering here in a minute just wanted to look around and see if anyone else carried them where I might get all the flavors I wanted.

  • Reply Jana Kay Foster April 20, 2020 at 1:34 am

    Please use the old recipe and bring back the rum caramel and chocolate

  • Reply Douglas Patterson' April 22, 2020 at 7:29 am

    Do u still make now & LATER? IF DO CAN YOU NAKE them sugarfree

  • Reply Michelle September 22, 2020 at 11:18 pm

    I refuse to buy anymore! I bought an entire bucket from Sam’s and I am not happy. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The hard, chewy ones were a childhood and an adult favorite for me. I’m so disappointed in how they have changed the formula.

  • Reply Dee Dee September 23, 2020 at 11:30 am

    Please listen to your consumers and bring back the hard sour candy. This soft and chewy is nasty and gooey. I loved now and laters as a child when you got 6 nice size hard candies that made your mouth watery. I could eat this all day. Now, when someone gives them to me, they go to someone else or in the trash.

  • Reply Cali bleu November 12, 2020 at 6:38 pm

    Please bring back old recipe they are not the same we are not happy 🙁

  • Reply Stephanie November 15, 2020 at 7:55 pm

    I so agree, I hate the soft version of the candy. Bring back the original!! Watermelon and sour apple were my favorites. Soft ones can’t compare. They are now so close to Starburst and that is not good.

  • Reply BP December 6, 2020 at 9:05 pm

    I agree with the majority on this post. The old harder N & L’s were much better. How do we bring them back? Consumers love options, offer them both!

  • Reply Carrie Pletcher February 22, 2021 at 10:10 pm

    I found that the strawberry ones from QT gas station are the nice hard one. Sometimes i can score the hard watermelon ones but the strawberry are always hard!!!

  • Reply Michelle Sullivan April 2, 2021 at 1:32 am

    I LOVE the new recipe! I quit eating them years ago when I broke a tooth while eating one of them, but then when I seen the new chewy now and laters I gave them a try and been hooked ever since! The place I buy them from can’t keep them in the store because I buy them as fast as they get them in! 😁

  • Reply Mercedes April 28, 2021 at 7:40 pm

    I want the old hard ones back. These new cheey ones suck and mimic other candy. While the hard ones were litterally their own original style. Miss the hard OG n & ls. I dont wven buy them anymore because its just a big disappointment. I miss the hard stick to your teeth mouth watering original candy. Please vring the original back

  • Reply JL July 14, 2021 at 9:09 pm

    The vanilla and the butter rum and chocolate now laters was the best. Please do a retro

  • Reply Bart Simpson September 4, 2021 at 10:47 am

    I thought I was just getting some bad batches, but good to know it’s not me. They actually DID change the recipe. New recipe sucks!!! Bring back the kind that was crunchy at first. If it aint broke dont fix it!!

  • Reply Valerie October 16, 2021 at 11:16 pm

    I actually liked the original better!

  • Reply Jan Coleman October 27, 2021 at 12:30 am

    Please bring back the hard ones. The new one are basically taffy…Today in desperation I tried the ones at 5 Below. I put it in my mouth as I walked out the store. When I got to my car I was done..It didn’t last. It basically disintegrated in my mouth. This is the only candy I enjoy as an adult. But the new formula is terrible. Please bring back the HARD ones..ALL THE FLAVORS Thanks

  • Reply Felicia November 1, 2021 at 2:25 pm

    1st of all the Now or Laters have been reduced in size so much that they’re not even desirable. 2nd of all, I like the old fashioned big sized Now or Laters that use to cost 10 cents when I was a kid. Why did they change the name to Now and Later?!

  • Reply Chris January 26, 2022 at 1:20 am

    Bring back hard original recipe now and laters from the 90’s – these new softer ones are not 1/2 as enjoyable and ARE NOT LONG LASTING – as stated on their packaging

  • Reply LaTonia February 5, 2022 at 11:13 am

    Would highly and much appreciate bring it back the hard candies from the 90s now and laters. The original flavors will be nice also. This candy nowadays there’s a reason why it’s called now or later because there is never a later. Too soft, I can recall that used to be so hard till your jaws hurt just chewing one that was the fun of the candy. The Original Classic Candy should also still be an option to purchase!

  • Reply Cali Bleu May 29, 2022 at 3:13 am

    I miss the old Now And Laters So Much I Feel Like Just Retire Them If You’ll Never Get The Recipe For The Originals. Respectfully

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