A Peach Blossom A Day
Peach Blossoms are a candy that tastes as sweet as it sounds. A truly American treat, they also happen to be made by an American company with a history that stretches far longer than you may have expected.
It all started back in 1847. It was in this fateful year that a man by the name of Oliver Chase invented the lozenge cutter. Chase was a pharmacist, so he wasn’t necessarily in the candy-making business. But, as it turns out, the creation of this machine, which allowed long ropes of sugar to be cut into manageable pieces, was just what the confectionary doctor had ordered.
In fact, the machine was first used to slice up what we know today as
NECCO Wafers. Originally used as cough drops, or a way to soothe the stomach, these wafers were yet to come into their candy prime. Alas, who would have known that a simple little machine, similar to a pasta maker, would have such an impact on U.S. candy production?
Peach Blossoms Blossom
In 1901, Chase & Company, Hayward & Company, and Wright & Moody - three pre-Civil-War-era candy companies - joined forces to become NECCO:
the New England Confectionary Company that we know and love today.
Four years later, in 1905, NECCO introduced
Peach Blossoms. And the smooth peanut butter, wrapped in a crunchy candy coating has been delighting sweet tooths ever since.
But, don’t expect Peach Blossoms to actually taste like peaches. The candy is more reminiscent of the flower than the fruit, as there’s no peach flavoring inside. Somehow, the misleading name has never been a turnoff, as generations have been enjoying the candy ever since.
Peachy Keen
Today, Peach Blossoms are manufactured in Revere, Massachusetts. The factory still uses many machines that have been around since before World War II and relies on real live workers to add food coloring and whisk mixtures - no fully automated candy production, here! So the Peach Blossoms you buy today are made with the same personal touch that has been sweetening every batch for decades.
Source Material:
- http://boston1905.blogspot.com/2009/08/new-england-confectionary-company-necco.html
- http://www.necco.com/About.aspx
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peach_Blossoms
- http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2013/2/15/necco-factory-tour/#
- http://candyprofessor.com/2009/10/02/olive-chase-necco-wafers/
Image Sources:
- http://www.ebay.com/itm/Old-Vintage-Tin-Can-Necco-Sweets-Hard-Candies-Peach-Blossoms-/121221448652
