Brach’s Candy

Founded by, German emigrant Emil J. Brach in 1904, Brach’s Candy quickly expanded from the initial small storefront shop on the corner of North Avenue and Towne Street in Chicago, IL, to become one of America's largest candy companies in a relatively brief period of time. Emil Brach was not alone in this endeavor, but was joined by his two sons, Edwin and Frank.

The Brach family has a definite recipe for success. The key to this success was to produce the highest quality candy, using the most up-to-date manufacturing and distribution processes available, and finally offer the customers a wide variety of products at a fair price. They built the business making and selling great-tasting, high-quality candies at a fair price.

The Brachs soon outgrew their first store and moved to Des Plaines Street on the west side of Chicago in May of 1906. Peanut and hard candies were added to the line of caramels that were already making a name for the fledgling candy company.

By 1909 the company's growth required a second move, this time to a new location at the corner of LaSalle and Illinois Avenue. The production line expanded to include coconut nougats and other hard candies. Throughout all of this growth, the rate of candy produced per pound rose phenomenally as the Brachs kept expansion of both facilities and employee numbers growing as well.

In 1913, the factory and offices moved to an even larger facility on East Illinois Street. Here Brach's added chocolate dipping and icing and cream dipping, and installed a marshmallow line and a department for panned candies. Quality was always foremost concern for the Brachs. The company backed its candy with a thirty-day money-back guarantee, and they were also the first candy company to have a state-of-the-art laboratory to inspect ingredients. In 1915 and 1916 they expanded this facility. Finally in 1923 Emil moved all operations to a new facility at the intersection of Kilpatrick, Ferdinand, and the Beltline Rail Road tracks.

They sold not only to department stores, but also to thousands of small corner stores and general merchandisers. Brach's was the first company to introduce barrels as a new and unique way to get additional display area in the stores. Next they introduced boxes with glass covers to keep the candy fresh. Impressive display cases involving candy stations, where the products could be mixed and weighed in the store, soon followed.

Today, Brach's remains a leader in the manufacture of staple (everyday) candy and seasonal candy; and the fastest-growing fruit snacks company in the U.S. Though no longer owned by the Brach’s family, the company still strives to maintain the quality and the reputation that made the brand a household name. This does not appear likely to change any time soon.

Bulk Candy

Are you planning a Christmas function and need to purchase a large volume of candy for the event? Maybe you are throwing a graduation party for your son or daughter? Do you need a variety of wholesale candy for students in your class on Valentine's Day? Planning to supply the candy for a corporate party at work? These are just some of the examples where having bulk candy available would be just the thing to make these special occasions go smoothly or add a little flair.

Early on, most candy companies realized that the need large quantities of candy rather than individual pieces would become more and more of an issue as the economy grew and more and more businesses set aside time for special events where having party favors might include having candy on hand.

Being able to purchase bulk candy at lower or wholesale prices prompted many of these companies to expand their operations to cater to needs. You could purchase big bags of bulk candy in your local supermarket or order them direct from the companies if the quantities needed were especially large.

As the years went by and technology improved, methods of purchasing bulk candy changed as well. With the emergence of the worldwide web, the bulk candy markets received a big boost.

Not only did established companies like Brach’s and Hershey’s have new ways to both attract the attention of customers surfing the net, they seized the opportunity to create online bulk candy distribution centers. Now you could actually order candy online and have it shipped directly to your house or business. It has been a remarkable innovation, certainly.

Following these big players, smaller independent candy distributors posted websites offering wholesale bulk candy as well. Today, the internet hosts thousands of these kinds of sites. Each one offering deals on either the types of candies they have available or the prices they sell them for.

This is the perfect avenue for small businesses that have candy displays or for refilling vending machines. Often, rather than going the local market to find the normal run of bulk candy, consumers are looking for specialty items or bulk candy that can be augmented with personal touches.

No matter what you need bulk candy for, you can be sure to find plenty of it online for the taking.

Candy Apples

Whether served fresh at carnivals or packaged in the local grocery store, the candy apple has been a tasty treat that scores people, children and adult alike, have savored for many years. In fact, some research has suggested that the methods employed in the making of candy apples date back into ancient times where the practice of coating fruit in sugar syrup for preservative reasons was common.

Furthermore, food historians generally agree that the existence of what we currently call candy apples and caramel (toffee) apples probably date to the late 19th century, although this is difficult to prove in print. Both toffee and caramel are traced to the early decades of the 18th century. Inexpensive toffee/caramels became available by the end of the 19th century. Culinary evidence confirms a variety of recipes, from simple candy to creamy toffee/caramel coating.

The Oxford English Dictionary gives on quotations relating to toffee apples earlier than the beginning of the 20th century. However, the use of the term as a soldier's slang for a type of bomb used in World War I suggests that they were already well known, and probably have a longer history than the quotations allow.

In the phrase toffee apple the word toffee means simple boiled sugar, not the mixture of sugar and dairy produce which is what the word normally refers to. This may be another indication of an older origin. There is some similarity between toffee apples and the Chinese dessert items which consist of pieces of banana or apple fried in batter and then coated in caramelized syrup. Whether there is any historical connection is not clear.

In order to make candy apples, first, you need to remove stem from each apple. Wash and dry each apple. Insert wooden stir stick for holding in the center of stem end then set them aside. Now you are going to grease a baking sheet, then set this aside for later as well.

In 12-cup heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine sugar, water and corn syrup; cook, stirring, over medium-low heat for 8 minutes or until sugar has dissolved. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil, brushing down side of pan occasionally with brush dipped in hot water to prevent crystallization. Boil, brushing down side occasionally but not stirring, for 15 to 25 minutes or until at soft-crack stage of 290 degrees

Fahrenheit on candy thermometer, or until half a teaspoon of syrup dropped into cold water separates into hard but pliable threads. Then remove syrup from heat; very quickly stir in red food coloring. Immediately plunge bottom of pan into ice water and hold for about 15 seconds or until sizzling stops. Holding each apple by wooden stick and tilting saucepan, swirl each apple in candy syrup until well coated all over. Lift apple and quickly swirl over pan to allow excess to drip off. Place on prepared baking sheet; let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or until hardened. Now you have fresh delicious candy apples to enjoy.

Candy Cane

The red-and-white-striped, sugary candy known as the candy cane can be found everywhere during the Christmas season. It's as much an ornament as it is a confection, and people munch these treats and decorate with them, scarcely giving a thought to just where candy canes came from in the first place.

Candy canes didn't appear until at least the latter part of the 17th century, by which time Europe was almost entirely Christian. By then, people who were not Christians would have been the ones in need of this form of "secret handshake"!

When the practice of using Christmas trees to celebrate Christmas became popular in Europe the people there began making decorations for their trees. Many of the decorations were food items including cookies and candy. The predecessor of our modern candy cane appeared at about this time in the seventeenth century. These were straight, white sticks of sugar candy.

Pageants of living crèches were a common part of the Christmas celebration at the Cologne Cathedral. In about 1670, the choirmaster there had sticks of candy bent into the shape of a shepherd’s crook and passed them out to children who attended the ceremonies. This became a popular tradition, and eventually the practice of passing out the sugar canes at living crèches ceremonies spread throughout Europe.

The use of candy canes on Christmas trees made its way to America by the 1800’s, however during this time they were still pure white. They are represented this way on Christmas cards made before 1900, and it is not until the early 20th century that they appear with their familiar red stripes.

Claims made about the candy's religious symbolism have become increasingly widespread as religious leaders have assured their congregations that these mythologies are factual, the press has published these claims as authoritative answers to readers' inquiries about the confection's meaning, and several lavishly illustrated books purport to tell the "true story" of the candy cane's origins.

When you examine the claims of much of these recent popular treatments, you come away with little more than bits of folklore being pressed for more validity than they were meant to have.

Candy Molds

The candy mold is the defining element of candy making no matter if you are making chocolate candy bars or hard candies like peppermints, you will need one.

Having a candy mold allows for consistent reproduction of candy again and again. In the commercial production of candy massive molds are used to provide a tremendous output of candy per minute while small individual molds are more useful with at-home candy making adventures. The point is that whatever your scale, there should be a candy mold option open for you.

For those searching for just the right mold, there are many options available today including several websites online that specialize in the sales of candy molds for every possible occasion from holidays to special promotions, if you find the right website you will have access to all of the candy molds you will need.

Candy mold designs are only limited by the imagination of mold creator and there thousands of unique designs already available for those who want to make their own candy. Even the right candy mold cannot be found there is always the option of having one made from scratch.

Related to this notion, is similar option that has appeal with some people, or in other words, the idea of constructing their own candy molds. As with those who already specialize in making molds there are websites that sell the materials for making the mold—be it silicone, other heavy plastics, and even metal—and those interested will be able to find a lot of variety here.

Making candy has taken on more appeal as the availability of the tools and materials to accomplish this have become more readily available. This has lead to a surge in amateur candy makers taking up the craft to flex a bit of creative muscle to make tasty morsels all their own. Even businesses like catering companies have taken a look at the possibilities and many now are making specialized candies that show yet another aspect of their business prowess.

Again, it doesn’t matter what sort of candy mold you might be searching for. You can find what you want if you look enough at what is possible, talk to some professionals and maybe even do a bit of experimenting on your own.

Candy Shop

In days gone by, visiting the local corner candy shop was a special treat. Walking through the front door, you were immediately greeting by the pleasing aromas of peppermint, chocolate, and caramel. Perhaps, you were greeted by the shopkeeper. Then your eyes feasted upon neatly arranged, brightly packaged candies. Within glass display cases you could see rows of tasty chocolate morsels beckoning you. It was a glorious thing if were able to walk out of the candy shop with one of these delectable treats.

Times changed and many of these small candy shops closed or moved out of the neighborhood. Many times, they were put out of business by large chain stores that beginning to make their presence known. Some shrewd candy shop owners took the plunge and moved their family run operations into the shopping malls and managed to survive and prosper. Some of these small candy shops eventually became the large retail chains themselves.

In time, those small local candy shops that did survive where they were began seeking new ways to advertise their traditional, homemade quality confections to a broader audience of avid candy lovers. For many the nostalgia was a draw as well as many of the processes involved wit these small businesses were unique to them alone.

The answer to their prayers came via the internet. Owners of old time candy shops started publishing web pages that showcased their wonderful selections of candies, complete with full-color graphics and interesting content that detailed their rich histories. Though many of these sites initially appeared as nothing more than home pages that told you all about them and then encouraged you to visit them in person, there were a few that began to expand to include online stores. These stores, like those of the larger, retail candy makers who were already populating the internet with their own websites, offered everything that a candy-lover could imagine and with the added bonus of providing that extra special care and quality that only small time candy shop could offer.

This, of course, had great appeal to some. The result was that many candy shops saw significant increases in their candy sales, and this lead to expansion simply in order to keep up with the demand that these tactics generated.

So even if you can’t find that local candy shop that you gave you so many fine memories, you might find that they are but a click away.

Chocolate Candy

Whenever someone says chocolate, it normally means chocolate candy. The connection is immediate. In America, chocolate remains the most popular candy, far surpassing all other types of candy being sold. Many of us have a great deal of passion for our chocolate. Often called “chocoholics,” we can attest to some obvious addictive properties in the candy bars and chocolate desserts we munch almost daily.

Today, there are so many varieties of chocolate candy available that it would be difficult to list them all but the form most often utilized by candy-makers is the candy bar. Names like Hershey’s, Nestle, Cadbury, are synonymous with chocolate candy. These companies have made billions of dollars creating their cocoa confections for nearly a century. This success is based on a simple formula: creating the best tasting chocolate candy possible. The heritage of many of these companies is founded on this desire to achieve optimum product quality and customer satisfaction.

Commensurate with the success of the big candy makers, is the popularity of making chocolate candy on the small scale. Small locally owned and operated candy stores make a living not only selling their chocolate candies but manufacturing them as well. Creating gourmet chocolate candy is big draw for these tiny candymakers who want to produce chocolate candy that incorporates elaborate decoration and supreme quality of ingredients.

If candy making isn’t a primary occupation, then making chocolate candy is a wholly different matter. Some of principles are the same. The methods used to create many of the candies are identically, albeit, they will be on a much smaller scale than either of the previously mentioned sources of chocolate candy. In these instances, it typically becomes a matter of hobby rather than sales. Yet with a marketing tool like the internet at one’s disposal, you can take what is currently a hobby and make an online candy business all its own.

It is no surprise that there are already several online chocolate candy businesses operating on the internet, capitalizing on the fact that many people are buying even their food online. It doesn’t seem like such a stretch to browse the candy store from your computer screen.

Cotton Candy

Cotton candy has had an interesting and varied history since its emergence at in the last year of the nineteenth century, as speculation and uncertain surround its very creation. Historians are not exactly sure who it was that first invented the delicious candy treat loved by millions of circus and amusement parks across the country. Generally, four people are associated with the origins of cotton candy, and each one for slightly different reasons, and yet all have received recognition at different times as the inventor of cotton candy.

John C. Wharton and William Morrison, two candy makers from Tennessee, received a patent for their cotton candy machine in 1899. Their machine ran by electrical power and involved a process which melted and spun sugar through tiny holes using centrifugal force. Wharton and Morrison went on to introduce their amazing new invention at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904.
Next we have Thomas Patton who received a separate patent around 1900 for different process of making cotton candy than that introduced by Wharton and Morrison. Patton had been experimenting with ways of caramelizing sugar and thereafter forming threads by the use of a big fork. In order to get the threads to spin and he employed a gas-fired rotating plate. Patton’s design worked well enough that he was able market his product at no less than the Ringley Brother’s Circus. Its resultant popularity with the children was hardly unexpected.

At about the same time that Patton was wowing circuses with his brand of cotton candy, a Louisiana dentist named Josef Delarose Lascaux had managed to create his own form of cotton candy which interestingly enough he offer at his dental practice. Unlike the others around at the time of cotton candy’s inception, Lascaux never received a single patent or trademark for the confection.

Here’s the more interesting question. How is cotton candy made?

Cotton candy is very simple to make. First sugar is melted into a liquid state by a built in heater and then it is spun in the cotton candy machine. The motion of the machine forces the liquefied sugar through thousands of tiny holes that shape and cool it. The moment these thin threads of sugar hit the air, they cool and re-solidify, so in the bowl of the machine a web of sugar threads develops that are collected and served on a stick or in a cone.

Cotton Candy Machine

A cotton candy machine uses sugar, a heated pan, centrifugal force and tiny holes to create the popular treat at carnivals and other events. To briefly explain the process: First, the operator of a cotton candy machine pours pure sugar and food coloring into a centralized plan. As the sugar melts, centrifugal force from this spinning pan forces threads of sugar through a mesh screen.

The hot sugar threads cool down in the open air and are flung against the round outside wall of the machine. Then, the operator then twirls a paper cone around the perimeter, causing individual sugar threads to stick to the cone and to each other. The result is a large pile of spun sugar originally called “Fairy Floss,” or more commonly known as cotton candy

The original idea behind cotton candy dates back nearly to the medieval times to a cooking method called 'spun sugar'. As sugar melted in a small container, the cooks would gather some of the hot syrup on a fork and fling it across a larger container. When the heated sugar cooled, light threads would form and chefs bundled them together to form a dessert. But this dessert was difficult and time consuming to make, a fact which made it impractical until the invention of the cotton candy machine.

The first commercial cotton candy machine was invented in 1897 by two candy makers from Tennessee named William Morrison and John C. Wharton. The machine used an electric heating element to melt crystallized sugar and a motor to force the threads through a mesh. Instead of using paper cones, the first batches of Fairy Floss were served in wooden boxes.

At the time, the treat itself was very expensive, selling for an exorbitant 25 cents a box. (a ticket for admission to the 1904 World's Fair itself was only 50 cents.) Despite the high costs, the new treat was a hit and its popularity grew. Yet, at times, this success was overshadowed by the tendency for the machines to breakdown.

Around 1949, improvements were made to the basic cotton candy machine. The Gold Medal Company developed a more reliable mechanism for heating and distributing the sugar which eliminated much of problems that earlier machines were suffering from. Consequently, the majoring of the cotton candy machines in use today at fairs, carnivals and charity events are still being manufactured by Gold Medal Products of Cincinnati, Ohio.

The demand for the availability of this machines have prompted rental stores to keep cotton candy machines on hand as well as the special “floss” sugar needed to make it for use at schools and fundraising events. Also, in recent years, a home version of the cotton candy machine has also become available through selected specialty stores though these models tend be less durable and subject to breakdown.

Gummi Bears Candy

Hans Riegel, a Bonn Germany-based candymaker, invented gummi bears (the first gummi candy) and gummi candy during the 1920s, with the bear-shaped candy debuting in 1922. Initially, he called his invention the ‘dancing bear" and named the company that manufactured the bears "Haribo,” which is an acronym for Hans Riegel Bonn. The confection became popular by the end of its first year. Later the company introduced its Gold-Bear product in the 1960s.

For many years, gummi bears were imported to America. American high school students were among the first Americans to know about the gummi bear. They learned about the candy through their German classes. In 1981, the Herman Goelitz Company (now Jelly Belly Candy Company) created the first American-made gummi bear. A year later, the Haribo Company brought their business to the U.S., and the candy was now easily accessible to Americans.

The success of gummi bears has spawned many gummi animals and objects: worms, frogs, hamburgers, cherries, cola bottles, sharks, apples, and oranges. Many generic brands of gummi bears are available on the market. Trolli is a well-known knockoff gummi candy manufacturer and was the first to introduce "gummi worms" in 1981.

How are gummi bears and other gummi candies made? The gummi manufacturing process is a long procedure that begins with artists for the manufacturer’s company.

Artists start with a character sketch and then carve it into tiny plaster molds. Then, machines duplicate the molds. The duplicates are run through a starch powder machine to produce starch powder mold pans.

In the factory, candy makers pour ingredients into large boilers. Some of the ingredients include gelatin, sugar and glucose syrup. Then the ingredients are heated together and constantly stirred by large paddles. Colors and flavorings are added to give the gummi snacks their distinct look and taste. Next, pipes transfer the mixture to the production area.

Nozzles are used to squeeze the mix out onto the starch pans where it is left to sit for three to five days. Afterwards, beeswax is added to make the candy shiny and less sticky. Finally, the gummi candies are transferred to a packaging machine and prepared for shipment.

How to Make Rock Candy

In the past, making rock candy was a family affair with many mothers and grandmothers across the country making the savory confections right out of their kitchens. Many people can remember the fun and excitement that filled those long summer days. You did not have to visit your local candy store in order to sample these sweet treats. Today, you can still have rock candy any time you want. It is easy to make.

Let’s begin by outlining the main ingredients. They include: One cup water, two cups of granulated sugar, a few drops of your favorite candy flavoring such as peppermint, cherry or lemon, and few drops of food coloring. Also, we need the proper implements or utensils so we can create the right conditions for the sugar crystals to form.

We will need the following: Measuring cup and spoon, a large heavy metal sauce pan, long wooden stirring spoon, clean glass jar (a tall, sturdy one such as a pint or quart canning jar, mayonnaise jar or pickle jar), piece of sterilized cotton string, popsicle stick, pencil, or skewer, paper clip, thick pot holders, candy thermometer. Now you can vary some of these implements but non-negotiable elements include the jar, the string, and the stick or pencil. Without these you will have trouble getting your rock candy to form. With this point clear, you can begin making your own rock candy.

First, tie one end of the piece of string around the middle of the stick or pencil. Cut the string, if necessary, so that it is a little shorter than your jar. Moisten the string with a little water and roll it in the sugar. Put the paper clip on the end of the string to help it hang straight down. Lay the stick over the top of the glass jar so that the string hangs down inside the jar. The end of the string should not touch the bottom of the jar.

Cook the candy mixture then pour it into jar. Let the sugar water sit for a few days where no one will bother it. The crystals will begin to form along the string in a few hours. Let them continue grow for 3 to 10 days (or more). When you're ready to eat the rock candy, take the candy-covered string out of the jar. Break the pieces apart and enjoy. Store left-over candy in a covered container. Enjoy!

Jelly Belly

The origin of the Jelly Belly jelly bean begins back in 1976 when a Los Angeles candy distributor approached the candymakers at Jelly Belly (what was formerly known as Herman Goelitz Candy Company) with an idea for a new kind of jelly bean that would be marketed as the jelly bean with all-natural flavors.

Creating these "true-to-life" flavors seemed to be the next logical step in the candy’s evolution. In time a recipe was found for a new kind of jelly bean, which emphasized an intense flavor throughout and used natural ingredients for flavoring whenever possible.

Thus, in 1976, the first eight Jelly Belly flavors were arrived: Very Cherry, Lemon, Tangerine, Cream Soda, Green Apple, Root Beer, Grape and Licorice. Since that time, these original eight have remained the most popular flavors in the Jelly Belly line.

The moment that Jelly Belly beans hit the markets, they were a resounding success. People who tasted them were taken aback by the great flavor. A few years later, it is worthy to note that Jelly Belly became the favorite candy of former President Ronald Reagan, who eventually made the beans a staple in both the Oval Office and on Air Force One. More amazing is the fact that a new flavor was created per Reagan’s request.

Blueberry flavored Jelly Belly became part of the President’s party favors. (He wanted to be able to serve red, white, and blue jelly beans.) Consequently, diplomats and world leaders have clamored to have Jelly Belly beans. If Jelly Belly had not already ensured itself a place in history, then adding the fact that it was the first jelly bean in outer space, should close the case completely. Today, you can sample fifty amazing flavors of Jelly Belly beans.

After all this writing about jelly beans, did you know Jelly Belly Candy Company also makes over a hundred other candies?

Jelly Belly is a consummate candymaker creating top quality candies the same rich quality as Jelly Belly beans and making special confections for Valentine's Day, Easter, Halloween and Christmas.

You'll find these candies in many of the same gourmet shops and specialty stores where you find Jelly Belly beans.

Jelly Belly Factory

Located in Southern California, just north of San Francisco and near the wine country of the Napa Valley, the Jelly Belly Candy Factory can be just the side trip to delight the candy-lover in your family. The factory is based in the city of Fairfield is known for offering tours where you can watch Jelly Belly candies being made.

Unlike other factories that only offer tours on certain days of the week or when the factory is working, Jelly Belly offers tours seven days a week. The only exceptions would include major holidays.

With the company’s open door policy you need not worry about placing reservations but it would be wise to consider this: Almost a half million people visit the factory each year and the earlier you arrive on the premises, the less crowded it will be. Normally, the tour lasts about forty minutes, but it should be expected for visitors to end up staying sixty to ninety minutes, depending on tour frequency.

During weekly operations, visitors are invited to view the plant in action from enclosed walkways located above the factory floor. On weekends, holidays, and during the annual plant shutdown at the end of June, guides rely on videos showing the factory in action. For those who have heard about the Jelly Belly Factory but can’t make it out to the west coast, you can always visit the Jelly Belly website and take a virtual factory tour.

During the tour you are led above conveyers, trays, and bins, all filled full of thousands of jelly beans. Guides put on quite the show themselves, relating information, like it takes seven to ten days to make each of the 1.25 million beans finished each day, trivia, and gladly welcoming questions from visitors.

With a manufacturing process that includes steam baths, sugar showers and lots of rest, it all seems like some strange spa for jelly beans. At the end of the line, all the Jelly Bellies wind up in the engrossing pan, a copper dryer-like device, where each bean gets four flavored syrup and sugar coats. After they're polished, a special printer places the Jelly Belly logo on every one.

Jolly Ranchers

The Jolly Rancher is a brand of candy that includes hard candy, fruit chews, and lollipops. It was originally produced by the Jolly Rancher Candy Company, a Colorado based company which was founded in 1949 by husband and wife Bill and Dorothy Harmsen.

The name Jolly Rancher was derived from idea of western hospitality. When the candy was first introduced, the candy company actually made various products including ice cream and chocolate. Once the Jolly Rancher candy’s popularity was apparent by the growing sales, the company then ceased making ice cream and then concentrated on hard candy.

In 1966, the Harmsens sold the Jolly Rancher Candy to Beatrice Foods but the couple continued to be involved in the day to day operations of the company. Seventeen years later, in 1983, the Finland-based company, Huhtamaki Oy, purchased the candy company and the right to Jolly Rancher Candy from the ailing Beatrice Foods who would later be bought out by Kohlbert Kravis Roberts & Co. in 1986 then later broken up by ConAgra Foods Inc. in 1990.

Huhtamaki Oy eventually sold Jolly Rancher to Hershey Foods Corporation in 1996 where it has been ever since. All production a the orignal Colorado location ceased after the acquisition by Hershey Foods.

While Jolly Rancher has introduced other kinds of candy in recent years, for many people their name is synonymous with the rectangular hard candies that made them famous.

The original assortment of flavors still marketed today includes grape, cherry, lemon, watermelon, and sour apple. They also sell two other assortments: "Tropical Blends", comprised of strawberry-banana, raspberry-pineapple, banana-pineapple, mandarin-tangerine, and lemon lime; and "Passion fruits", which includes fruit punch, strawberry, raspberry, peach, and orange. An intense cinnamon flavor called Fire is also available.

Beyond the Jolly Rancher candy and its variation is the other candies that wear the Jolly Rancher brand name. These include: Hard Candy, Sugar Free Hard Candy (1997) Jelly Beans (1997) Lollipops (1999) Fruit Chew Lollipops (2001) Fruit Chews Candy (2001) Screaming Sours Candy (2004) Bold Fruit Smoothie Jelly Beans (2005) Lollipops with Chile.

In addition to the traditional flavors introduced by the Harmsens, Hershey’s has added Fruit 'n' Sour flavors, Smoothie flavors, and holiday-themed candies.

Marzipan Candy

When it comes to this unusually named candy, the first thing many want to know is what exactly marzipan is.

Some claim that the candy originated in Persia and was later introduced to eastern Europe where it eventually became a specialty of the Baltic Sea region of Germany but the true origins are shrouded by time. Marzipan is confectionary made up of ground almonds, glucose, and sugar and derives its characteristic flavor from bitter almonds, which constitute 4% to 6% of total content by weight.

It is interesting to note that there are strictly-held guidelines by which to judge if what you have made is technically marzipan or whether the proper ingredients are present. For proper marzipan composition it must contain approximately 25% almonds to be considered marzipan.

Pastry chefs have used marzipan candy for many centuries to create a vast assortment of delectable treats. For instance, chefs have been using this delicious candy to fill cakes and cover them instead of using a more traditional frosting.

For this purpose, the marzipan is rolled into thin sheets and glazed for icing cakes. Traditionally, it is used in wedding cakes and Christmas cakes, as well as other specialty cakes. Though marzipan is a wonderful ingredient and looks beautiful and colorful as a cake decoration, it can be molded into almost any shape imaginable, including figurines.

Creating these small figures serves a dual purpose as they not only look good, but they are edible as well. Common examples include: marzipan-filled chocolate and small marzipan imitations of fruits and vegetables. The popularity of this candy is underscored by its nearly global presence is various recipes.

It should suffice to provide a few examples of how marzipan in used in other countries. In many of these countries it is shaped into small figures of animals, such as pigs, as a traditional treat for New Year's Day.

Marzipan is also used in Tortell, and in some versions of king cake eaten during the Carnival season. In Italy, particularly in Palermo, marzipan is often shaped and painted with food colorings to resemble fruit—Frutta martorana—especially during the Christmas season. This flexibility is one of the reasons for marzipan’s surge in popularity. You can use it in the creation of a variety of tasty treats.

Mexican Candy

The import and sales of Mexican candy in the United States has been a steadily increasing market for a number of years now with figures now suggesting that this is an almost $170 million dollar business. This fact should certainly make some of us take up and notice.

The major contributor of this increase has been the demand for these types of treats by the Latino population on the west coast who are looking for tasty snacks that remind them of their own cultural tastes and provide their children with an opportunity to sample some of their childhood candy favorites. Beyond this, the emergence of candy markets across the U.S. that specialize in ethic foods, have begun to spread sales numbers from coast to coast.

But what is different about Mexican candy? What explains it growing popularity?

Eduardo Rodríguez, the founder of Dulcelandia, a Chicago based candy store chain that sells a variety of Mexican candy made following statement: “The American candy market is a great market, but it lacks spice.”

What is meant by spice, you may ask? Many of these foreign confections with their combination sweet and sour with the tangy flavor of chili powder challenge many Americans sensibilities when it comes to what is considered candy.

But, for some the uniqueness of Mexican candy has been a welcome change in taste from the regular run of candies to be found at the local supermarket. Despite the fact that most of the buyers of these candies are Latino emigrants, a growing number of Anglo and African Americans are intrigued by the different flavors that Mexican candy has to offer.

Many of the candies are uniquely shaped, taking the form of soda bottles, ears of corn, cucumbers, and roasted chicken to name a few. Most of them are made with all natural fruits: peach, pineapple, mango, tamarind, guava, papaya, and cantaloupe. These are further enhanced by the inclusion of chili powder coatings.

So how about a bag of chili-coated gummies? Or, perhaps, you would prefer a mango-and-chili-flavored lollipop? Again, these may seem like odd combinations, but it wouldn’t hurt you to try them? You may be in for a pleasant surprise.

Online Candy Store

It shouldn’t be any surprise that as with every other business, that the candy store should find its way onto the worldwide web. At the moment, there are literally hundreds of online candy stores now operating from websites that have been built to cater customers who are looking for either the brand name candies available at any store or to candy lovers looking for more exotic varieties types of specialty candies that are typically hard to find or not available in certain regions of the country.

Even more interesting are the number of online candy stores that actually have something just for the nostalgic, offering classic candies from the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s. You can even find online stores can have candy available made just for special occasions or holidays, ready to order so the customer will be able to plan surprise treats for loved ones.

Wholesale candy distributors have jumped on board with this trend for online candy stores by adding comprehensive listings of all of their products on the web then going further by offering great deals on bulk candy sales for a variety of customers including movie theaters, restaurants, and small grocery stores with the convenience of online purchasing or special rates on limited edition candies that you cannot find anywhere else or that have been discontinued but a surplus remains to be sold at a discount.

This can also be just the option for those who might need to have a party or a more professional occasion but just don’t have the time in their schedule to get out to a store in person. With online candy stores you merely need to log on and place an order.

Less commercialized candymakers have also realized the good sense of providing access to their range of products to online markets and as a result, have broadened their potential to make money across the country and even around the globe.

Additionally, many of these online candy stores include gifts and card with the candy they sell which does increase the likelihood that someone browsing the internet will do more than stop and browse their wares.

There truly is something for everyone on most online candy stores.

Peanut Candy

For more than 100 years, the peanut has enjoyed a prevalent place in the United States for its great taste and versatility. One of the more delicious uses of the peanut is for making candy. In fact, more than 20% of the total peanuts used are set aside strictly for processing in candy of one form or another. Other than strictly sugar-based hard and soft candy, you will be find peanuts, in one form or another, whether it is whole nuts or merely trace amounts on the ingredient label.

Some the earliest, and most classic, forms of peanut candy include peanut brittle, peanut squares, butter toffee peanuts, and the incomparable chocolate covered peanuts. Beyond these simple favorites, peanuts clusters, with their blend of chocolates and nuts (sometimes caramel) make a lasting impression. M&M’s peanut candy is simple a whole peanut covered in a thin candy shell.

Most of these kinds of peanut candy incorporate the entire nut into their recipe, though, at times, they were chopped up before being added to the candy mix.

Around the time of World War II, a new form of candy became extremely popular and has remained so until the present. The candy bar is at the top of the list for most Americans’ favorite candy. Peanuts have had their own place in the candy bar realm with brands like PayDay, Snickers, and Planters. In lean times, and during WWII when much of candy production was halted or at least curtailed, most peanut candies remained at full production due to the abundance of raw materials.

When it comes to peanut candy, it should be noted that a large percentage of the peanuts used are actually in the form of peanut butter. Many snacks and candies are used with peanut butter. A quick list of examples may include peanut butter fudge and the Reece’s brand candy line (ex. Peanut butter cups, Reece’s Pieces), the Peanut Butter Bar, and the Take 5 Bar.

Some peanut companies have selections of peanut candies among their other products which candy be purchased online and which are more exclusive than other commercial candy brands.

Peanut candy, along with chocolate, has remained the most desirable candy available.

Personalized Candy

Searching for just the right party favor or treat to commemorate a special occasion? Maybe your business is looking for a unique promotional angle. Perhaps, it is time that you considered using personalized candy.

Depending upon what you need it them for, you should be able to find any number of printers and specialized dealers who will be able to bring your ideas to life. Generally, personalized candy can take many forms, from specially printed wrappers to printing that covers the candy itself; even candy molds can be created to further enhance the chosen design.

Party themes, corporate events, baby showers, holidays: these are a few of the notable examples of what the customers purchasing personalized candy have spent for. Personalized candy can be used as a creative way to deliver messages or serve as candy grams. Other uses include using the candy as a form of advertising by placing the business or event you wish to publicize on the wrapper and distributing them accordingly.

The internet has capitalized on this market as well; the volume of relevant websites that cater to this very particular need bears witness to the business savvy of many online entrepreneurs. Further still, are the retailers who have begun to offer wrapper design software so that you can actually skip more expensive printers make the label you want, the way you want it, relatively inexpensively depending upon what volume you are working with.

A further point that might be worth mentioning is that with the surge in work-at-home business opportunities, there are actually programs that be purchased online that will enable you to start your own personalized candy business from you home. The appeal is understandable. Most of these types of programs claim to be full and comprehensive presentations that will provide everything to equip the would-be personalized candy designer to get started.

With the profusion of websites out there, another angle that is being used by webmasters is simply providing links to all of the other personalized candy sites. As with most things on the web, it should not be a surprise that this method of redirection is being used in the case of personalized candy and related sites.

Rock Candy

What exactly is rock candy?

Rock candy is the product of the further refining by crystallization of pure cane sugar. In fact, this process creates the purest form of sugar available because all impurities are excluded as the large crystals form. The crystal growth is based on the particular characteristics of sugar (sucrose) chemistry and cannot be done with the various sugar free substitutes seen in the market.

References to rock candy have appeared in literature at various points in history. There are several references to it in the poems of the Persian poet Jalal-ad-Din Rumi who lived in Turkey in the middle 1200's. One early English reference in 1584 seems to sum up the virtues of rock candy where it is quoted "White sugar is not so good for phlegume, as that which is called Sugar Candie." Shakespeare in Henry IV (1596) referred to its therapeutic value as a throat soother for long winded talkers.

The earliest known date that white sugar was refined was about 200 C.E. so it is probable that the further refining into what was later known as sugre candie was at about that time. In fact, in Western culture, sugar was used only for its medicinal and preservative properties into the middle of the eighteenth century. It was at this point that people discovered one of its sweeter qualities—it made a tasty treat that everyone could enjoy.

At time the lines of what constituted rock candy have blurred as manufacturers have taken different directions as far as the shape and quality of the product is concerned. Rock candy’s traditional crystalline form was replaced by molded and shaped candies. Thus, these were called hard candy instead of rock candy. For those who limit the usage of the term rock candy, these molded candies are not the same at all. It is hard to say which is right as the term has become so fluid over the years, with each candymaker defining it to fit their current needs.

Today, Rock Candy is primarily used in two ways: as a delicious confection enjoyed by children and adults alike, and as an elegant sweetening alternative to ordinary table sugar for coffee and tea in fancy hotels and restaurants.