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.

Hershey’s Kisses

Hershey’s Kisses debuted on the candy scene in 1907. While it's not known exactly how Kisses got their name, one of the popular theories is that the candy was named for the sound or motion of the chocolate being deposited during the manufacturing process. While at first, the candies were individually hand-wrapped, the introduction of automation in the 1920s changed procedure forever.

This wrapping process has remained basically unchanged since it was developed in 1921. Current wrapping machines can package nearly 1,300 Kisses per minute. The familiar flag or plume that singles Hershey’s Kisses out was added to the packaging at this time as well then subsequently established as a registered trademark by company founder, Milton S. Hershey in 1924.

The shape and style of Hershey’s Kisses have not much in the last 80 years but this does not mean that there have not been small variations over the years. Many of these variations were produced in the early 1900s. Each one utilized different chocolate formulas and was offered in addition to the standard Hershey’s milk chocolate flavor.

Yet none of these variants have survived to the present. In fact, none has been produced since 1931. For those old enough to recall them or who might be a bit of the candy historian, names like Sweethearts, Silvertops, and Silverpoints may bring back fond memories.

There has been only one time in the entire history of their production that Hershey’s Kisses have been interrupted. The bite-size chocolates were not produced from 1942 to 1949 due to the rationing of silver foil during and after World War II. During the war, the ingredient mixing units in the Kisses molding department were utilized for tempering military ration bar chocolate paste. It is estimated that paste for more than 3 billion ration units was produced during this period.

Later, in 1962, the Kisses were wrapped in colored foil (other than silver) for the first time. Red, green and silver chocolates were available during the Christmas season in addition to the year-round silver-wrapped ones. In 1968, Kisses brand chocolates were introduced in pastel blue, pink and green foil for the Easter holiday. Hershey also introduced Valentine's Kisses with red and silver foil in 1986.

In September 1990, there was a major addition to the Hershey’s franchise when Kisses with almonds were successfully introduced. Then only three years later another addition to the Kisses line called Hershey’s Hugs which were mini Hershey’s Kisses combined with white chocolate.

There have been other limited edition flavor combinations as the candy company has sought to keep an edge with the competition. Yet, nothing can really compete with the enduring place that the Hershey’s Kiss has made for itself for nearly a hundred years.

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!

Candy Recipes

It used to be that recipes, including candy recipes, were exchanged at the local church social among the mothers and grandmothers that shared these valuable pieces of information. Then they to raise money for different endeavors, these recipes were often compiled into community cookbooks to either be sold in local businesses or raffled off at the next church bazaar.

If not traded about in these home grown settings, there were (and still are) an abundance of candy recipes printed in the thousands of periodicals and weekly magazines that cater to food and home subjects. It doesn’t matter what sort of recipe you might be looking for each issues has a share of quality candy recipes that can be made in the home.

Today, the internet takes this to the next level. Doing a simple search on any one of a dozen available search engines will open up pages upon pages of possible links to web pages that deal exclusively with the distribution of candy recipes. Not only does this make the range virtually unlimited but recipes can travel around the planet on the electronic superhighway. All kinds of candy recipes: holiday, seasonal, exotic, old-fashioned.

Creators of these web pages can be individuals who happen to have access to a trove of tasty recipes and who want to share them with the global community; the modern equivalent of those church socials of the past. But, they can just as easily include, groups or businesses that make a profit from offering these recipes in online outlets. Many print magazines who offer recipes in these publications also have online counterparts that post the same recipes or even exclusive offers not found in the print version.

Candy recipe websites are numerous and more continue to pop up all the time, offering different choices of recipes and alternate versions of old-fashioned favorites. They are a great resource for amateur candymaker and can serve as network connecting people from all over the planet who share a passion for creating sweet candy snacks.