Red, green, yellow and purple…cherry, lime, lemon and grape, I just cannot choose which is my favorite. Thank goodness I do not have to decide, as the Easter baskets in my home this year had jelly beans with all colors of the rainbow and all flavors under the sun.
While I was (and still am) enjoying my treats, my mind started to wonder…what makes jelly beans such a yummy delight and why are they the candy of choice during Easter? So I set off to do a bit of online research. Here is what I found out…
The basic ingredients of jelly beans include sugars, corn syrup, and food starch. Okay but there must be more, right? Yes, relatively minor amounts of lecithin (an emulsifier), anti-foaming agents, beeswax or carnauba wax, salt, and confectioner's glaze are also added to the mix. The ingredients that give each bean its character are also relatively small in proportion and may vary depending on the flavor. These include natural and artificial flavors and colors.
The National Confectioners Association tells us that the jelly bean's life begins with the center. Sugar, corn syrup and other ingredients are cooked in large boilers and then the mix is squirted onto cornstarch coated jelly bean shaped trays and dried overnight. In the morning, the jelly beans rise and shine just in time to have their the cornstarch layer removed and their middles put through a moisture steam bath and sprayed with sugar. They are then set aside for 24 to 48 hours.
After a much needed rest from their a day at thejellybean spa, they are ready to come to life! The centers are placed in a rotating drum and sugar is added gradually to build the shell. Colors and flavors are added as well as a confectioner's glaze to give the beans a shiny look. After two to fours days of being buffed and polished, the jellybeans are ready to be shipped to every little girl's and boy's Easter basket.
Now for the part about why they are a favorite Easter treat…
Because of their egg-like shape, in the 1930's jellybeans became associated with the Easter Bunny who is believed to deliver eggs as a symbol of new life during the spring season.
