Current company advertisements advertise Peeps® — Always in Season with marshmallow treats for Halloween, Christmas and Valentine's Day.
Just Born, an 87-year old, family-owned sweets firm based in Bethlehem, PA makes Peeps®. For years I thought the name was connected with the "age" of the candy chicks. Not so as the company name derives from the last name of the company founder.
Sam Born, a candy maker by trade, emigrated to the U.S. from Russia in 1910. He used innovative technology to produce chocolate sprinkles and the hard chocolate coating for ice cream bars. In 1916, he invented a machine that inserted sticks into lollipops. In 1923, Born opened a candy-making and retail store in Brooklyn, NY and marketed the freshness of his daily-made candy with a sign “Just Born” that became the company name. In spite of the 1930s economic downfalls, the company prospered and expanded, moving operations in 1932 to an empty printing factory in Bethlehem.
In 1953, Just Born bought the Rodda Candy Company which produced a handmade candy marshmallow chick. Sam's son, Bob, liked the way the chicks looked and, in 1954, developed machinery to mass-produce marshmallow chicks which be trademarked Peeps®.
Today, Just Born is the world's largest manufacturer of novelty marshmallow treats. The company also produced numerous other novelty products.
The manufacture of seasonally shaped Peeps® began in the 1960s. In the 1980s the company introduced a marshmallow bunny. Until 1995, marshmallow Peeps® were only produced in the iconic yellow as well as pink and white, then lavender versions were introduced. In 1998, blue Peeps® were produced for the Easter holiday.
Other flavors and colors followed: In 1999, vanilla-flavored candies were added, then strawberry, in 2002, a chocolate one was introduced. Recent new flavors include bubble gum, lemonade, party cake and blue raspberry, among others.
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Do you like Peeps® — fresh, stale, roasted, decorative — or NOT at all.
22 comments:
So interesting the history behind our most favorite candies and treats! Thank goodness my boys are not big fans of these marshmallow bunnies for Easter, they (and I) head straight to the dark chocolate covered eggs :)
YUCK! I'll pass on these...you guys enjoy!...:)JP
I had a roommate who lived for the arrival of this candy. Some nuke them
Loved them as a child, but couldn't eat one now.
That was interesting! I think all the Peeps are visually appealing, but I don't eat them. Too much sugar.
i knew they have been around my whole life, my mother put them in my Easter basket. i am a sugar addict but the peeps are one of the rare candy's i don't like. i have eaten a few but don't like them at all... bring on the chocolate. i do love the ice cream on a stick covered in the chocolate he created
wonder if these could be used to make smores...
I really don't care for candy that is too sweet. In fact, I rarely eat candy, period.
Interesting story. I do not care for Peeps...didn't even when I was a child. And I must admit, I think Peeps should be solely an Easter candy.
We don't have it over here and marshmallows aren't that popular here either, we have similar products that are hard to beat :-)
Interesting history about the company though!
Have a great day!
I love Peeps but only buy them the day after Easter when they are about 10cents a box. :o)
You know, I've never had one!
This is a brand unknown in the great northern tundra. :)
At least as far as I know it's unknown.
Interesting to hear the background information on these candies. I don't care for them much myself, but my son likes them. Wishing you a very happy Easter!
I haven't seen them here but interesting to read the history anyway. I can't say I like the colours or the ingredients.
Only ate one as a kid... that was more than enough!
If I am going to eat candy, make it a Hershey bar.
Wonderful post. Last year, we found chocolate covered peeps........so yummy! Have a wonderful Easter!
Have you ever seen a Peeps cake? I made one once http://shenandoahgatewayfarm.blogspot.com/2011/04/sunflower-peeps-cake.html
It was a camera ago, so the pictures aren't great, but the cake was fun!
Fascinating bit of history. I enjoyed this very much.
Not a fan. Actually, they kind of creep me out. But I'm not against other people biting their heads off.
I am a Peeps junkie and eat them in all their varieties. I don't really like the chocolate, however. I guess I'm more of a purist.
It's my catch up day at the PC for a little bit. Love this post about the history of Peeps which I love; I'm with Kathy do not like the chocolate Peeps. In Minneapolis each year they have a Peeps diorama contest. Next year I will send you the newspaper with all that they do, some very clever dioramas using peeps and bunnies. I love all the colors too. I have 3 boxes now awaiting my consumption...it is almost an addiction for me.
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