In 1861, confectioner William Schrafft looked at a jar of jelly and said to himself: let’s shape that like a bean. Lore says he created his jelly bean to send to soldiers fighting in the American Civil War. In 1905, the jelly bean made its first appearance in a Chicago newspaper as a “fad and favorite.” But by 1930, Easter found its favorite holiday candy. Most likely because a bean and an egg are “close enough.”
Jelly beans are the cutest candy on Earth, delivering a host of fun flavors in every bite. It’s no wonder that in the early 1900s “jellybean” was a term used to describe a man who was a little too concerned with his appearance and personal grooming habits. Jelly beans are so extra. There are so many colors and flavors, all in the same bag!
Ronald Reagan loved the jelly bean. He started eating them to quit smoking, and next thing America knew more than 300,000 were ordered each month for government buildings in Washington D.C. At his 1981 inauguration, he ordered 3 ½ tons of jelly beans in patriotic colors. Jelly Belly created a new flavor for the event to finish off the trio: blueberry, coconut, and Very Cherry. Nothing says America like a jelly bean. Just don’t tell that to the Brits who used to throw jelly beans at George Harrison because “they were his favorite.” Ouch.
Today, over 16 billion jelly beans are consumed around Easter, which is a lot of jelly beans. If you lined up 16 billion jelly beans, it would circle the globe almost three times. Easter candy is a 4 billion dollar industry, and jelly beans are cashing in, which is why we’ve created our Jelly Bean slime just in time for your Easter basket.
