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Spring brings jelly bean fever
 Media Credit: Blair Schlichte/Staff Photographer Jelly beans have become a staple of springtime candy. In recent years, jelly bean companies such as Jelly Belly have created new, gourmet flavors such as buttered popcorn and margarita.
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What exactly are jelly beans? Where did they come from?
No one can seem to agree on the exact origins of the jelly bean. However, most experts agree that the jelly center is a descendent of a Mid-Eastern confection known as "Turkish Delight." The citrus, honey and rosewater jell dates back to biblical times.
Jelly candies have been around for thousands of years, but the great-great jelly bean ancestor first appeared in the 1800s during the penny candy craze in America. Turkish Delight and a French process called "panning" inspired the candy.
Nobody knows exactly for sure who the inventor of the modern jelly bean is, but most agree it was an American candy maker. The earliest known appearance of the modern jelly bean was in an 1861 advertisement for William Schrafft of Boston that promoted the sending of jelly beans to soldiers in the Union Army during the Civil War.
Jelly beans made their way across America showing up in the many glass jars of "penny candy" in general stores. Although the penny candy demand in America fell in the 1900s, it picked up again during World War II when there was a chocolate shortage due to most chocolate being sent to troops overseas.
Around the 1930s, jelly beans became a part of Easter traditions. Today Americans consume 15 million jelly beans at Easter. If all Easter jelly beans were lined end to end, they would circle the globe nearly three times.
According to the National Confectioner's Association, Easter places second in candy-eating occasions in America. Halloween being first and Valentine's Day coming in third. In 2000, Americans spent nearly $1.9 billion on Easter candy.
"We pre-book all our seasonal, in this case, candy, because it isn't made year-round," said Chuck Binsfeld, a manager at Coborn's. "We pre-book more of the items that sell better and jelly beans being one of them. It's a pretty staple Easter candy item."
The days of the standard jelly bean seem to be over.
"Whatever happened to just plain regular jelly beans?" asked Jennifer Sell Matzke, faculty member. "There are all these different flavors now."
There are many brands and flavors to choose from. Most stores have their own value brand. However, several brands now offer their own line of jelly beans such as Brach's, Hershey, Jelly Belly, Jolly Rancher, Smuckers and Starburst.
"Starburst is by far the best selling," Binsfeld said.
Andrew Burggraff, senior store clerk at Cash Wise Foods, agreed.
"Besides the jelly beans we gave away for a promotion, Starburst is the highest selling," Burggraff said.
Nationally, it seems Jelly Belly jelly beans are the big sellers, and there is a good chance we have a former president to thank for that.
"When Ronald Reagan popularized jelly beans, that is a good reason for me to never look at them again," said Beverly Stadum, faculty member.
Jelly Belly jelly beans were a favorite candy of President Ronald Reagan. During his presidency, Jelly Belly beans were served in the Oval Office and on Air Force One. There was even a holder designed for the plane so the jar of Jelly Belly beans would not spill during turbulence.
If you like the Jelly Belly Blueberry flavor beans, you can thank the former President. It was created so he could serve red, white and blue jelly beans at his inaugural parties.
In 1981, over three tons of Jelly Belly beans were consumed during the events. President Reagan also was the first to send jelly beans into outer space. The former president sent along Jelly Belly beans on the 1983 flight of the space shuttle Challenger.
At the 1984 Republican Convention in San Francisco, six-foot-tall portraits of Ronald Reagan and George Bush, each made of 14,000 jelly beans, were displayed. There is also a portrait of President Reagan made from 10,000 Jelly Belly beans, hanging in the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif.
If jelly beans are your passion, you may want to stop by Coborn's on Fifth. At their courtesy counter, they have a couple different registration boxes where people can register for a number of things they're giving away for Easter.
One of them is a jelly bean counting contest.
"Right on our counter we have a big jar full of jelly beans," Binsfeld said. "All you have to do is guess how many are in there and the person who gets the correct number or closest wins."
What is first prize? The jar of jelly beans.
Easy Jelly Bean Recipes
Crispy Easter Nests
Ingredients:
1 jar (7oz.) marshmallow cr�me
1�4 c. creamy peanut butter
2 T. butter or margarine, melted
1 can (5 oz.) chow mein noodles
1 c. chopped chocolate candies
Jellybeans
Directions:
Combine marshmallow cr�me, peanut butter and butter; mix until well blended. Add noodles and chopped chocolate candies. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets; shape with greased fingers to form nests. Let stand until firm. Dust bottom of nests lightly with confectioner's sugar, if desired. Place jellybeans in nest before serving. Makes 10-12 nests.
Jelly Bean Fudge
Ingredients:
2 c. white chocolate chips
1 16 oz. container vanilla frosting
2 c. assorted jellybeans
Directions:
Line a 9-inch pan with foil and grease lightly. Melt the chips according to the package directions, or in a medium-heavy saucepan over very low heat, stirring constantly until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
Add the frosting and stir until the mixture is smooth.
Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Add the jellybeans and stir well to incorporate evenly. Spread the fudge mixture into the prepared pan and cool to room temperature. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Carefully remove the foil and cut the fudge into small pieces.
Jeanna Miller can be reached at: [email protected]
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