Junk

Have you ever pondered the history of the Jelly Bean?

Neither had I until I received a package of them from Erin at Blogging is for dorks. You see Erin is cleaning out her home and selling a bunch of stuff, but she had a big bag of random crap that she was willing to distribute to her blogger buddies in exchange for a post about the aforementioned junk.

Hey, it’s hard coming up with posts so I was game. My junk arrived today and when I opened the envelope there was a small package of Jelly Beans which got me to thinking, “What’s up with the Jelly Bean?”

The origin of the Jelly Bean can be traced back to biblical times via it’s soft gummy interior which is a derivative of Turkish Delight; whereas the outside is pretty much the same as the shell on Jordan Almonds and achieved through a process know as panning.

Jelly Bean Trivia:

* Fans would throw jelly beans onstage at Beatles concerts.

* Ronald Reagan kept a jar of Jell Belly jelly beans on his desk when he was president.

* Jelly Beans were the first candy to be sold by weight, making them the first “bulk” candy.

* Because of their egg-like shape jelly beans became associated with Easter in the 1930′s.

So that’s what’s up with the Jelly Bean. Who knew it had such a long and storied past? Thank you Erin for helping me uncover the history of this confectionery legume.

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