Smarties

Hello everyone, well it's another day closer to Christmas and it seems like everyone is trying to get last minute items. Today at Glacier Candy our top seller was Smarties which is made by Ce De Candy, Inc. It is a family business that started in England in 1932. In 1949, a Chairman came to America with the dream of making Ce De Candy, Inc. a part of our childhood traditions. Starting with only two wrapping machines, a rented facility and a lot of ingenuity, he succeeded! Smarties is now a household name, and generations of Americans have enjoyed their candy products since. Smarties is now made 24 hours a day in two candy factories located in Union, New Jersey and Newmarket, Ontario. Most people know of the company because of the original Smarties, but the Smarties brand has many other tasty products like Love Hearts, Candy Money, Tropical Smarties, X-TREME Sour Smarties, Bubble Gum Smarties, Smarties Double Lollies, Smarties Pops, Smarties Mega Lollies and Candy Lipsticks.

Fun Fact:
~They produce billions of Smarties rolls per year.
~Placed end to end, they would span over 85 thousand miles which is more than 3 times around the Earth! That’s a lot of great candy.

Well like Smarties says "Eat Smarties products to keep your world sweet!"; what a great philosophy.

Kristina

C. Howard's Mints

Even though it's sunny right now the cold weather is still here with a temperature of 5 degrees....brrr!! I'm just glad that here in Glacier Candy the heater is working and that everyone is in the Christmas spirit. Today's top seller so far is C. Howard's Mints and flavored gum which was started by Charles Howard with "Choward's Violet", a confectionery mint, in New York City during the early 1930s in a small industrial loft on Broadway. The next product was a purple colored gum tablet named "Choward's Scented Gum". The line was then expanded to include Choward's Peppermints, Spearmint's, and Lemon Mints. The gum & mint aroma is so strong that it is noticeable before the confection's wrapping is even opened. These candies are native to the state of New York and are particularly common on the east coast. While they do not have any hint of minty flavor, the common package contains "15 Mints". While having a slightly chalky consistency similar to that of the candy Pez, they are generally softer and tend to melt in one's mouth. At first sniff, the confection is almost unmistakably flowery and captures the spirit of a sweeter, simpler 1950's style of candy. Even the packaging itself is written in a font indicative of the mid-twentieth century. Also, because of its distinctive floral aroma and taste, it was quite common for children to refer to Violets as "soap candy." One candy Violet typically lasts for 1 to 5 minutes before completely dissolving, depending on the consumer's salivation and tongue friction as well as tooth pressure applied to the candy itself. If you've never had or smelled these before you are missing out I love walking by them and getting overwhelmed by the smells.

Until tomorrow....stay warm,
Kristina

McCraw's Giant Old Fashion Flat Taffy

Well it has been a freezing day here in Kalispell, but at least it's been roasty toasty here at Glacier Candy. Today's big seller was McCraw's giant old fashion flat taffy. In 1900 flat taffy was born on a whim. Its creators were in the popcorn business and decided to act on a suggestion that they should make taffy to sell with their popcorn. With some basic candy making supplies and a little work country store flat taffy was created for all to enjoy. In time flat taffy surpassed their popcorn and became the focus of their business. The timeless popularity of this taffy goes without question and can now continue to more generations of candy lovers.

Highlights:

~Favorite for over 100 years
~Available after being out of production for 2 years
~Still made the same way as the original

Well see ya next time,

Kristina

Ribbon Candy

Well it's another cold one here in Kalispell, MT but it's nice and toasty here at Glacier Candy. Looks like we'll be getting snow this weekend and we might just have a white Christmas. Today's hit seller was ribbon candy which is a a type of hard candy which in North America most often appears for sale around the Christmas holiday season. It acquires its shape by first being fashioned as warm sugar into flat strips. A strip is then folded back and forth over itself to form a hardened ribboned stick. The sugar is often colored to appear festive, and the candy often has a glossy sheen. It is commonly made with extracts, often of different mint or citrus flavors. It is usually thin enough to melt quickly in the mouth, but because pieces of it are usually larger than bite size, biting into a stick of it causes shattering and shards. Many types of ribbon candies also tend to become sticky easily, usually either due to body warmth from being held, or simply from room temperature and humidity. Because of what some consider to be its pretty appearance, it is often used like decor, put out on display in candy dishes or plates. I myself just like to eat it....well until next time catch you later alligator.

~Kristina

Candy Candy Wreath

Amanda here and today was a cloudy and bitingly cold day, but safely in the mall Glacier Candy is a cozy warm place surrounded by the spirit of Christmas. Everywhere you look Christmas cheer is in the air. From the giant tree to Santa Claus and even down to the Christmas candy. Today’s top seller is the Candy Cane Wreath which is a miniature wreath (only a few inches wide) made out of green, red, and white candy canes which are then shaped into a perfect circle and a bit of fake holly completes the wreaths beautiful design. These tasty and decorative treats are made by taking the classic candy cane recipe and following it until it comes time to shape it. At that stage instead of making a cane you make a circle instead next add a little holly and you’ve got yourself a cute decoration for the moment and a delicious treat to nibble on later.

Lollipops!

Another cold day in Montana and once again people venture to the mall. Today at Glacier Candy the big hit was Lollipops. There are many stories about how the lollipop was invented. Some believe that a form of it has been around since the
1800's Charles Dickens and other authors referred to a sweet lozenge without a stick in some stories. During the Civil War, it is believed that little pieces of hard candy were put on the ends of pencils for children to nibble. In 1908, George Smith claimed to be the first to invent the modern lollipop. Smith applied an idea of putting hard candies on a stick to make them easier to eat. He decided to name the treat after his favorite racing horse, Lolly Pop, and later trademarked the name. Lollipops were successful until the Depression. Smith stopped production on lollipops and the name fell into public domain. A Racine, Wis., manufacturing company claims credit for inventing the first lollipop machine. Racine Confectioners Machinery Co. answered an East Coast candy maker’s call to have a machine make hard candy on a stick in 1908. The company created a machine that automated the lollipop making process and could make 40 lollipops per minute. However, others claim Samuel Born was the first to automate the lollipop-making process. Lollipop manufacturing grew independently in California and in 1916 Samuel Born invented the Born Sucker machine. This machine automatically inserted the stick, which added to the popularity of the confection. San Francisco awarded Born the keys to the city for his invention. Over time, lollipops have had different looks. They have been traditional hard candy on a stick and hard candy on a ring, some include bubble gum or chocolate as a surprise center and some even spin or glow. Whether traditional or novel, the lollipop is still enjoyed by many people.

Fun Facts:
~The world’s largest lollipop was certified on June 25, 2002. It weighed 4,031 lbs (with stick), measured 18.9 inches thick and was more than 15 feet tall with stick (about as tall a a giraffe). It was Cherry Falvored.
~The word lollipop is used in many different songs including Lollipop Guild featured in the movie The Wizard of Oz, the Chordettes Lollipop and The Good Ship Lollipop from a 1934 Shirley Temple movie called Bright Eyes
~National Lollipop day is celebrated on July 20th
~The original lollipop machines made 40 lollipops in one minute. At that rate it would take 592 days to make enough lollipops to cover the 2,153 miles between Sugar Hill, Ga. and Sugar City, Idaho. Today’s machines produce 5,900 lollipops per minute and would take only four days to make the 34,103,520 lollipops needed to stretch the distance between the two cities.

Until tomorrow,
Amanda & Kristina

Another Day in the Candy Business

This is Amanda here and today in Montana is a beautiful day. The sky is crystal clear blue and the weather is quite chilly out. Due to the chilling air many are finding themselves drawn to finding a place to shop, relax, and get a little treat. At Glacier Candy which is stationed in the mall (where you can shop, relax, and definitely find a treat) many people have come through the door and been greeted by a variety of sweets to ease the cravings. Strangely enough some days you find a certain candy that sells more. It could be anything, but it seems on that day everyone wants that certain thing. Today’s big seller happens to be cut rock, which is an old fashion hard candy. This tasty old type candy is thick disked and every bite is festively designed with you in mind. The candy comes in a variety of flavors from cherry, citrus, spices, and mint and each is a delicious blend that takes you back to your childhood memories of Christmas time. For those who have never tried cut rock candy this is the time to venture out and create memories for this season. Seems the cold weather is making everyone a little nostalgic and excited for Christmastide.