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Jelly Beans


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Whenever I think of Reagan -- it isn't his views on Communism or Economics that comes to mind. For me, its Jelly Beans

The Jelly Belly website has not yet posted its tribute to Reagan (I expect they will) but I'd like us to discuss the finer points of this totally American confection. What are your favorite flavors? Weird ones they tried that didn't quite work? Uses? Bean "Recipes"?

I'll start off here. I hate those Harry Potter beans. I think they are an abomination.

When I buy Jelly Bellies, I typically go the bulk route and get a standard mix, supplemented by some of the tarter flavors. I also like the Toasted Marshmallow and Popcorn flavors, along with the Chocolate Pudding.

EDIT: I have found an older item on the JellyBelly.com site regarding Reagan:

http://jellybelly.com/Cultures/en-US/NewsE...s+to+People.htm

Jason Perlow, Co-Founder eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters

Foodies who Review South Florida (Facebook) | offthebroiler.com - Food Blog (archived) | View my food photos on Instagram

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I love Jelly Bellies. My faves are juicy pear (my top fave), cappuccino, peach, buttered popcorn, coconut, tangerine and pink grapefruit

I would love to try (but havent yet): strawberry cheesecake, honey graham cracker, roasted garlic(!!!), french vanilla, cafe latte and cataloupe.

"Well," said Pooh, "what I like best --" and then he had to stop and think. Because although Eating Honey was a very good thing to do, there was a moment just before you began to eat it which was better than when you were, but he didn't know what it was called. - A.A. Milne

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I like juicy pear, peach, watermelon, and Top Banana.

Do not eat the Sardine Jelly Beans.... they are so gross, tasted like rotten fish. All of the Harry Potter Jelly Beans are disgusting, although they are good for tricking innocent friends and families.

Would like to try cantalope, mango, and Island Punch.

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Now, Jelly Bellies...I'm just a plain old addict. I'll regularly (well, like every couple of months, maybe) buy a 1/4 lb. mixed and chomp through them in an afternoon. Unfortunately, the mixes are often abominated by mint flavors and bubble gum – gack. Vanilla and marshmallow are sort of boring – they're just sweet and not much else. Other than those, I love nearly all of them. Some faves are jalapeno, margarita, cappucino, popcorn, pear and pina colada. Or am I confused? Are there only coconut and pineapple? Which are both good, too.

This is sort of dopey, but I'll share it anyway. A few years ago, I was driving around snarfing jelly beans and started to feel a little sick from overindulgence. But I knew that, so long as those beans were still in the car, I would keep eating them until they were gone. So I opened the sunroof and starting tossing jelly beans out by the handful. It felt like some wierd quasi-Johnny Appleseed thing, only planting Happy seeds. Pure coincidence, I'm sure, that I met my soul mate about a month later. But I blame it on the beans.

Bollocks. Now I'm jonesing for a bag of beans.

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The first time I ever head of Jelly Bellies was because of him.

We have a local grocery store chain, Rouse's (a superb South Louisiana Family owned chain), that features a Wall o' Jellie Bellies in every store. Conveniently located by the produce section, you can't miss it. I am able to resist many impulse purchases in the grocery, but I don't seem to be able to pass up the jelly beans.

This wall of convenience/temptation has a zillion flavors of the things all in handy vaults with pull down dispensers that vend those little devils into an awaiting plastic bag. They sell em by the pound and you can mix and match to your hearts content (or malcontent, considering that they are just globs of sugar and/or corn syrup :shock: ). I like the popcorn flavors, kiwi, wedding cake, and pear-but there are very few that I don't like.

Damned smart of those Jelly Belly people to come up with those dispensers. When I am standing in front of them I invariably end up picturing myself as a rat in a lab test with the choice between the button for food and the button for cocaine. The food button in these experiments always ends up gathering dust while the one full of coke wears out from overuse (if the rat doesn't die first).

Brooks Hamaker, aka "Mayhaw Man"

There's a train everyday, leaving either way...

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Has anyone tried the Harry Potter Jelly Bellies?  Absolutely scary that there are ACTUAL flavors like Earthworm, Dirt, Earwax, Black Pepper, Sardine, Booger, and Grass.

Disgusting.  :wacko:

I was highly impressed that they actually went all the way and made jelly beans that really did taste like all of those things instead of just pretending. The Booger really did taste like a booger (if memory serves :wink:) !!!

Of course, they made me want to be sick everywhere, but surely thats the point. Pretty avant-garde for a mass-produced candy. Surely Adria would approve.

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Has anyone tried the Harry Potter Jelly Bellies?  Absolutely scary that there are ACTUAL flavors like Earthworm, Dirt, Earwax, Black Pepper, Sardine, Booger, and Grass.

Disgusting.  :wacko:

I was highly impressed that they actually went all the way and made jelly beans that really did taste like all of those things instead of just pretending. The Booger really did taste like a booger (if memory serves :wink:) !!!

Of course, they made me want to be sick everywhere, but surely thats the point. Pretty avant-garde for a mass-produced candy. Surely Adria would approve.

The REALLY scary thought is what the R&D Department had to go through to develop these <ahem> flavors.

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Carolyn,

That is exactly the thought I have whenever I think about the Everyflavor bean series. Some poor, poor sucker (presumably with a good palate) had to evaluate the vomit flavors, and come up with just the right mix. "Hmm, not vomitous enough, add more ???" I've tried all the Everyflavors at least twice, except for the vomit. I had one bean, and it was bad. So very, very bad.

I would also like to put in a plug for the factory tour. It's in Fairfield, CA, up US 80 a ways toward Sacramento, and is free. Try to go during the week, because the factory doesn't operate on the weekends (they show videos instead). It's so much more fun to see them panning, drying, packaging, boxing, etc. No matter when you go, you can go to the tasting bar and try any flavor you want, including vomit. Plus, you can go to the Jelly Belly cafeteria, and enjoy mediocre hamburgers and pizzas, in the shape of jelly beans. Stupid, I know, but... jelly beans! It makes me happy just saying it. Tour info: http://jellybelly.com/Cultures/en-US/Fun/Tours/

And, if you're in Fairfield, the Budweiser factory is there, and offers tours, although only once an hour, I believe. Not as fun as Jelly Belly because the factory is almost deafeaning with the clank of bottles and roar of machinery, but they wisely serve beer before the tour. :)

Walt

Edit to fix my link.

Edited by wnissen (log)
Walt Nissen -- Livermore, CA
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Carolyn,

That is exactly the thought I have whenever I think about the Everyflavor bean series. Some poor, poor sucker (presumably with a good palate) had to evaluate the vomit flavors, and come up with just the right mix. "Hmm, not vomitous enough, add more ???" I've tried all the Everyflavors at least twice, except for the vomit. I had one bean, and it was bad. So very, very bad.

I would also like to put in a plug for the factory tour. It's in Fairfield, CA, up US 80 a ways toward Sacramento, and is free. Try to go during the week, because the factory doesn't operate on the weekends (they show videos instead). It's so much more fun to see them panning, drying, packaging, boxing, etc. No matter when you go, you can go to the tasting bar and try any flavor you want, including vomit. Plus, you can go to the Jelly Belly cafeteria, and enjoy mediocre hamburgers and pizzas, in the shape of jelly beans. Stupid, I know, but... jelly beans! It makes me happy just saying it. Tour info: http://jellybelly.com/Cultures/en-US/Fun/Tours/

And, if you're in Fairfield, the Budweiser factory is there, and offers tours, although only once an hour, I believe. Not as fun as Jelly Belly because the factory is almost deafeaning with the clank of bottles and roar of machinery, but they wisely serve beer before the tour. :)

Walt

Edit to fix my link.

Totally agree on the tour! When I lived in that neighborhood, I would 'stop in' just to get the free bag of beans, but moreso, to see if they were doing some of the really cool stuff like chocolate work or taffy.

This is one of the companies that makes those Christmas Tree taffies (you know, with the tree pictured inside a white field, with red stripes on the outside). They show you how they start with dozens of pound of taffy and the design is made with candy that measures more than a foot in diameter -- it is very slowly rolled down and extruded into bite-size pieces but has to be hand done, which is very, very impressive.

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My favorite jelly bean story:

It was just after Easter, in Kentucky, and my son was about 2. He was finishing off his Easter basket as I was working in the garden. I stood up at the end of the row, and asked him what had happened to all his candy. He said, "I pwanted my beans, too, Mom." :biggrin:

They didn't come up. I think the frost got them. :shock:

sparrowgrass
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I'm looking for large jelly beans for making gum paste flowers. Does anyone know of any brands or sources for such things?

I love jelly bellies, but at times I need beans that are about twice or so larger.

Check out your local Wal-Mart or whatever for the cheap ones. They are tyically larger but, of course, won't have the range of flavors and colors of Jelly Bellys. Years ago, my dad and I would go on a hunt for the really large jelly beans (black ones for me). They were almost an inch long and were more of a bean shape than the cheaper ones you get now. I haven't seen those in years. I seem to remember that the jelly insides had a different texture (more gelatinous?) than the typical beans. Does anyone remember these?

Linda LaRose aka "fifi"

"Having spent most of my life searching for truth in the excitement of science, I am now in search of the perfectly seared foie gras without any sweet glop." Linda LaRose

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Has anyone tried the Harry Potter Jelly Bellies? Absolutely scary that there are ACTUAL flavors like Earthworm, Dirt, Earwax, Black Pepper, Sardine, Booger, and Grass.

Disgusting. :wacko:

I like the grass ones. They taste like spring time.

True Heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic.

It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost,

but the urge to serve others at whatever cost. -Arthur Ashe

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My favorite jelly bean story:

It was just after Easter, in Kentucky, and my son was about 2.  He was finishing off his Easter basket as I was working in the garden.  I stood up at the end of the row, and asked him what had happened to all his candy.  He said, "I pwanted my beans, too, Mom." :biggrin:

They didn't come up.  I think the frost got them. :shock:

Yes, but did his happiness quotient rise?

Earthworm tastes like a mixture of dirt and meat.

As any good earthworm should. :biggrin:

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