If you are anything like us then you must love jelly beans! Here at The Jelly Bean Factory, we love jelly beans so much we are constantly learning all we can about the jelly bean.
From its humble beginnings to its interesting uses, to facets that are just too interesting not to pass on we love learning about the tasty little beans!
Here are our top 10 things you never knew about jelly beans!
1. They Are Very Very Old
No, not our beans. All of our beans are made specially in our factory with only the finest, freshest natural ingredients. The jelly bean itself however has been around for 100’s of years.
No one really knows the origin of the jelly bean exactly, there have been many jelly bean-like sweets throughout ancient human history. The term jelly bean however was first used in the 1800s.
An American confectioner named William Schrafft convinced people to buy his bean-shaped jelly sweets -or as he called them jelly beans- and send them to soldiers fighting in the wars to raise their spirits.
Wow! Right from the beginning jelly beans have always made the perfect gift.
2. Bees Help Us Make Them
To get that perfect crunchy shell on the outside of the jelly bean, we use something called beeswax. Beeswax is created when bees mix the oils in the pollen they collect and the honeycombs in their hives. Together that makes a thick creamy wax that can be used for all sorts of things.
Bees don’t need beeswax to survive and we try to make sure no bees are harmed when the beeswax is extracted. Unfortunately, beeswax companies cannot ensure the bees safety, so as a precaution we have decided not to list our jelly beans as vegan friendly.
3. The Term Jelly Bean Used To Have A Different Meaning
Back in 1920s America, the term ‘jelly bean’ was part of American slang. The jelly bean referred to a well-dressed man who went out of his way to look good. The term was so widely used that F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote a short story about such a man named, The Jelly-Bean.
4.They Are Suitable For Everyone
Well, almost everyone. The Jelly Bean Factory jelly beans might not be suitable for vegans, but they are vegetarian, gluten-free, halal and kosher.
By developing a gelatine alternative using starch, we have eliminated the need for pork-based gelatine in our gourmet jelly beans. This means our beans can be eaten by almost everyone.
They are also free from any harmful chemicals, E-numbers and all 14 EU Allergens (Gluten, Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Celery, Mustard, Eggs, Milk, Sesame, Fish, Crustaceans, Molluscs, Soya, Sulphite and Lupin).
5. People Have Broken World Records With Jelly Beans
In September 2017 Asha Lee broke the Guinness world record for most jelly beans eaten with a chopstick in one minute!
The record to beat is 40 jelly beans in one minute, think you can beat it?
6. They Make Us Happy When We Give Them As Gifts
When we are about to give a gift our body releases endorphins. As humans, we need to maintain and develop social relationships as a means of survival. Giving someone a gift is a great way to do this.
This is why our body releases a reward signal, or happy hormone, like endorphins to make us feel happy when giving gifts.
7. They Were One President’s Favourite Snack
Former President of the United States Ronald Reagan was known for his love of jelly beans. The politician was never too far away from a bag of his favourite little beans.
He got through so many of the sweet tasty jelly beans that The White House had to have a standing order set up for 720 bags a month.
8. They Are Incredibly Important To Human Survival
Well, maybe that’s a little dramatic, but jelly beans do trigger a natural survival response from us when we eat them! As humans, we need a certain amount of calories to survive, and although things are different now, it used to be the higher the calories the sweeter the taste.
Our bodies were always searching for the highest calorie food to keep us going, that’s why when we taste sugar our body releases a rush of dopamine. This is to keep us going and encourage us to seek out more sweet treats.
So, what was once a key survival instinct for our ancient ancestors is now a clever way to get our bodies to naturally release a rush of dopamine to keep us smiling all day long.
9. Jelly Beans Can Help People
Yes, it’s true. Jelly beans can help provide a short burst of energy to busy people on the go or in some cases provide a much-needed sugar kick to those suffering from low blood sugar or diabetes.
Jelly beans are high in sugar and can sometimes be used to treat certain addictions . Many people have claimed choosing a hit of sugar over a cigarette can help them stave off the nicotine craving.
Sometimes, people recovering from addiction have been able to replace the initial addiction with a sugar addiction. It’s a lot easier to wean yourself off sugar than other addictive substances and can be a real lifesaver to those in need.
10. They Are Delicious!
Ok, this one is cheating because you already knew this fact! The Jelly Bean Factory jelly beans are some of the most delicious, mouth-watering gourmet jelly beans you will ever taste.
From the flavourful smooth crunchy shell to the tasty juicy century, all 36 of our huge flavours are the biggest, most mind-blowing, most delicious flavoured jelly beans you will ever taste!
Contact Us!
Can’t wait to get your hands on some of our delicious huge flavours? Then visit our shop for all your jelly bean needs!
Have more questions?
Check out out our FAQ for more. You can also follow us on Social media or Contact us. If you have a question, a comment or just fancy a chat about jelly beans, we’ll make sure to get back to you as soon as possible.
