Easter Peeps

Easter Peeps

Easter Peeps

Spring has officially sprung, and Easter is this weekend. So, I was recently doing some shopping for Easter candy and found myself buying the obligatory marshmallow peeps that everyone in my family hates -- yet I continue to buy every single year because, honestly, it is just not Easter without them.

Well, I realized they added new flavors this year. They have cinnamon peeps, Froot Loop-flavored peeps and chocolate caramel swirl filled marshmallow chicks. I went online to see if these little birds were a healthy snack (they are not) and found out that peeps are made in a candy factory in Bethlehem, Pa. I stumbled upon some other fun peep facts as well. They are as follows:

  • The Peeps brand has been in business for over 60 years and Peeps have been the best-selling non-chocolate Easter candy for decades.
  • Yellow Peeps are the biggest seller. Yellow and white Peeps were the original colors and then they later added pink, lavender, blue, green, orange and red.
  • In 1953, when Peeps were first introduced, it took 27 hours to make each peep by hand using a pastry tube which is a huge contrast to today’s technology, which takes about six minutes to produce one chick.
  • The Just Born company produces Peeps as well as Mike & Ikes, Hot Tamales and Peanut Chews. One of their employees also invented the chocolate sprinkles we refer to as “Jimmies.” The employee’s name was Jimmy. (Thanks, Jimmy!)
  • In the beginning, the Peeps had wings but in 1955 the wings were clipped to speed production.
  • Every year about two billion Peeps are produced. That is enough to circle the earth two and a half times.
  • The company has added other flavors over the years that include chocolate pudding, orange sherbet, pancakes and syrup, fruit punch, sour watermelon, blue raspberry and party cake, just to name a few.

Whatever it is you find in your baskets, I hope you have a blessed Easter filled with sunshine and laughter. Have an egg-cellent Easter Sunday peeps!