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!