If you’ve ever wondered how jelly beans are made then this might be the place to start. We saw Harry Potter in ‘The Philosopher’s Stone’ try the new confection Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans, in the railway carriage on his way to Hogwarts School. Ron Weasley was explaining what flavours were possible with some highly desirable and some stated with considerable relish that were not so palatable. I’ll pass on the earwax although I have tasted a ‘vomit’ flavoured one in my time.
History
Jelly beans are not really jelly or beans by strict definition but they match our conception and perception of what a sweet like this should be like. They are as old as civilisation in many ways – Turkish Delight might be the closest to a jelly bean in olden times. Firstly, it’s a confectionary shaped like a bean, probably a pinto or baked bean. They have a slightly hard coating with a soft centre and come in a dazzling array of colours and flavours.
The year 1861 is significant because they make their first recognizable appearance in the United States which seems to be the true home of this sweet. William Schrafft in Boston asked his customers to send jelly beans to Federal soldiers during the Civil War in the 1860s. Historians reckon that jelly beans later became associated with Easter in the 1930s because of the rise in chocolate although the link is tenuous.
Manufacture
Watch the Youtube videos to really get a feel for the process !
Confectioners start by heating liquid sugar to 340 – 350°F to make it pliable for creating shapes. Starch and glucose are added to make a mixture which can be formed into many different shapes when the whole is poured into moulds. In this case, jelly bean moulds but the basic process is suitable for other shapes too. The beans are allowed to cool and set which can take up to 12 hours but means a chewy texture is possible. Too rapid a cool and the texture becomes brittle.
The beans are released from their moulds, their surface is heated and then coated in more liquid sugar before tumbled into a spinning machine. In this process, colours and flavours are added to form the delicious inner core.
With the process coming to an end, small sugar grains are added into the machines on a number of occasions to form the harder outer shell. This is the process of panning which was used by the French in the 17th Century to coat almonds. To complete the hardening process, more hot syrup with a food-grade wax is added so that the jelly bean achieves a shiny, glossy coat.
The beans are dried and then packed, either as mixtures or more rarely as individual flavours.
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