Tasty Tuesday: National Jelly Bean Day in Lake County

By: Jonathan Jones 04/19/2016

You may have thought Easter was over, but not for jelly beans. For over 100 years, Jelly Belly jelly beans have been nationally renowned of providing deliciously sweet and utterly surprising candy spectacularness.

When I was growing up, I used to nag my parents to buy the sour ones. They weren’t entirely sour for me, but it was always my favorite.

This Friday marks National Jelly Bean day, and you know the Pleasant Prairie Warehouse will be celebrating. But for now, it’s Tasty Tuesday: Jelly Belly jelly beans are what needs to fill your taste buds.

The sweetness confectionery’s inception was in Belleville, IL (near St. Louis) by Gustav Goelitz – a vibrant 24 year old with a destiny of candies in 1869. In the late 1800s, the Goelitz sons specialized in making candy corn and ‘royal buttercreams.’

During the 1940s, their company continued monetizing the candy game by introducing mint wafers. Two decades later, third and fourth generation descendants of Goelitz, start to cook candies such as tangerine slices, spice drops and (drumroll please?) jelly beans.

From then on they continued to push the envelope, like in 1976 creating root beer, green apple, licorice, cream soda, lemon, tangerine, very cherry and grape. They were loved so much by Former President Ronald Reagan, that about 3.5 tons were shipped to Washington D.C. for his 1981 inauguration celebrations.

Now since 1996, to ensure that wonderful Jelly Belly taste, it is stamped on every single jelly bean to this day. You can tell that the makers nowadays have a sense of humor as they bring pop culture to life. Inspired by the Harry Potter series, Jelly Belly made crazy flavors such as dirt, bacon and spinach.

Besides enjoying the sweet candy flavor, you can go to the Pleasant Prairie warehouse and tour the premises. Continue here for a 20 percent off coupon.

Some of the fan favorite Jelly Belly jelly beans include Very Cherry and buttered popcorn. Take a trip to Jelly Belly on Friday for National Jelly Bean Day in Lake County!