Jelly beans are a widely recognizable confection, characterized by their small, bean-shaped form and vibrant colors. This popular candy offers a distinct textural experience, combining a firm, glossy outer shell with a soft, dense, and chewy interior. They are a sugar-based sweet, crafted through specialized confectionery techniques to achieve their signature layered structure. The appeal of these candies lies in the contrasting textures and the burst of flavor delivered by the sugary center and shell.
Composition and Structure
The jelly bean core is a soft, gelatinous center. This core is primarily composed of sugar and corn syrup, which are boiled together to form a sweet slurry. Thickeners like corn starch or pectin are incorporated into this mixture to achieve the desired dense, gel-like consistency once the mixture sets.
The exterior is a thin, hard, and brightly colored shell that seals the soft center. This shell is built up from successive layers of sugar and flavorings applied to the core. The final high-gloss appearance is achieved by coating the finished shell with a confectioner’s glaze, which may contain ingredients like carnauba wax or shellac. This glaze provides a durable, moisture-resistant finish and the candy’s signature shine.
How Jelly Beans Are Made
The process of creating a single jelly bean is lengthy and can take seven to 21 days, involving several distinct phases. Manufacturing begins with the creation of the soft center, where the sugar, corn syrup, and thickeners are heated and mixed into a liquid slurry. This mixture is then poured into specialized trays filled with fine cornstarch, a technique known as starch molding.
The cornstarch serves as a temporary mold, creating the bean shape and simultaneously drawing moisture out of the liquid center. After a period of curing, often overnight in a warm, dry room, the solidified jelly centers are removed from the molds and prepped for the shell application.
The shell is formed using a technique called “panning,” where the centers are placed in large, rotating drums, often referred to as engrossing pans. In the panning process, layers of sugar syrup, flavor, and color are gradually added to the tumbling centers. This is a delicate, multi-day process where the syrup dries to form a hard, crystalline sugar coating around each center. Once the desired shell thickness is achieved, the beans are polished with a glazing agent like beeswax and carnauba wax to enhance the gloss and prevent sticking.
A Brief History and Flavor Evolution
The modern, bean-shaped candy is believed to have originated in the United States around the 1860s, with a Boston confectioner reportedly urging customers to send them to Civil War soldiers. The name itself likely stems from the jelly-like center and the candy’s shape.
Jelly beans gained widespread cultural recognition in the early 20th century, becoming strongly associated with Easter due to their small, egg-like shape and bright colors. Early versions of the candy featured simple, traditional flavors such as licorice, cinnamon, and peppermint.
The confectionery landscape changed significantly in the mid-1970s with the introduction of gourmet varieties. This era marked a shift where both the shell and the center were intensely flavored, moving beyond simple fruit tastes to complex and unusual combinations. Manufacturers now offer a vast array of sophisticated and eccentric flavors, expanding the candy’s appeal beyond holiday traditions.