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The True Treats Experience

Welcome to the True Treats Experience!  The club for discerning, curious and fun-loving folks who love history.

BECOME PART OF THE TRUE TREATS EXPERIENCE!

Coming your way via our email correspondences and social media appearances:

  • Opportunities to be a True Treats taster, whether one of our historic candies, teas or snack foods. We send the sample – you tell us what you think!
  • Contests with hardly any rules and a tasty prize.
  • Interesting, hard-to-find recipes, many undiscovered and primarily made by women at home.
  • An insider’s view of True Treats EXCLUSIVE gift boxes and collections – with first dibs on limited edition products.
  • Unique historic cards, perfect for birthdays, congratulations messages, & more.
  • Links to lost-and-now-found movies, candy ads, photos, and more.
  • PLUS – a special email address for our True Treats Experience friends, so you can contact us about finding hard-to-find recipes, candies that your Grandma loved, and candies, snacks, even drink mixes that you’d like us to carry.

All about True Treats

True Treats is unique. YES! We carry old time and retro candy – but our timeline is older than that! Our sweets, snack foods, teas, and cookbooks span the FIRST in history to the 20th century. True Treats has 500+ products for you to discover, try, and share!!

Since Susan Benjamin opened True Treats in 2010, we have been the nation’s ONLY research-based historic sweets, treats and candy store. You can find our products in museum gifts, specialty shops, AND, of course — on our Web site and at our brick-and-mortar stores.  No matter where you find True Treats, you’ll find the product’s story on the label, box, and tag with an historic image to match.

 

True Treats Chocolate Table Mid-1800s-Mid-1900s

 

  Meet our Founder, Food Historian Susan Benjamin

       Susan talking to customers at our Harpers Ferry store

A nationally recognized food historian, Ms. Benjamin, has devoted her time to researching the history of candy, snack foods, teas and treats since 2010.  A former academic, cultural researcher, and communications strategist, Ms. Benjamin digs deep into American food culture from kitchens to fields to the frontlines of American history. You may know Ms. Benjamin from one of her many media appearances from the History Channel, PBS, and Vice.com, on radio shows ranging from ABC news to NPR affiliates, or publications such as the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, or through TV productions such as Jeopardy, which featured her store on one of their questions.

As an author, Ms. Benjamin has written ten books which have sold internationally and been translated into five language. Her most recent book, “Sweet as Sin,” was on the Smithsonian’s list of “Best Books about Food.” AND she is working on #11 – due out in 2024! Always – she brings her findings to visitors at her brick-and-mortar and online stores and, as part of the True Treats Experience – TO YOU!

     Susan at the Smithsonian with her new book!

                                                                                         

The Many Faces of Our True Treats Experience Tasters

Our First Ever Grapefruit-Ade Tasting!!

Funny Face
               Sour!!
Grapefruit Tasters feedback
Better! Thanks to True Treats’ Vanilla Sugars

 

Grapefruit Tasters
Grapefruit -Ade with Grapefruit Slices

 

****LOOKING for the perfect -and perfectly unique- gift? Looking for lost candy? An important recipe? As part of the True Treats’ experience, you get an exclusive connection. Reach us by phone, email, or Facebook and we’ll get right back to you with answers and ideas***

Our 3-Century Candy Collections – 1700s, 1800s, 1900s – 36 Samples and the story of each

CANDY PLUS!!!

We offer other historic experiences such as teas – the origin of medicine which was the origin of…. CANDY: Here are a few of them:

 

 

DON’T FORGET!!! Follow us on Social Media – you’ll find even MORE there.

 

 

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The Amazing NECCO Wafer: Where Retro Began

You may love Necco Wafers (as I do) or not like them at all…depending on your taste and memory of when you ate them. As for me – I once lived near the Necco factory in Cambridge Massachusetts and would knock on  a side door of the building on an occasional Thursday.  That was the day when the company store was open to workers, and a woman, maybe a manager, would open the door and give me some samples. I always offered to pay, and she always brushed me away. But why the side door? Why not go to my local pharmacy, candy store, or so many other spots and buy some there? BECAUSE: Tropical! My favorite Necco Wafers were the hard-to-find tropical varieties and the factory had rolls a’plenty. Not that the other flavors weren’t good enough. For me, they too were good enough and then some.

Necco Company in Cambridge, Massachusetts (Courtesy: BOSTON.com)

Love them or not, one thing is TRUE: Necco Wafers were an early candy, a true first footprint on the path to Retro candy and the story is amazing…starting with OLIVER CHASE!

Who Invented the NECCO Wafer?

Today’s retro candy was invented, more or less, in apothecaries where sugar reigned as a flavoring and curative. Some were actual pharmacies – some, shall we say, were sketchy. So, it makes sense that Oliver Chase, a genuine pharmacist, would be among the first to create what would be an early retro candy. Chase had immigrated from England in the 1840s and set up an apothecary in Boston with his brothers Silas and Daniel. One of his products was “soft paste,” lozenges consisting of sugar, gum Arabic, a flavoring and possibly gelatin.

As a medicine, Chase, like other pharmacists, mixed in numerous arcane and familiar ingredients: peppermint or ginger for stomach problems, rhubarb for constipation, ginger for nausea, and opium for just about everything else. As a candy, Chase replaced the bad tasting ingredients with tasty flavorings that would appeal to grown-ups and kids alike. The ingredients are pretty much the same as stick candy or Turkish delight, but the texture was both smooth and chalky. Customers report they used NECCOs as a practice communion wafer and their grandmothers used them as a sugary sedative to keep the grandchildren quiet at church.

NECCO Wafer: Problem/Solution

Chase’s lozenges were exceptionally popular, which created a problem. The production process was so slow, he got further and further behind the orders. Besides, making the lozenges was tedious, exact work: according to Scientific American of 1868, the “plastic” sugar was rolled into a sheet then cut, lozenge after lozenge, like crackers from dough. The batter was temperamental, it had to be just the right consistency, measured and pressed to make close-to-exact doses, with as little handling as possible.”

So, in 1847, Oliver Chase developed a lozenge cutting machine where he cranked dough onto plates with lozenge-size indentations. The lozenges tumbled out in uniform sizes as quickly as his hand could turn.

 

Oliver Chase Making Wafers on His New Machine

Chase called the result the “Chase Lozenge” or “Hub wafer” – one with a glazed and the other with a transparent wrapper. “Hub”, by the way, was a nickname for “Boston”.  Later, the confection was called the Necco Wafer. For the first time, candy-makers could quickly produce consistent pieces and medicine-makers create predictable doses. Chase’s machine was revolutionary.

What Other Candies Were People Eating When Chase Created the NECCO Wafer?

Grown-ups and kids were eating other candies, but few survive today. One was Turkish delight also called Turkish “paste,” which actually resemble fruit squares and an invention from around 1805 – the Gum Drop. Others include the Gibralter, made in the nation’s first commercial candy company in 1806; pulled creams, which evolved in the mid-1800s; hand-pulled sticks which go back who-knows-how long…probably 1600s; and sugar plums, a broad range of candies with a tiny nuts or seeds surrounded with sugar such as Cream Filberts (late 1700s) and sugared or Jordan Almonds (ancient Romans).

What distinguished Chase was his use of machinery to make the candy, so it was every-ready to enjoy.

    Turkish Delight, Rose, Assorted Fruit    Buy Traditional Multicolored Gum Drops, Harpers Ferry West Virginia, true treats historic candy,

Turkish delight                                                                         Cream Filberts                                                                     Gum Drops

Romance and the NECCO Wafer

Oliver soon partnered with his brother Silas to make a sugar pulverizing machine that, according to their patent application of 1850 “…consists of a cylindrical vessel or mortar made of caste iron or other suitable material and of such thickness and dimensions as circumstances may require.”

Almost twenty years later, another Chase-inspired change was on the way, this one by Daniel Chase. During the 19th century “conversation lozenges” were popular in England, where little sayings were hand-printed on the candy. Some were romantic, such as “Love me” while others inspired precisely the opposite. The temperance movement was behind many of those, with such sobering comments as: “Drink is the Ruin of Man,” and “Sobriety is the way to riches.” In the U.S., Daniel invented a “motto-making” machine that printed sayings quickly and directly on heart-shaped candies, focused entirely on matters of the heart, not the liver. The result is called “Sweethearts.”

Sweetheart Candy – the Original

As the candy industry grew, the confectioner’s role seemed to have taken on greater stature.  In 1912, the Americana, an encyclopedia, says:

“Of course, we know that in the early days, the art of manufacturing confectionery was confined almost exclusively to the apothecaries and physicians, both of whom made use of these sweets in their attempts to disguise the unpleasant characteristic of their medicines…During the 19th century the confectionery trade has experienced its greatest development for it is since the dawn of that century that it has become what it is to-day, one of the world’s great business enterprises. In the making of this transition, the druggist has not ceased to be a factor in the trade. He still requires his medicated candies but, in this respect, he has become a purchaser…”

The Americana also noted that:

“…candy usually was confined to such ordinary products as the old fashion stick candy, sugar plums, and the ordinary molasses candy…In 1846, Oliver R. Chase, who with his brother, formed the firm Chase & Company, invented a machine for the making of lozenges…In 1866, a further innovation in lozenge innovation was produced by Daniel G. Chase. This was a machine for printing on candies and it was to those invention that the well-remembered conversation lozenges owe its existence… Since that day, the history of the confectionary trade has been a constant record of development.”

 Packing Necco Wafers Mid-1900s

The Necco Wafer Goes to War (Or does it?)

The Chases may have ushered in the industrialization of candy, but there’s more. It’s possible, and I underscore possible, that the Chase Brothers sent Oliver’s lozenge to the Union soldiers. This distinction is relevant because many in-the-know people such as reenactors, historic Web sites, and NPR’s quiz show Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me indicate this exchange of sweets definitely happened. I called the New England Confectionary Company for confirmation after I failed to find original sourcing. A young, chipper-sounding employee from their outsourced PR department merrily informed me that the Necco was not in the war. Silly, silly NPR.

Here’s my opinion. Seeing how friends, family, and businesses sent candy to Civil War soldiers during the war, why wouldn’t Oliver Chase and his popular lozenge be among them? So, did they send or didn’t they? My vote is yes.  Either way, Admiral Byrd definitely did take 2 ½ tons of the lozenges on his expedition to the South Pole and during World War Two, when Hershey was busy with the D – Ration, the U.S. sent Neccos to troops because they were “practically indestructible”

Necco Wafer Eaten by Soldiers in WWII

The NECCO Candy Company – Moving On and Up

Over the years, the company underwent many changes. After building a factory on Melcher Street in Boston, the Chase brothers opened a “Western” branch in Chicago. It was destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. In 1872, the Boston factory burned down as well. The company rebounded, and in 1901, joined the other companies to rise up as the New England Confectionery Company. All went well as the company opened a factory in South Boston, then one in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1927 and where I went to buy candy decades later.

NECCO- Boston Early 1900s

NECCO- Boston Early 1900s

 

Necco Chimney in Cambridge Massachusetts

 

Necco Wafers, Sweethearts, Clark Bars, Mary Janes, Slapstick & Squirrel Nut Zippers

But, as fate would have it – and does with so many companies – it changed hands in the corporate style of hand-changing…too many names to bother mentioning. At one point, in a move to stay afloat in the ever-changing world of vintage candy, NECCO bought out other candies. Their mission was simple: Be the provider of retro, old time, and vintage candy–WHATEVER you want to call it! Their selections went onto include Squirrel Nut Zippers, Clark Bars, Mary Janes, Candy Buttons, Banana Chews, Canada Mints,  Necco Wafers, Slapstick, Sweethearts and Sky Bar…among others.

Image: UK Daily News

In a story sad for all of us – the NECCO factory moved out of Kendall Square in Cambridge where it had a time-honored home. The building became the high budget, albeit soulless, property of MIT. NECCO resituated in Revere Massachusetts….just down the road… then…went bust.

                NECCO Last Stop in Masschusetts, Revere

 

The End that Isn’t (Fortunately)

While the NECCO company went under, not all the NECCO candies went with it. The Necco Wafer is now being made by Spangler, itself a venerable company with an impressively long history starting in 1906. A related Candy Button is available, and the Clark Bar (made by Davied Clark, maker of Teaberry Gum) is now made by the Boyer Company maker of Mallo Cup and comes in two shapes – cup and traditional bar. Our version of Canada Mints really is made in Canada where they were invented (no surprise!) and Mary Janes seem to be sliding on and off the retail radar since last year. We love them all – for their memories and their tastes.

THANK YOU, OLIVER CHASE!

You Know Uncle Sam – Wait ’til You Meet AUNT SAMMY!

Aunt Sammy: Shaping the Candies, Cakes & Wholesome Foods of Appalachia

You likely know Uncle Sam but probably not Aunt Sammy. So – allow me. She helped put Appalachian food on your table and mountain confections in your mouth!  In 1926, she became a welcome part of the Appalachian and other farm, coal mine, and more general rural communities. She provided advice, news items and recipes on air and in print, many sent from thousands of listeners in rural communities, answering today’s question: WHAT IS real American cooking? She first appeared in 1926 as Uncle Sam’s (yes, that Uncle Sam) wife or sister (it isn’t entirely clear) – a true flesh and blood household advisor. Well, sort, of.

Who was Aunt Sammy? All about Betty Crocker & Friends: Candies, Casseroles, and Cake Mixes

To understand Aunt Sammy – and her relationship to Uncle Sam and the Appalachian homemaker – it’s important to know about Betty Crocker, Ann Pillsbury, Aunt Jemima, and the rising presence of radios in people’s homes in the early 1900s. Betty Crocker’s “life” as it was, started in the early 1920s, when General Mills created the woman who wasn’t. Betty Crocker was an even-keeled helpful household advisor and personality, designed to be as real as you and me. Betty had her own radio show, newspaper column, endorsements, and presence on the American landscape – but was actually played by a variety of actresses for decades. She was never outed and, even today, many consider her an actual person.

Marjorie Housted – One of the authors and voices called Betty Crocker

 

One of the many Betty Crocker faces

 

Betty Crocker wasn’t alone. She was joined by plenty of others including Ann Pillsbury, Aunt Jemima, and Carnation’s Mary Blake, all women who weren’t. These women also represented the interests of large businesses, promoting everything from flours and baking soda (using the sponsor’s brands) to cake mixes, where the company did it all. Their audience was middle class women, homemakers, and domestic help. And then there was Aunt Sammy!

Tune In Appalachia! Recipes, Advice, and A Good Friend on the Radio

Like Betty, Aunt Sammy’s presence rose up in the 1920s when radio’s rise in the American landscape was meteoric to say the least.  At first, about 10,000 radios were on the American landscape, mostly homemade by radio hobbyist. Within five years, roughly 7.5 million people had a radio at home. For rural homemakers of Appalachia, radios were a link to the outside world, fueled by batteries, much more reliable than electricity, even in storms. Remember: rural homemakers were isolated on farms where they literarily made the homes, in charge of sewing clothes, growing, harvesting, and cooking food, raising kids, mending fences, and repairing whatever problem arose. Company? Little company, no television, no public transportation, and no newspapers. Even if they had newspapers, many of these women couldn’t read.

One of the friendly voices to break through the isolation was “Aunt Sammy” the wife of Uncle Sam. Unlike other advisors who represented the interests of corporations and, like Betty Crocker, focused on the middle class, Aunt Sammy represented the interests of the United Sates Department of Agriculture. Her audience was rural and town-based and her message was about many things, primary among them food. Good, wholesome, and economical food and using specific measurements and hygienic processes. In short, Aunt Sammy was bringing to rural communities’ recipes for better, healthier living – a first for a demographic others ignored.

 

Ruth Van Deman, one of the authors of Aunt Sammy’s Recipes

Listeners regularly tuned into Aunt Sammy’s productions which first aired five days a week in 1926, then called a variety of names – “Housekeeper’s Half-Hour” and “Aunt Sammy” among them. It was one of the first radio shows with regular characters, such as Ebenezer, an uncle; Billy, a nephew; Percy DeWillington, a fussy eater; and the Nosy Neighbor. Aunt Sammy was represented by 30 different women at 30 different stations – a total of 150 actresses over the years. They shared the same script, but, unlike Betty & company who were relentlessly the same, they had different regional accents. The reason: to gain the trust of listeners who welcomed them into their homes. Even the content was driven by letters sent by listeners.

By 1927, more than a million women were tuning into the program and had sent 60,000 letters seeking advice. If the questions were pertinent and interesting enough, they were raised on air. If not, the listeners received a personal letter in response. While the program covered a range of subjects, food was among the greatest places of concern.

Listening to Aunt Sammy of the Radio – Late 1920s

 

Hey Appalachia – Exercise Your Ingredients!

While radio was a miracle, and a useful miracle at that, it had flaws. It was scratchy and, at times, incoherent, a deficit when following recipe instructions. One production demonstrates the problem well, when a young husband was trying to copy a recipe for his wife. Unfortunately, the radio signals had crossed, and two shows – one, apparently an exercise show for men, and the other, Aunt Sammy, wove together. Still, the husband persisted, diligently taking notes, connections crisscrossing, and he ended up with the following instructions: “Hands on hips, place one cup of flour on the shoulders, raise knees and depress toes and mix thoroughly with one half-cup of milk…inhale quickly one-half teaspoon of baking powder, lower the legs and mash two hard-boiled eggs in a sieve…lie flat on the floor and roll the white of an egg backward and forward…”

Uncle Sam in Appalachia: Just Like a Man

As a supplement to the radio productions, Aunt Sammy joined the ranks of those producing cookbook/pamphlets in 1927. Simply called Aunt Sammy’s Radio Recipes, the instructions were simple, easy-to-follow and deemed fool-proof.  Aunt Sammy promoted the cookbook on- air, saying:  “By the way, some of you have begun to listen in quite recently. You may not have copies of the loose-leaf Radio Cook Book Uncle Sam is sending to homemakers. I want to give Uncle Sam all the credit due him, but the cookbook was not his idea at all. After he saw how neat it was, and how easily extra pages could be added, he waxed enthusiastic — he really did. His only regret was that he didn’t originate the idea himself. Isn’t that just like a man?”

  

Whatever Became of Aunt Sammy?

Within the first six months of publication, the USDA received 41,000 requests for the Aunt Sammy’s publication and soon had printed 100,000 copies. All were gone within the year. In 1931, a new edition called Aunt Sammy’s Radio Recipes Revised was released – also the first cookbook printed in Braille.  In 1931, Aunt Sammy also instructed listeners in authentic traditional Chinese cooking techniques, helping to improve the quality of Chinese-American food prepared by home cooks.  Her show continued to educate and stimulate rural homemakers in Appalachia and other areas through 1944.

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Want to try Aunt Sammy’s recipes? You can find them here: Aunt Sammy’s radio recipes: United States. Bureau of Human Nutrition and Home Economics : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

TIRED OF THE SCREEN? Sit back, relax, and listen to Aunt Sammy, and get great food ideas as you do!: (2) Selections from Aunt Sammy’s Radio Recipes and USDA Favorites by Ruth van Deman | Full Audio Book – YouTube

 

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We picked out a few easy-to-make options for Aunt Sammy’s fun foods – if you’re not up for cooking, you can get a variation from us. Her recipe book covers everything from meats to vegetables with plenty of helpful advice!

Pralines Recipe– A Classic

  • 4 cups sugar
  • 2 cups cream
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups pecan nut meats

Make a sirup out of 3 cups of the sugar and the cream. Cara- melize the other cup of sugar by melting it in an iron pan and stir- ring constantly with the back of a spoon. Into it pour all the sirup at one time, stirring constantly and rapidly. Add the salt. Boil the mixture to the soft-ball stage without stirring. Pour into a fiat pan and cool. Beat to a creamy consistency and add the nuts. Form into fiat, round cakes about 3 inches in diameter on a waxed paper. This amount makes about 20 cakes. During the creaming process the nuts must be added before the mixture shows signs of hardening. As this candy is to be in the form of round cakes, and not in a mass, work quickly to keep the candy from hardening before the cakes are placed on the waxed paper.

Try True Treats Pralines made in a Texas-based pecan plantation.

Sugared Popcorn Recipe – A Cousin to Kettle Corn

  • Sugared Popcorn
  • 1-1/2  cups sugar.
  • 1 teaspoon salt.
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 quarts freshly popped corm

Cook the sugar, water, and salt until the sirup forms a soft ball when dropped into cold water, or until a candy thermometer registers 238° F. Remove from the fire. Beat with a spoon until it is creamy. Drop in the popcorn and Stir quickly until each kernel is coated with sugar. Put on a greased platter and separate the grains of corn. Cook the sugar, water, and salt until the sirup forms a soft ball when dropped into cold water, or until a candy thermometer registers 238° F. Remove from the fire. Beat with a spoon until it is creamy. Drop in the popcorn and stir quickly until each kernel is coated with sugar. Put on a greased platter and separate the grains of corn.

Turkish Paste Recipe

  • 3 tablespoons gelatin.
  • 1/2 cup cold water.
  • 1 pound sugar.
  • 1/2 cup hot water.
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt.
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice.
  • Green coloring.
  • Mint flavoring.
  • 1 cup finely chopped nuts

Soften the gelatin in the cold water for 5 minutes. Bring the hot water and sugar to the boiling point. Add the salt and gelatin, Stir until the gelatin has dissolved, and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from the fire and when cool add the lemon juice, coloring, and mint flavoring. Stir in the nuts and allow the mixture to &and until it begins to thicken. Stir again before pouring into a wet pan and have the layer of paste about one inch thick. Let &and overnight in a cool place. Moisten a sharp knife in boiling water, cut the candy in cubes, and roll in powdered sugar.

The paste is 1/2 Turkish delight (circa 900 CE) and 1/2 Gum Drop which used Turkish delight as a prototype (originated around 1805, this version likely 1860s).

Nut Brittle Recipe

  • 2 cups granulated sugar.
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla.
  • ¼ teaspoon salt.
  • 2 cups nuts.
  • ¼ teaspoon soda.

Heat the sugar gradually in a clean smooth skillet. Stir constantly with the bowl of the spoon until a golden sirup is formed. Remove from the fire and Stir in quickly the salt, soda, and vanilla. Pour the sirup over a layer of nuts in a greased pan. When cold, crack into small pieces.

The basic peanut brittle. Ours is from around the same time but uses corn syrup (an original American sweetener) and butter.

 Parisian Sweets Recipe

  • 1/2 pound figs.
  • 1/2 pound nut meats.
  • 1/2 pound dried prunes or seedless raisins.

Wash, pick over, and stem the fruits. Put them, with the nut meats, through a meat chopper, using a medium knife. Mix thoroughly. Roll out to a thickness of about one-half inch on a board dredged with confectioners’ sugar. Cut into small pieces; or make balls and roll them in confectioners’ sugar. If these sweets are to be kept for some tune, they should be put in a tin box or a tight jar.

Amazing – reminiscent of the early Middle Eastern fig cakes.

The Story of Candy Cigarettes:  Loved, Loathed, and Lots of Fun

The History of Candy Cigarettes:  Loved, Loathed, and Lots of Fun     

Americans have been enjoying candy cigarettes since the late 1890s when they started as chocolate cigarettes, then the candy cigarettes you see here, then, decades later, bubble gum cigarettes. Other flavors included licorice! These candy cigarettes are thin and white and once had a red spot on the end, signifying the lit end of a cigarette. Today, the red spot is gone, and the candy cigarette now looks like what we once called a “non-filter cigarette” (I remember Camel’s best) or the skinnier hand-rolled variety. As for the taste? They are variously described as “crunchy,” “sugary” and “chalky.” But people love them! Of all our best-selling retro candies, candy cigarettes are indeed at the top.

Why do we LOVE candy cigarettes?

Why do we love candy cigarettes? Why do they have such a unique part in our memories, if not our palette? Maybe because they are so daring. So nervy. So delightfully… wrong. They were sold by the “ice cream man”, at penny candy store, and liquor stores who once carried an array of candies for kids while their parents shopped for more adult products a few aisles away. Candy cigarettes were also sold at pharmacies, along with an array of other candies. Surprised? Don’t be. Candies originated in apothecaries where sugar, the primary ingredient, was also an important medicine.  Kids loved candy cigarettes, parents feared them, and the FDA took measures to ban them even before there was an FDA.

“Let’s Ban Candy Cigarettes!”

Protests against candy cigarettes started in the second launch of the candy industry. I say second, because the candy of today took off in the 1840s with such marvels as NECCO Wafers, gumdrops, and pulled creams. All things candy shut down in the Civil War and didn’t return until a decade or so later. As before, candy was marketed to kids – inexpensive and fun. Many of them reflected the lifestyle of grown-ups, both good and bad, such as pretend whiskey bottles, toy glass guns loaded with candy “bullets,” and, of course, candy cigarettes.

While many anti-candy activists cited the artificial or otherwise unsavory ingredients in candy, their objection to candy cigarettes was different. They wouldn’t kill you, exactly, but they would ruin your life. One of them, Reverend James E. Smith, declared in 1902, “These candies may look harmless, but they are leading the minds of our boys toward temptation, they are enticing our children to become drunks and cigarette fiends.” The Reverend was far from alone in his crusade. Among the many followers, he praised one cohort, Miss Lucy Page Gaston, aka “The cigarette smasher.”

More to the point, candy cigarettes, like other candies, were considered a gateway drug of sorts…with a most bizarre twist of logic. The Ladies Home Journal of 1906, for example, explained, “The first craving from ill feeding [of candy] calls for sugar; later for salt; then tea, coffee; then tobacco; then such fermented beverages as wine and beer; and lastly alcohol.” So, by that reasoning, candy is a gateway to…salt?

More Cigarette Problems…Including Cigarettes

The problem went beyond eating candy to the very act of buying candy. This power of the purchase could lead children to feelings of independence and self-absurdness. And that could get them to believe they were adults, and start acting like adults, which inevitably led to drinking, gambling, and, yes, smoking. Working-class children (aka urchins, lower class, etc.) were most vulnerable as they lacked discipline and the principled background of their wealthier counterparts, so it was said.

But what of the actual candy cigarette/cigarette connection? It seems some old timers did believe candy cigarettes might, indeed, lead to smoking, as today’s pundits suggest. But cigarettes good? Or cigarettes bad? The opinions in the adult world varied. Some, with the likely help of marketers, believed cigarettes were sexy. This view went on for decades, as yours truly, a 3-pack a day teenage smoker, was convinced.  Others believed that cigarettes were healthy. Not harmless. And not  “not that bad.” Healthy. Soldiers in World War II even received cigarettes to clean their lungs.

For others, cigarettes were no mere nicotine addiction. According to one article published in 1890: “…You know the real cigarette would keep him from growing up into a strong and healthy boy; it would steal his red cheeks from him; would take away his power to learn rapidly; would care less for good and beautiful things…”

The article then brings home the most sobering testimonial against candy cigarettes imaginable – the Bible. “The Bible tell us we must ‘abstain from all appearances of evil’ – anything that looks like evil…Would this not be a good place to practice what that verse teaches us?”

Make no mistake – defenders of candy cigarettes were many and while I have no facts to prove the case, the pro-candy cigarettes outweigh the con-candy cigarettes. Says one commentary on the subject in the Wall Street Journal, 1966: “Most little boys enjoy playing Grownup, whether it’s swaggering around with a candy cigarette, a rubber cigar, or licorice “chewing tobacco. It’s hard to believe a candy cigarette user is more likely to become a smoker than a child who tosses play money around is likely to become a counterfeiter.”

Regardless of the many attempts to stop the sale of candy cigarettes, candy cigarettes remained the favorite it is today…with one major pause.

Candy Cigarettes: The Pause

Candy cigarettes were indeed banned in the U.S. in 2009 under the FDA’s Family Smoking Prevention and Control Act. The debate behind the FDA’s most recent, albeit erstwhile, decision was based on studies showing that candy cigarettes led to cigarette smoking. Candy cigarette fans, researchers among them, disagreed. Behaviors were set by role models, especially peers, and candy cigarettes on their own may have been seen as grown-up behavior but were essentially fun and, by the way, harmless. Fortunately, the ban was but a pause in candy cigarette production although the little red spot at the end of candy cigarettes has vanished. The almost-real paper filter on the chocolate and bubble gum cigarettes remains the same. Today, candy cigarettes have a place on candy shelves where they remained delighting and infuriating for over a century since their creation.

                                 True Treats happily and guiltlessly carries all three kinds of the very non-tobacco cigarettes of the past – chocolate, candy, and bubblegum, each with their own packaging, flavors, and textures… all in cigarette pack containers. 

 

Check out this video from Candy Historian Susan Benjamin about Candy Cigarettes!

Candy: Taking the Guilt Out of Good

Candy… It’s More Important Than You Think!

To truly appreciate the importance – yes, importance – of candy, we have to look at the importance of fun. The idea of fun seems simple… we enjoy ourselves! And fun should be simple, but like everything else, it isn’t. Americans have a difficult time accepting and, even, enjoying fun without an overlay of guilt or the need to justify that having fun, in that particular instance, is okay. We compartmentalize fun in increments of time such as that paltry break, or vacation time, or the odd festive occasions such as a wedding.

Puritans – Our Anti-Fun Ancestors

This ethos is brought to you by the Puritan aka Protestant ethic from which our nation was founded: work, discipline, and adherence to strict laws of behavior were more than a good idea. They were the difference between the likelihood of being one of God’s Elect, meaning you would be gifted with eternal life, or not. Many consider capitalism, the bedrock of our economic system, a product of the Puritan work ethic: make money and reinvest the money you have made into making more money and – by the way – borrow money to make money which you pay back by making money to make more money…

All Work & No Play…

Of course, some fun events offer hard work-related perks. For kids, playing games such as soccer or baseball is fun and that’s the primary reason they do it. Other perks include a stronger, healthier body thanks to all that running around, and skills such as being a team-player or developing a competitive nature, both of which, I must add, make them better workers and make their parents ever happier that they’re doing it.

Conversely, many people have fun at work. But even these activities, aren’t fun per se. There’s a difference. We have fun doing them, yes, but we don’t do them just because they’re fun. These activities are justifiable and manageable, with an end-result which is not to have a great time.  Not that there’s anything wrong with these activities. I for one, can testify to their importance – I love work. Even writing this blog makes me happy!

So, What is Fun?

Fun, the opposite of work – it’s something we do simply because we enjoy it. Going to parties – fun. Going to plays, movies – fun. Carnivals and fairs – fun. The beach, a cabin in the woods, a vacation, any vacation, fun, fun, fun. Candy? Oh yeah, fun. The quintessential embodiment of fun. That being the case – when it comes to candy, we’re suspicious.

And Now… A Slice of Reality…

Here’s the reality: we need fun. Just about any health care worker from a massage therapist to a surgeon knows that a positive attitude, a sense of joy or well-being keeps the surgical knife away. And should the worst happen, it makes the bumpy road to recovery that much faster. The world of thinking, i.e., books, articles, and blogs, are avalanched with messages about the power of positive thinking, the importance of de-stressing, and thousands of ways to help yourself feel good.

Retro Hard CandiesAs for candy-fun, here are a few reality checks:

  • Depending on the source, candy accounts for roughly 10% of the calories and sugar we ingest. The rest comes from those other things we eat where we don’t feel guilty.
  • We know that candy is a fun-food and, like fun, we modulate. We enjoy it in predetermined quantities. No one actually eats a full meal of candy. No one. Even kids.
  • Candy contains sugar. We know this. That’s the problem with candy… we think. The problem isn’t sugar – it’s too much sugar. See above. THEN, see below.
  • Our bodies need sugar. Without sugar we die. The first taste we have as humans is mother’s milk and all its nourishing sugar. When babies are in pain, the get an IV or dropper of sugar to ease the pain. As people get older and head for natural death, the flavor they can taste as other flavors fade is sweetness. Hence their love of – yes – candy.
  • Candy benchmarks some of our happiest moments. Think Christmas. Think – Easter. Think birthday parties and birthday giftsgummies for kids, sumptuous truffles for the grown-ups. Think gifts of chocolate on how many other happy occasions?
  • Candy is a visceral holder of memories. I don’t have to tell you – those retro candies you love. The Bit O’ Honey, hard candies, chocolate bars, even jelly beans. Mostly everyone has a memory of the parent, teacher, grandparent, friend, who enjoyed them.
  • Candy gives us a break from the effort of hard work. THINK: candy bowls at work. You stop. Relax. Enjoy. Portions so small you don’t even feel guilty. LIFE IS GOOD!

Still Feel Bad About Feeling Good When It Comes to Candy?

Psychology today offers up these additional advantages. This is but a summary – you can get the full story here: The Superpowers of Candy | Psychology Today

  1. People who regularly eat candy live longer than those who don’t according to a multi-decade study from the Harvard School of Public Health.
  2. A shot of sugar can restore your willpower. Studies show that consuming sugar makes people persevere longer on difficult task, better able to focus, and more likely to delay gratification.
  3. Chewing gum can improve your mood, reduce stress, increase your mental focus, and block pain. The act of repetitive chewing shifts the state of your brain… Areas related to attention and self-control become more active, while areas related to stress and pain processing become less active. Chewing gum also seems to increase serotonin levels… chewing Teaberry Gum, Black Jack Gum, or Beemans Gum can improve your mood!
  4. Chocolate may decrease your risk of cardiovascular disease. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Family Heart Study analyzed the chocolate habits of 4970 participants aged 25-93 years. Those who regularly consumed chocolate had a lower risk of heart disease, and higher “doses” resulted in greater protection. Those who ate chocolate five or more times a week were 60% less likely to have heart disease.
  5. Cotton candy can help you grow new blood vessels…. A finding of researchers at Cornell University and Cornell Medical Center. Amazing!

Need Help Finding the Candy That’s Right For You?

You know where to go! Tested and proven for thousands of years! Love retro? We’ve got you covered.

What’s Mom’s Favorite Old Time Candy? We Asked – Answered!

So, What Candies Do Mothers Really Want For Mother’s Day?

A good question seeing that just about all of us are buying or receiving Mother’s Day gifts now. Is candy among them? Should it be? If so, what kinds? Being a research-based candy company, we decided to dig deep. We looked up stats online, compared sales of clothes, flowers, jewelry and, of course, candy. The findings are clear – flowers, jewelry and candy are at the top. Of course, plenty of other favorites were in the mix… some not presents exactly, but ideas like time off! A day of freedom, as in time away from the kids. That came up a lot.

True Treats for Mother’s Day

For obvious reasons, we decided to focus on candy. So, we turned to our Facebook friends for the most reliable data possible about what their mothers’ favorites. Now remember – we didn’t ask our friends’ ages – or for that matter, their mothers’ ages which may have changed the response. We guessed, given the age of our average customer, their moms are likely in their 50s and 60s.

Regardless – the results were surprising to say the least. Here’s what we found…

retro good n plenty, vintage candy ad, old time good n plentyOur Favorite Response:

Our favorite response comes from David Mills who said: “She liked everything. Seriously, there was nothing that she didn’t like.” We love knowing that. Melanie Mills, a relative, weighed in, indicating David’s Mom was not only a candy lover, but a candy influencer. Melanie said: “She loved circus peanuts and she was the one who made me try black licorice. She even got my sister to like black licorice. She and my mom would share a box of, I think it was, Good and Plenty.” Hey David and Melanie – did you know Good n’ Plenty is the nation’s oldest brand, made in 1893?

Moms Love Old Time Licorice

Our friends’ list included lots of licorice – a total surprise as licorice isn’t on the horizon of most loved candies for anyone. Good n’ Plenty (circa 1893), as David and Mel told us, plus black jelly beans, general black licorice anything and Twizzlers. When you think about Twizzlers, you probably think 1970s. But this company outdates even Good n’ Plenty. It started in 1845!

Retro Candy – the Big Surprise!

We could have guessed Moms like retro candy – most people lean in that direction. But the kinds of retro were a surprise. For the most part, our friends’ mothers skewed old school. No late 1900s favorites such as Jelly Belly Beans, Zotz or even Gummies (only one mention of these). These Moms went 1800s including the most controversial candy ever – Circus Peanuts, made in the late 1800s for…you guessed it … circuses. Also – Candy Corn, which also started life in the late 1800s. Originally called Chicken Feed, it was a summertime snack at first – not made for Halloween! Gwen Wyttenbach told us her Mom would mix them in a dish with “Spanish” peanuts. Interesting.

What about CHOCOLATE for Mother’s Day?

Industry experts all point to chocolate as women’s preferred flavor. Not so in our Mother’s Day findings. Of all 78 responses, less than half mentioned chocolate and of that number, only a few mentioned chocolate as the only, or most preferred, candy. Is that because chocolate has historically been a man’s food? Remember: chocolate originated as a drink, dating back to Mesoamerica where it was esteemed by men – namely soldiers and tyrannical leaders – who enjoyed the drink for virility and strength. Hmmmm…

ultimate old time chocolate, vintage chocolate, retro chocolateMothers Do Love Chocolate… But Not What You Might Think!

OK – we expected to hear a lot about fancy chocolates – the type that started in the late 1800s when eating chocolate became quite the thing. This line-up includes sumptuous truffles, creams, and other varieties still around today. But our Facebook friends told us about classic candy bars, which got their start as energy bars and part of the first rations in World War I. Among the names named – Snickers, Rocky Road, 1000 Grand, and Almond Roca. Several did mention Cherry Cordials – made popular by the now defunct Brach’s in the early 1930s and chocolate covered raisins, a favorite of yours truly, and a hit in the early movie theater concession stands.

Lots o’ Outliers, TOO!!

We love outliers and are happy to say these included sea foam (from Lucile Allen, a True Treats alumni) and chocolate covered honeycomb – another version of sea foam; halva (we carry this – ancient and Middle Eastern); the gummy-esque Wisconsin Raisins from, that’s right, Wisconsin, little known but shouldn’t be; and my friend and neighbor Karen McMullen’s mom’s favorite – Bit O’ Honey from the 1920s.

vintage candy, old time nougat candy, retro candy

Our Facebook friend Peg Norton Foster told us about “…white nougat things with little pieces of gumdrops in them. Peg added: “I know mom had them around a lot in the late 50s and 60s. I am a chocolate freak so she got them mostly to herself.” Peg – we actually carry your Mom’s favorite, although the gum drops have been replaced by it’s candy cousin, jelly beans!

 

 

We Asked Some of Our True Treats Employees… What’s Mom’s Favorite Candy? 

Susan Benjamin, True Treats President – “My mother actually didn’t like candy! But if I had to pick, I’d say the peanut butter cup. She ate one maybe every other year!”

Alvino Sandoval, Web & Distribution Manager – “Peppermint patties and Rolos. My grandma loves butterscotch hard candies and starlight mints… typical grandmother!”

David Bussard, Strategic & Creative Director – “Dark chocolate nonpareils and three color coconut bars.”

MaryAnn Fisher, Social Media & Outreach Coordinator- “Hershey Milk Chocolate Bars!”

Jackie Woods, Packer – “My mother’s a donut and cookie person… but I’m a momma and I love anything chocolate or All-American Caramel.”

Pam, Packer – “Hershey kisses, Hershey with almond… Always Hershey. My favorite candy is Payday, but I love Mounds too.”

Jess, Packer – “Peanut M&M’s and that’s about it!”

Here’s the Full List of Mother’s Day Favorites From Facebook

THANKS EVERONE!! We LOVE your Feedback. And Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there!!

French gums, gummy hearts, chocolate covered raisins, and halva. – Andrea Blavat
She liked everything. Seriously, there was nothing that she didn’t like. Hilarious… she loved circus peanuts and she was the one who made me try black licorice. She even got my sister to like black licorice. Her and my mom would share a box of I think it was good and plenty, and I always got the good and fruity for at the drive in. – Melanie Mills
Believe it or not … circus peanuts! – Jennie Gist
My mother’s favorite “of all things” … Candy Corn at Halloween! – Gwen Wyttenbach
My mom would mix them in a dish with “Spanish” peanuts (in reference to candy corn) – Jan Rayl Kierstead
It’s candy raisins from Wisconsin and I’m blessed that she’s still around! – Jennifer Wyatt
Caramels and those white nougat things with little pieces of gumdrops in them. – Peg Norton Foster
Almond Joy – Denise Braithwaite
10000 Grand candy bars. – Laura Lee Bear Lemmon
Probably those cream drops, my mother loved them – Angela Zimmerman
Moth balls (cream filberts) and Opera Creams  – Claire Mojave
Black Licorice – Dwayne Richards
Godiva. If they weren’t available Hershey Special Dark. She was a dark chocolate fiend.- Krissi Bainbridge
Almond Joys and chocolate – Heidi Rohrer
Russel Stovers Caramels in particular – Suzanne Healy Barnhart
Black licorice – Mary T
Coconut cream egg – Shelly Williams
Lemon drops and chocolate covered raisins. – Nell McCollum Tedder
Bit o Honey – Cathy Kisovec Rodgers
Chocolate. Just, all of the chocolate. – Crystal Cruz
I still get her dark chocolate and heath bars – Jennifer Bortman
My mom wasn’t a candy person. Black licorice, I suppose, or Coffee Nips. My dad had the sweet tooth. – Amy Wax Storyteller
Chocolate covered cherries – Josephine Ann Calderone
Black Licorice and black jellybeans! – Brenda Sue Payne
Peanut Brittle – Tabitha Falls
Almond Joy maybe – Kelly Preziosi
Black licorice – Rick Doty
Almond Roca – Randy Hanenburg
Chocolate, peppermint, & lemon drops.- Sandra Lewis
Chocolate-covered cherries and sea foam – Lucile Allen
Snickers candy bars was her favorite. She’s not really a candy fan. Ice cream is where it’s at – Elizabeth Bennett
Snickers but can’t eat them unless it sugar free which I don’t they have it n take one if sugar low due to I am a diabetic – Selina Dion
Black licorice – Marylouise McKillip
Fannie Mae turtles – Anne Marie Trumbla
Chocolate covered cherries. – Karen McMullen
Mary Janes and Fannie May turtles. – Allison May
Rocky road or those mountain bars if she could find them – Jaye Ahkinga
Heath bars… black jelly beans – Patricia Smith Violett
Almond Roca – Linda Mitchell
Black Jelly beans – Francine Rybarczyk Clouse
Almond Roca – Debbie Coman
I don’t think she has a favorite- Matthew Ryan Neely
Coconut watermelon slices. – Carla Johnson Kanthak
Chocolate fudge – Karen Schultz
Candy corn and cinnamon gummy bears – Dana Perkins
Whitman’s cream filled candies – Marilyn Hennessey
Chocolate gingers and cherry cordials – Elizabeth Ford
Starlight mints – Julie Burke
Chocolate covered honeycomb – Bella Kittrell
Hard candy – Betty Jagodzinski Rybarczyk
Baby Ruth – Larry Berkman
Circus marshmallows – Natalie Kreitzman
Chocolate covered cherries, marshmallow peanuts, creme drops, and orange slices – Mary Earp
Chocolates! – Pam Howard
Butterfinger – Marchia Kirkland
Reese’s peanut butter cups – Victoria Ordonez
Butterfinger – Debra Hatcher
Orange slices – Patsy Dickson
Anything Fannie May – Dave Mead
Three Musketeer Bar – Lia Rock-Wright
Butterscotch – Libby Wilson
Reese’s Peanut butter cups – Nancy Shaffer Thiele
Caramels with white filling! (Goetze’s Caramel Creams!) – Rodney Thomas
Everything – Linnet Guidry Lewis
Malted Milk Balls – Karen Lynne
Mike & Ike – Lee Andrews Lawson
Satellite wafers – Sarah Côté
Nestle crunch – Peggy Lynch Verville
Cordial – Amber Nichole
Scorched peanuts – Gail Hart
Wintergreen – Elaine Moore
She is alive, and at last check, a big fan of Whitmans Samplers. – Jasmyn Dawn
Orange Slices – Donnette Sligar Sibille
Hershey bar – Jeannie Clement
Cherry cordials – Donna Marie Reynolds
Twizzlers – Ellen Patterson
Fudge – Martha D Clark Balser

The Remarkable Story of Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day – most certainly not the commercial Hallmark event most people think. It’s about history, controversy, war and peace – and women’s role in all of it. It also underscores the reality of women and, in particular, mothers, as more integral and significant to our nation’s history, whether in the home or on-the-road, than women get credit for.

Grafton, West Virginia – Birthplace of Mother’s Day

The story began for me years ago, when I traveled to Grafton, West Virginia, the home of Mother’s Day. I took a stomach-flipping albeit beautiful mountainous road to get there, ending in a small former railroad town. My meeting was in a modest Methodist church on a modest street with one decent place to eat. Things may have changed in Grafton since I visited 20 some odd years ago, but one thing remains: the church was where Mother’s Day began. The women of the community were proud of that fact and had plenty of literature and stories to prove it.

Ann Jarvis & “Mothers’ Day Work Clubs”

The primary player in the story was activist Ann Jarvis. Initially, Ms. Jarvis helped start “Mothers’ Day Work Clubs” to teach local women how to properly care for their children. This was around the time of the rising Domestic Science movement – a women-led initiative to ensure food was clean and properly prepared, and the household managed with mathematical precision. If you cook anything that requires measurements, timing, and specific cooking utensils, you have Domestic Science, later called Home Economics, to thank.

Mothers’ Day Work Clubs During the Civil War

When the Civil War hit, West Virginia was part of Virginia. The state succeeded in 1863, less because of conviction and more because they went with the presumed winner. West Virginia remained torn in its identity during that time and, at some levels, still is today. Regardless, during the war, women of the Mother’s Day Work Clubs shifted their focus to bettering the sanitary conditions for Civil War soldiers in encampments on both sides of the war, stricken by such devastating problems as typhoid outbreaks.

Buy Civil War Commissary in a Box, Harpers Ferry West Virginia, true treats historic candy,Gifts From Home – Mothers of the Civil War

At home, women cooked food according to availability, which they sent to their sons and others fighting the war. What exactly they sent is hard to say – the goings on of women during war time, or, in fact any time, is hard to come by. We do get clues, though, from such places as Godey’s Lady’s Book, a popular 19th century magazine. The magazine sought out recipes from women on both sides of the war which they published in an effort to unify mothers with a common, excruciating concern. Other clues come from the diaries of soldiers and the odd letter that surfaces now and then.

Godey’s Lady’s Book

Buy Molasses Drops, Harpers Ferry West Virginia, true treats historic candy,

Sugar was certainly part of the equation – it was a critical component of medicine and a core ingred ient in preserving life. So, molasses in various form, including pulled molasses, a version of taffy, was likely among these sweets as was cane sugar in various forms. Godey’s Lady’s Book contains a recipe for candied orange peels and mentions sugar-rich fruits as varied as coconuts and strawberries. These foods were certainly sent to the soldiers when supplies held out. Whether the intended recipient received them is another matter.

Buy Classic Crystallized Orange Peels, Harpers Ferry West Virginia, true treats historic candy,

“Mother’s Friendship Day”

After the war, Ann Jarvis established a “Mother’s Friendship Day” to reunite war-separated families and create reconciliation between Union and Confederate soldiers. She was determined to create a national Mother-based holiday but died in 1905 before she achieved it. Enter her daughter Anna Jarvis – a single woman who never had children but was intent on making her mother’s vision a reality. Among her early efforts was to receive funding and support from John Wanamaker, whose Philadelphia department store was the first in the nation. Wanamaker’s participation in the event, while welcome, also foreshadowed the future of Mother’s Day as a commercial bonanza for retailers and restaurateurs today.

The First Mother’s Day

In May 1908, Anna Jarvis held the first official Mother’s Day celebration at the Methodist Church which I visited and where Ann Jarvis taught Sunday School. Two aspects of Anna Jarvis’ efforts are lost today but well-worth remembering. First is the spelling of Mother’s Day. Not “Mothers’ Day” for all women, as a group, but the day honoring individual mothers, in particular those who lost sons at war. Then there’s the carnation, long a symbol of purity and faithfulness. Ms. Jarvis sent 500 carnations to the church event – carnations remain a Mother’s Day symbol to this day. The Grafton event was significant albeit modest compared to the parallel event at Wannamaker’s Philadelphia store, drawing in thousands of guests.

Her Mother’s Legacy

Anna Jarvis then launched an aggressive campaign to further fulfill her mother’s vision including establishing the Mother’s Day International Association, publishing letters in newspapers, and lobbing political figures and other influencers. She argued, among other matters, that most holidays focused on men and women deserved a share of acknowledgement and appreciation. Of course, we must acknowledge the irony that Mother’s Day focused on the grief mothers felt over the loss of their sons with no mention of the many daughters who also served in a variety of capacities on the battlefields.

Anna Jarvis’ Surprising Campaign… to End Mother’s Day?

By 1912, numerous states and other communities were commemorating Mother’s Day. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson established the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day. Anna Jarvis was victorious. Well…she was victorious but ultimately disillusioned. Anna Jarvis protested the commercial side to Mother’s Day and, by the end of her life, lobbied for an end to the Mother’s Day celebration. In a sense, the road to Mother’s Day was as windy and remarkable as the road I travelled on my trip to Grafton. After I arrived, someone at the church informed me that I could have taken a smoother and faster alternative road on a highway. Not to stretch the metaphor too far, but the ease of Mother’s Day today – and the opportunity to connect families across the country as Ann Jarvis originally intended – is relatively smooth, straight-forward and something to celebrate. Today, Mother’s Day is an international event.

Activists, Abolitionists, and Mother’s Day

As Ann Jarvis and Anna Jarvis were working to make Mother’s Day official, other activists shared their mission. Abolitionist and suffragette Julia Ward Howe, who wrote the poem “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” was active in promoting a version of Mother’s Day dedicated to peace efforts in the 1800s. Similarly in the 19th and 20th century temperance activists Mary Towles Sasseen and Frank Hering advocated for an anti-war version of Mother’s Day.

For More Information…

For more fascinating information about Mother’s Day, visit The History Of Mother’s Day In The US Is Much Different Than You’d Imagine

Our Facebook Friends Shared Their Mother’s Day Favorites!

Check back next week for a blog featuring your responses!

Redefining Retro

What is Retro Anyway?

These days, we’ve been thinking a lot about retro candy. The reason is pretty simple – people like… make that love… retro candy more than any other category of confections. But what is retro candy? We searched the Web and found that most candy sellers believe retro candy is either a “trip down memory lane” – or a “walk through the 1900s.” In other words, retro old is relatively new.

Make sense? Not to us. So, we took the matter to our Facebook friends and the customers at our brick-and-mortar store in Harpers Ferry. We asked two questions – what is your favorite retro candy? and what date was it invented? The responses varied.

Wait, Pixy Stix Were a Drink Mix?!

Buy Pixy Stix, Harpers Ferry West Virginia, true treats historic candy,Jeremy Butler, for example, said his favorite candy was SweeTarts, circa 1980. The actual date was the 1960s, but close enough. The SweeTart story goes back to the late 1920s and a drink mix that became a candy known as Pixy Stix. In the 1960s, Pixy Stix makers created a neater version of this favorite treat … which was the SweeTart.

NECCO Wafers & Taffy – Older Than You Think…

Buy Original 1847 NECCO Wafers, Harpers Ferry West Virginia, true treats historic candy,

Others bucked conventional thinking saying the 1800s was the start date for their retro favorites think: NECCO Wafers which originated in 1847. Kirsten Renee Campbell guessed her favorite, salt water taffy, was from the 1800s and she was right. Late 1800s, to be precise. By the way, salt water taffy was never actually made with salt water. It did originate on the Atlantic City boardwalk, but saltwater taffy doesn’t differ much from what you can get, say, in Colorado. Which is a good thing if you happen to live in Colorado.

Is Peanut Brittle Retro?

Buy Peanut Brittle, Harpers Ferry West Virginia, true treats historic candy, The answer I love the best, though, is from Andrea Blavat. Her favorite is peanut brittle. As for the date – she said “pre-historic times maybe?” And right she was! Well, more or less. Brittle is one of the oldest candies around, dating back thousands of years to a mixture of honey and sesame seeds. This candy, which originated in the Middle East and Mediterranean, likely contained cane sugar as well, which grew freely in India, an apex of the ancient Spice Trade. As for sesame seeds – yes – but this early brittle likely contained other nuts as well.

Does this make brittle truly “retro”? By the common definition that retro signifies a 20th century treat, probably not. But then, plenty of other candies would be bumped off the list as we said, such as the NECCO Wafer, Kirsten’s taffy, and other “retro” favs such as 1800s candy corn, circus peanuts (keep reading for a retro recipe using this controversial candy), cotton candy, Black Jack Gum, fruit drops, marshmallows, caramels, and more. Some, such as candy sticks and Altoids (yes! Altoids), go back even further (OK – Altoids originated in the 1780s) such as Jordan Almonds which go back to the ancient Romans – marzipan, too.

Spangler’s Circus Peanut Salad

Circus peanuts spread out

Looking for a new way to eat the surprisingly old circus peanut? Try this recipe, submitted by Mrs. Kay Larson for the 1976 Stump Creek Resident’s Cookbook and let us know what you think!

 

1 package of orange jello
1 no. 2 can crushed pineapple
2 cups cold water
30 circus peanuts
2 cups hot water
1 container Cool Whip

 

Dissolve jello in hot water. Cut up circus peanuts and dissolve in this. Drain pineapple and add liquid to cold water. Add to the first mixture. Allow to partially set. Add Cool Whip and crushed pineapple. Chill until set.

Retro, Redefined

Array of retro and penny candies on table So here’s the point: let’s redefine retro and in doing so acknowledge a link to the past that taps all our senses. Taste the candy. Smell it. Hear the crunch and so on and on. With each bite you’ll be connected to lives and locations you never imagined.  As for the purpose of eating these treats? Well, that varied, depending on the candy (some, for example, were medicines) but the underlying value was always sweet.

Here’s to Redefining Retro! From 2,000 BC to 2000 AD. Timelessly delicious.

All The Candies of Grandma’s Purse

Last week, we asked our Facebook friends about the candies their grandmothers kept in their purses. The response was amazing! Not that I was surprised. For generations, Grandmothers have given kids candies always appreciated and rarely forgotten. Some were retro. Some were even older than retro. Some have vanished. Some remain. As for the reasons why candy was so
important…

The Unexpected Reasons Grandmothers Gave Kids Candy

Grandmothers and grandfathers, too, gave candy for a few surprising – and poignant – reasons. First candy had long been used as a treat, a medicine, or both.

So, grandparents considered those butterscotch drops, Lifesavers, and other hard candies good for sore throats. Canada Mints, once known as “soft paste” medicines, were considered good for upset stomachs – my Grandfather
used them to treat his ulcers. Chewing gum, from Teaberry to Double Mint, freshened the breath, cleaned the teeth, and also alleviated stomach distress. Others, such as Circus Peanuts, were made for fun, fun, fun (later to be morphed into Lucky Charm cereal!).

Reason #2: People living in the first half of the 20th century had to deal with sugar shortages due to the Great Depression and two World Wars. No sugar – no candy. When candy returned after years of absence, it became a symbol of affluence, well-being, and a sign that all was right in the world. When grandparents gave their grandchildren candy it was a gift of all that and a symbol of love.

Sour Balls, Peppermint Swirls, and Lifesavers – The Candy in My Grandmother’s Purse

I remember trips to visit my grandmother and her sisters in Boston. We usually started at my
great-Aunt Eunice’s, whose apartment was on the third floor of a brick building, an immense
and wonderfully sophisticated amount of steps for a suburban kid such as me. My grandmother
and her sisters would sit on a couch, knitting and chatting, while the kids – my cousins, my
brothers, and I – did our kid things, frequently involving comic books, bubble gum, and secrets.

The living room, actually the living room couch, was the place to visit. Without exception, I’d
ask my grandmother and her sisters for candy. The response was always the same: “Get my
purse.” The purse was inevitably black, with a clasp, and within it a handkerchief, wallet, and
plenty of who-knows-whats, and more to the point, sour balls, Starlight Mints, and Lifesavers.
They’d reach in and hand us as much as we wanted, with one, of course, for each of them. Then, with candy in mouth, I would snuggle in beside my grandmother or my great-aunt Helen. The knitting would stop so she could rub my back, my arm, or smooth my hair. And all in the world was right and all in the world was good.

The Candies Grandmothers Gave Our Facebook Friends

We heard about a lot of candies from our Facebook friends, and even a bit about grandmothers
who didn’t give candy! Milania Pearl said “No candy. She always gave me money.” All was well
– Milania “…bought cassette tapes for my radio and shoes -lunch money, too, for Burger King.”
Some of the responses were sad, such as Barbara C. “Don’t know, never went anywhere with
one Grandmother and the other one passed away when I was very young.”

Said Karen Lester Flynn: “I don’t believe my grandmother had any sweets in her purse….
However she had a cookie drawer with those cookies in the blue tin sometimes she would have
sugar wafers” We say: Yum!

Sorry to hear this from Molly K. Varley: Cigarettes and bitterness.

 

The #1 Candy Flavor Was BUTTERSCOTCH!

Butterscotch was made in England, as a kind of toffee… made with lots of butter!

Grandma’s Candy Comments!

Peggy Warren: She always had butterscotch lifesavers in the roll. I used to love when she pulled
it out to give me one. And she had wrapped peppermints and Werther’s caramels. They bring
back wonderful memories of her. Lovely!

Paula Mallory. Angel Mints, Granny always had them in her purse. If I got fidgety while out
shopping, visiting family and friends, after dinner in a restaurant or in church, she’d start doling
out the Angel Mints Found them. Still around, made in Texas, but only sold wholesale. We’ll get
some – can’t wait to start selling them.

Nola Coons. Usually gum in her purse. But best was the candy dish on the dining room buffet
that was always full of small candies, usually a variety of Brachs! We’d always head to the
candy dish to see what Grandma had filled it with! Candy bowls were immensely popular,
usually fancy, and always full. A testament for the importance of candy. Brachs is still around,
although no longer owned by the Brach family.

Molly Dewees Brockett: My grandfather always had hard butterscotch candies and the blue
mints in his glove compartment and he called them scratchy throat medicine. Yes! Medicine!

Andrea Blavat: My big sister always had the tropical fruit assorted Lifesavers in her purse. They
were so good! Lifesavers were originally made in 1912 and used as a breath cleanser in
saloons.

Thomas Miess- Mc Donald: My Grandfather always had Sen Sens and Hard Licorice Stick.
Both licorice flavored – sad to say Sen Sen is no longer around. It might come back. We hope
they do!

Heather Scott Penselin: As a grandma I have no candy in my purse but I do have mints in my car
and lots of ice cream in my freezer. Cool Grandma!!

Jennifer Wyatt. Gum or mints. She had the aqua blue mints that were wrapped in clear
cellophane in a candy dish in her house, always! Thanks Jenifer! Those are the blue ice candies.
We never carried them, but will now!

Heather Scott-Penselin: Usually Ice Breakers but I can’t find the peppermint flavor anymore so
Altoids at the moment. Sometimes Green Tea ones from Trader Joes. Altoids – originated in
1780. Who knew??

Wax Lips and Bottles

Jennie Gist. Mine didn’t carry candy in her purse, but whenever we visited her, she’d send us kids
to the corner store where they had everything from Nik-L-Nips to wax lips to Atomic Fireballs.
A bagful of fun! YES! Nik L Nip was made in the lead-up years to Prohibition. Nik – for a nickel
a bag. Nip for a nip of whiskey.

Jennie Gist True Treats Historic Candy there were 5 of us kids and someone must have been
eating the wax, but not me! Now, wax lips … that’s a different story! First made in Pennsylvania
using Paraffin Wax, the remains of the petroleum industry, which started in Titusville, PA. in
1859.

Gum

These gums were made in the late 1800s- to early-ish 1900s. ALL made with tree resin until
World War 2 when supplies diminished and companies shifted to latex.

Sue Pace Grau: A pack of Juicy Fruit gum. We (her grandkids) each got a half piece. To this day
I think of her when I see that gum in the stores.

Jeanna Burdette: Chiclet gum and lifesavers.

Dani Rose Perez: Peppermint, tamarind and double mint gum.

Cindy Neel: Not candy but chicklet gum.

What about Grandpa?

Janet Latimer: None that I remember, but granddad had lemon drops in his truck that the cousins
and I would sneak.

Amanda Vierling: My grandfather kept butterscotch candies on hand.

Patricia McGinn: Never my grandma. My grandfather always had a roll of butter rum Lifesavers
in his suit pocket.

Strawberry Soft Candy

Buy Strawberry-Filled Candy - A Gift of Love, Harpers Ferry West Virginia, true treats historic candy,Katrinna Rich: Those little strawberries with the soft center!

Dana Perkins. My great grandmother always had those hard strawberry filled drops in the
wrapper that looked like a strawberry! Good memories!

A top seller for us today! A true classic.

And More Candy…

Carol Cross-Hooper: Wrigley’s peppermint. But she’d give you a half of stick.

Michelle Hum: Peppermints, or some call them starlight mints

Dare Nettles: Nothing but at home she had a tin full of black licorice

Betty Bunting: Crystal Mints. They used to be a flavor of Life Saver and came in a roll. I haven’t
seen them in years and years… I’m sure they’re not made anymore.

Marylouise McKillip: Butterscotch hard candy. Every so often, I buy a wee bag and I think of
her when eating each piece.

Cathleen Norris: Peppermint lifesavers… always.

Allison Dame Ryan: Brach’s Butterscotch candies or peppermint ones!

And The Candies Are…

Butterscotch Hard Candy
Peppermint Lifesavers
Strawberry Filled Candy
Butter Rum Lifesavers
Butterscotch Lifesavers
Angel Mints
Gum
Hard Candy
Mints
Caramels
Starlight Mints
Peppermints
Fruit Lifesavers
Ice Blue Mints
Sen-Sen
Black Licorice
Brachs
Wrigley’s Gum
Certs
Crystal Mints
Cookies
Sugar Wafers
Juicy Fruit
Lifesavers
Chiclets
Canada Mints
Pink Wintergreen Mints
Sugar Free
Velomints
Watermelon Hard Candy
Wintergreen
Circus Peanuts
Ice Breakers
Altoids
Cream Cheese Mints
Nik-L-Nip
Wax Lips
Fireballs
Lemon Drops
Tamarind
Double Mint Gum
Freeman’s Gum
Teaberry Gum
Peppermint Patties
Root Beer Balls
Cinnamon Gum
Tic Tacs

 

 

Easter Candy You May Have Missed

Easter Candy You May Have Missed

This Easter, why not discover the Easter candies you may have missed. They taste great and are rich with meaning. One of my favorites is St. John’s bread, thought to be the food that nourished John the Baptist while in the desert. Here’s what’s amazing – and delicious! Saint John’s bread is actually carob which we use as a healthful snack and low cal and nutritious replacement for chocolate. The “bread” is actually the pod which you can eat as-is for a unique culinary experience (not the seeds! they’re impossible to digest). Other favorites are chopped carob pieces mixed with another ancient fruit – dried grapes, aka raisins, the most often mentioned fruit in the Bible. Or try carob chips, mixed with another ancient food and symbol of spring – pomegranate seeds.  AND – don’t forget…carob tea. The possibilities are almost endless…as is the history of this wonderful food.

Here are some other important Easter treats you may have missed:

  • Date, fig, and pomegranate syrup, are among the “honeys” mentioned in the Bible. Great in tea, in baked Easter goods
  • Stuffed dates, stuffed with ancient nuts and simple syrup or a dash on bee’s honey – both known to the ancient palate.
  • Marzipan, and ancient candy made with almonds, a true spring nut. In fact, almonds were long valued as they represented good beginnings. And why? Because almonds were the first tree to flower in the Middle East and the Mediterranean.
  • Cinnamon almonds – a tasty duo with ancient roots, familiar and traditional, both cited in the Bible.
  • Mann Salwa. This ancient sweet is rich with flavor, texture, and meaning. Made over 2,000 years ago, many consider it the food God gifted to Moses and the people of Israel to sate their hunger. Perfect with tea, coffee or as a snack. A personal favorite.
  • Turkish delight – a favorite worldwide under many guises. Vegan, all-natural, and rich with association with its starring role in Chronicles of Narnia. Turkish is also a best-seller here at True Treats. This is a wonderful quote from one of our customers: “Rose Turkish Delight is something I leave with every time I visit!” – Ashley G.

What Else Did You Miss This Easter?

On WBUR – A Taste of Hot Chocolate, Sex & Sin in Colonial New England

It’s Valentine’s Day and maybe you’re hoping to spark a little romance in your sweetie with a gift of some stimulating chocolate. Not to thwart your plans, but scientific research shows it’s not really an aphrodisiac. However, one candy historian was eager to take us back to a time when Americans consumed copious amounts of warm, decadent chocolate that she posits had some hidden sensual powers.

A silver serving pot, made in Boston circa 1760. (Courtesy Historic Deerfield)

Susan Benjamin, owner of True Treats Historic Candy in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, said early New Englanders were gaga for chocolate, but they weren’t eating it…

From WBUR – Listen to the whole story or read the rest of the article here.

Image: A silver serving pot, made in Boston circa 1760. (Courtesy Historic Deerfield)

Susan Suggests

If you’re looking for something interesting to make for the many celebrations ahead this spring, head to Feeding America library at the Michigan State University’s Website. There you’ll find 76 cookbooks spanning North American history, posted in readable formats. My favorite is Fannie Farmer’s Boston Cooking School Cookbook. Starting in the late 1800s, Miss Farmer introduced the nation to new concepts of cooking at home -weighing, measuring, and using calculations so every recipe turned out right. We found tempting delights– Boston Cream Pies, chocolates, and hard candies. Of course, there’s plenty more. My suggestion – check out the other fascinating cookbooks on the site, as well and don’t be intimated! The recipes are great and prove the point: everything old is new again.

Want to hear my interview on WBUR – Boston’s NPR affiliate – about Fanny Farmer? Head for my recent blog!

 

 

Fannie Farmer