Jellybeans were first documented in print in the late 1800s. A popular but unverified story suggests they originated during the American Civil War when Boston confectioner William Schrafft encouraged civilians to send them as gifts to Union troops.

The jellybean is believed to have been invented by William Schrafft, a sweet maker from Boston. In 1861, Schrafft molded jelly into small round shapes, or beans, hence the name jellybeans. He took regular jelly and molded it into small, round, bean-like shapes. The name “jellybean” comes from the bean-like shape of the candy. The first jellybeans were associated with Easter celebrations in the United States in the 1930s due to their egg-like shape. He encouraged people to send them as gifts to solders that were away from home fighting in a war.

The original jellybean is thought to have been a combination of the first jelly candy, the Turkish Delight (which dates back thousands of years), and the hard-candy shell of Jordan Almonds created in the 17th century.

By the early 1900s, jellybeans were a common penny candy enjoyed by children and adults alike. In the 1930s, jellybeans became associated with Easter traditions because their egg-like shape is reminiscent of the belief that the Easter Bunny delivers eggs as a sign of new life in spring.

The Jellybean Prayer is a short poem that uses jellybean colors to teach kids about Christ’s sacrifice at the cross. Each color represents part of God’s story of redemption. For example, red is for the blood He gave, green is for the grass He made, yellow is for the sun so bright, orange is for the edge of night, black is for the sins we made, white is for the grace He gave, purple is for the hour of sorrow, and pink is for a new tomorrow.

The first jellybean flavors were Very Cherry, Tangerine, Lemon, Green Apple, Grape, Licorice, Root Beer, and Cream Soda. Jelly Belly jellybeans were invented in 1976 by David Klein, a candy and nut distributor. Klein collaborated with Herman Rowland to develop a jellybean using natural flavoring. The Jelly Belly jellybean was created using the Mini Jellybean concept. David Klein sold the first Jelly Belly jellybeans in 1976 at an ice cream parlor called Fosselman’s in Alhambra, California. These original flavors are still among the most popular the company makes today.

The Herman Goelitz Candy Company started working with the Jelly Belly brand in 1976. Jelly Belly has gone from eight flavors to more than 100.

The most popular jellybean flavor is Very Cherry. It was the most popular flavor for two decades until Buttered Popcorn took the top spot in 1998. In 2003, Very Cherry retook the title and has remained the most popular ever since.

The original jellybean flavors were Very Cherry, Root Beer, Cream Soda, Tangerine, Green Apple, Lemon, Licorice, and Grape.

Jellybeans are named after their shape, which resembles a bean. The first jellybeans were invented in 1861 by William Schrafft, a candy maker from Boston. He molded jelly into small, round shapes and encouraged people to send them as gifts to soldiers fighting in the war.

The name “jellybean” may also have been inspired by an old-time phrase that was the opposite of a compliment. The phrase referred to someone who showed up for a date well dressed and coiffed but had nothing else going for them.

Here are some fun facts about jellybeans:

• Jellybeans were first mentioned in 1861.
• Jellybeans were invented by William Schrafft, a Boston confectioner, who encouraged people to send them to soldiers during the American Civil War.
• Jellybeans were originally a Christmas tradition.
• Jellybeans were the first to be sold as penny candy.
• It takes 7 to 21 days to make a jellybean.
• Jellybeans were made using a candy process from France called “panning”.
• The term “jellybean” used to be slang for “pimp”.
• Jelly Belly makes approximately 1,680 jellybeans per second.
• Over 15 billion jellybeans are eaten each year.
• Jellybeans last 6-8 weeks after they are manufactured.
• If you keep jellybeans in the fridge, they will last for around ten months.
• If you store jellybeans in an airtight container and keep them in the freezer, they will last a year.

The secret ingredient in jellybeans is shellac, which is a resin secreted by the female lac bug after it drinks the sap of trees. Shellac is also called confectioner’s glaze.

Shellac is used to make jellybeans shiny. It’s also found in other candies like Hershey’s, Milk Duds, Junior Mints, Godiva Chocolate, and candy corn.

Other ingredients in jellybeans include:

• Sugar
• Tapioca or corn syrup
• Pectin or starch
• Lecithin
• Anti-foaming agents
• An edible wax such as carnauba wax or beeswax
• Salt

The United States consumes about 100 million pounds of jellybeans each year. The price of jellybeans has been about 50 cents per pound.
Americans consume nearly 16 billion jellybeans on Easter. That’s about ⅗ of the world’s annual jellybean consumption.
Well now it’s time to do your part. Let’s eat some jellybeans. Let us know in the comments what your favorite brand and flavor are.