Jelly Beans Day - History of Jelly Beans - as part of the food and kitchen series by GeoBeats.

What has been to outer space and has had songs written after it?
Jelly Bean, ofcourse!

Who created the jelly bean? No one knows, but some speculate that these sweet little candies descended from one of the oldest sweet dishes in the world: Turkish delights. They had a chewy center and a powdered sugar coating. A method called panning was developed in France during the 17th century. This method helped in creating the semi-hard shell and the early stages of the jelly bean was formed. An unknown American candy creator is said to have invented the jelly bean sometime during the 1800’s. The jelly bean was the first candy to be sold by weight in many general stores throughout the country. Such a popular and affordable treat, many Civil War soldiers received care packages filled with jelly beans. Around 1930, jelly beans became an essential candy in Easter baskets. Jelly beans were made super popular during Ronald Reagan’s presidency and were found on Air Force One where a special vessel was created, so no jelly beans would spill while in flight.
Jelly Belly beans have become the most popular manufacturer over the years offering more than 50 flavors and producing 14 billion beans per year. They also can claim to be the first jelly beans in outer space sent on the 1983 flight of the space shuttle Challenger.
Not just for eating, you can visit the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and see a jelly bean representation of the former President or check out the 288,000 jelly beans used in the sugary sweet music video ‘In Your Arms’.
What’s your favorite flavor?