It is impossible to trace the exact origins of the Jelly Bean. Only part of its history remains and the rest are lost in time. However, most experts believe that the Turkish Delight, which is a known Mid-Eastern sweet, is the forerunner of the modern day Jelly Bean and has been around since the Biblical times.
The process known as panning was created in 17th century France and was used to make Jordan Almonds. Panning was done primarily by hand is now automated, but the process has remained essentially unchanged during the last three centuries. In Panning, the process would begin by rocking almonds in a bowl that was filled with syrup and sugar until the almonds were coated with a hard candy shell. The panning process gave birth to shell coating and today, large rotating pans are used to do the heavy work. It is the Master Confectioners that work on the art of adding and mixing the ingredients to create the perfect shell.
In some way, these processes reached the factories in America. The Jelly Beans began production there and soon earned a spot among the many glass ‘penny candy’ jars that were on display in the candy stores. In general stores, the Jelly Beans were sold by weight and given to the buyers placed in paper bags. The Jelly Beans had an egg-like shape and in the 1930s, they became part of the Easter tradition. They were associated with the Easter Bunny was thought to deliver eggs on Easter as a sign of new life and the start of spring.
