The original Peeps had wings. The factory eventually quickened the process of making a Peep from 27 hours to six minutes. This was due to the effort of Bob Born, Sam’s son, who modernized production with mechanical machinery. In 1955, it clipped the marshmallow chicks of their wings to further speed the process.
Today there are bunny and chick Peeps available in a number of colors including yellow, blue, lavender, orange, pink and white. Just Born also makes marshmallow treats for other holidays including trees for Christmas, pumpkins for Halloween and hearts for Valentines Day.
Peeps skyrocketed in popularity in the 1990s, according to Pye. The company credits that to increased press coverage and the rise of the Internet where people shared their thoughts and even their wacky Peeps experiments online, he said.
Just Born initially included those wings in the process as well, but it made the automation process more complicated, according to Pye.
You can find Peeps on grocery store shelves and in candy stores, but there are also several brick-and-mortar shops specializing in Peeps.
Since then the company has opened two other locations: one in Bethlehem, Pa., and another in the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn. The stores carry Peeps of all colors, flavors and shapes in addition to Peeps-brand merchandise such as T-shirts and plush toys. They also sell other Just Born candies such as Mike & Ikes and Hot Tamales.
What is a Peep and why do people love them so much?
That’s the question that’s floating around our candy headquarters every Easter season as we stuff packages full of neon-colored birds and bunnies.
While we know that people absolutely adore the tiny delights, we were curious about where they came from in the first place. When you think about candy, the first idea usually isn’t a sugar-coated marshmallow that looks like a bird.
So we did some research and found out that Peeps have a delightful story that dates back almost 100 years. And over the course of that time, they’ve created what has become one of the most iconic seasonal candies we’ve ever tasted.
Before we tell you everything about Peeps, let’s go back to the beginning…
The birth of Just Born Candy Company…
Before there were Peeps, there was Just Born Candy Company. Founded by Sam Born in 1910, the company was known for producing some of the freshest and most innovative candy products of the early 1900s, hence the name Just Born.
Sam Born was a candy guy through and through—one could say the man ate, slept, and breathed confections. So much so that he’s credited with a few candy innovations that are still incredibly relevant almost 100 years later.
For example, Sam was the first person to develop chocolate sprinkles. He also invented the chocolate coating that instantly hardens over ice cream. Did we forget to mention that he also created a machine that put sticks inside lollipops, and as a reward, the mayor of San Francisco gave him a special key to the city?
Talk about a candy connoisseur, right?
After suffering through the Great Depression in New York City, Sam moved his business to the plains of Pennsylvania, opting for a larger space (a retired printing facility) in Bethlehem. Here, he would start stacking his candy empire to the sky through new candy concepts that rocked the world, along with business buyouts that bolstered the growth of the Just Born brand.
Sam invented a few different candies that would change the industry forever, starting with Mike and Ikes, then Hot Tamales. From there, they began to focus on another product that had budding possibilities.
How Peeps Survived: A History
FAQ
What did the first peep look like?
What is the original shape of Peeps?
Why did it take 27 hours to make a peep?
What are Peeps supposed to look like?
How long did it take to make a peep?
The original marshmallow chicks were more labor-intensive, requiring manually squeezing marshmallow paste out of pastry tubes. The original Peeps had wings. The factory eventually quickened the process of making a Peep from 27 hours to six minutes.
When did Peeps become popular?
In 1954, Peeps had become so popular that the Just Born candy company had to develop specially designed machines to keep up with the production. The speed of the assembly line helped Just Born become the biggest marshmallow candy company worldwide. In 1958, the marshmallows were no longer produced just for Easter.
What are some interesting facts about Peeps?
The popular, chick-shaped candy has been around for more than 60 years. USA TODAY Network shares some surprising facts about these iconic marshmallow confections: 1. Peeps were once made by hand and took nearly 30 hours to create. Peeps are owned and made by Just Born Inc., a candy company located in Bethlehem, Pa.
When did Peeps come out?
In 1953, Just Born acquired Rodda Candy Co., which originally made the candy we know as Peeps — but with wings. The family expanded in the 1950s and ’60s. Shapes and flavors are available for seasonal themes such as Halloween, Christmas and Valentine’s Day. By 1998, Peeps were available in five colors: yellow, white, pink, blue and lavender.