Never, in my life, have I appreciated Candy Buttons more than now–I have a toddler. They’re the tiniest candy, and they take hand eye coordination, and fine motor skills to enjoy; therefore, they take him a long time, and some good concentration, in order to eat just a few little treats. I liked them too, as a kid. (Yes. I still do.) It was just super cool to have this long piece of paper, full of candy, that I could pick away at as I pleased. (The only uncool thing? Not realizing paper was still stuck to the button before popping it in my mouth.) As my little guy and I left the candy shop the other day, I started thinking…I wonder what’s in these things? And…it’s funny how popular these still are–despite the fact that they’re kinda difficult to eat. And…I bet they look awesome while they’re being made at the Necco Factory. All those thoughts brought me to Google…and, all those thoughts brought me here; because, clearly, Candy Buttons need their own blog post.
So…here’s all that I found out while researching the deep topic of candy buttons. :) They’ve have been around for a long time, being originally introduced to us in the ’30’s by the Cumberland Valley Company. In 1980, Necco bought the company that made the buttons; and, by 1989, Necco became the sole makers of the cute little candies. The original, tiny buttons, contain three flavors: cherry (pink), lime (blue) and lemon (yellow). (Also, no. We have no idea why they chose to make the blue ones lime flavored–but, we like people who think outside the box like that, and break the rules a little bit. Way to go old-timey candy maker. :) ) To this day, Necco produces, roughly, 750 million candy buttons each year. (Wow.)
Recently, at the shop, we’ve gotten in another style of candy buttons–the mega ones. They’re about twice the size of the original and their flavors are about twice as big, as well. (They’re the ones pictured on the funky backgrounds.) They come off the paper easier–however, sometimes they also fall off the paper. They’re delicious though–no matter what. :)
Check out this fun video of Candy Buttons being made at the Necco factory. (The whole video is super cool to watch–but, there are about 20 seconds of button creation. Once you see the buttons get packaged up, that’s the end of their part. I couldn’t stop watching though. :) )
And, we found a recipe! This blog walks you right through the process with great instructions and wonderful photos. It looks easy enough, right!? http://whatwillwedotoday.com/2011/07/12/recipe-candy-buttons
If you’re looking for Candy Buttons for you, the kids, a gift, or a candy buffet–stop in, or give us a call. (We can order what you need, if you need a larger quantity.)
