![]() ![]() Orange - it is tangy, nice rounded orange flavor. They don’t sparkle quite as much, but then again there’s no little bits of sugar left in the package or crumbling off when you bite into them like you might get with Spearmint Leaves or Orange Slices. Instead of having a rough outer coating, these are practically smooth, with the sugar mushed against the jelly center. What’s really interesting about these is how they differ from other jellies covered with sugar. When you’re branding something with the Sunkist name, I’m expecting a tangy juice. Chuckles are all essence and no juicy tang. I figure the Gems are a bit like the West Coast version of Chuckles. I used to buy them from Trader Joe’s in little tubs, but then I discovered the chocolate covered nuts and never went back. I came across the Fruit Gems at Rite Aid and thought I should give them a go again. They aren’t known for much in the chocolate realm except for Christopher’s Big Cherry and in the sugar world, the Sunkist Fruit Gems. Here are some frequently asked questions emailed to me you might want to read first.You may not have caught the news recently that Ben Meyerson Candy Company was purchased by Jelly Belly.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) Revisit: Take 5, Sunkist Fruit Gems & Snickers AlmondĪll Natural, Candy, Jelly Belly, Jelly Candy, Kosher, 7-Worth It, United States.Wonka Exceptionals Fruit Jellies: Grapefruit, Goji Berry & Red Apple.Trader Joe’s Jelly Beans & Citrus Gum Drops.They also come in an individually wrapped version which is better for a candy dish. Just keeping the box closed kept them pretty fresh, even with our higher than normal humidity in Southern California lately. This particular box is nearly a pound and just had loose candies inside two separate trays. They’re available in a few packaging formats. So think of them as an in-between product. ![]() They’re pricey for fruit jellies, but much cheaper than classic artisan pate de fruit. Overall, an excellent revamp for a classic line of candies. It was sweet with a little tannic note like iced tea but not much else going on with it. ![]() The blueberry was probably the most disappointing for me, but I really only like fresh blueberries. The raspberry is quite floral and has a strong boiled jam flavor to it. I particularly enjoyed the citrus flavors, they’re distinct and have a lot of citrus peel notes, even if it does make them slightly bitter. The flavors are zesty and fresh without any weird aftertastes from artificial colors. Basically, it’s a vegan product, all vegetable products in there and nothing animal derived. The pieces are flexible and soft, and made with pectin and starch to thicken them. They really look like they should be sticky, but they’re not. The sugar coating is just enough to keep them from binding, but not so much that there’s a lot of extra sugar in the bottom of the package. The pieces are the same size as the previous versions, disks of soft jelly covered with large granulated sugar to keep them from sticking together. The colors, though natural, are still easy to discern and attractive. The new flavors are: lemon, orange, grapefruit, raspberry and blueberry. Still, when visiting trade shows where Jelly Belly had samples, I always picked up a few of the citrus ones. ![]() Neither really lived up to the name of Sunkist, the citrus growers. Then the revamped flavor set (at the same price point but fewer candies in a package) was orange, lemon, lime and raspberry. The original flavor set was orange, lemon, lime, cherry, raspberry and grapefruit. While I like fruit jellies, I pretty much stick to orange slices or spearmint leaves (I know, not a fruit). ( Review of both versions here) Here it is, 6 years later and Jelly Belly has relaunched the Sunkist line using all natural ingredients (natural flavors including juices and natural colors). Shortly after that, in 2006 Jelly Belly bought the rights to the candy and changed the flavor set. I reviewed the Sunkist Fruit Gems when they were made by a Los Angeles company called Ben Meyerson. ![]()
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