National Gumdrop Day

February 15^th every year is National Gumdrop Day. Celebrate this day by treating yourself to a bowl of colorful, chewy, and delicious candy.

What is Gumdrop?

Gumdrops are a delicious, colorful chewy candy made with gelatin and then coated with sugar. They come in a variety of flavors and can be fruity or spicy. These little candies are great decorations for home decor of gingerbread and other baked goods.

Besides enjoying them with your hands, there are other ways to use gum:

• In cookies
• Decorate cakes or cupcakes
• In popcorn
• For crafts
• For gifts

You can also make your own chewing gum. For many recipes, you'll need vegetable oil, sugar, corn syrup, juice, powdered fruit pectin, baking soda, and food coloring.

Credit for modern chewing gum goes to chemist and candy maker Percy S. Truesdell. According to articles written after his death in 1948, Truesdell took hard, poorly flavored sugar and turned it into the chewy sugar we enjoy today. While at Ohio University, the chemist changed the consistency of the candy by experimenting with the amount of starch used. He then worked for the Snyder-Chafee Company until 1915. In 1916, Truesdell founded and founded P.S. Truesdell Candy Company. When he died, he was known as King Gumdrop.

History of National Gumdrop Day

National Gumdrop Day is dedicated to a gelatin-based, cone-shaped candy that is chewing gum. They are flavored with fruit or spices, and are topped with sugar. Popular flavors include cherry, orange, grape, lemon, clove, cinnamon, mint, and licorice.

It is not known exactly how or when chewing gum was first created, but they became popular in the late 1800s. The name "gum" first appeared in print in the year. 1860. Some are soft, pliable and made with gelatin, but some are made from potatoes and are cheaper. By the 1890s, "gum" had become a slang term for lovers.

Modern chewing gum was created by Percy Truesdell in 1915. After experimenting at Ohio State University, he was able to improve their texture by making them softer. He is known as the "gum king."

Gumdrops continue to enter the cultural lexicon. In the late 1940s, the Candy Land board game made its debut with the arrival of the Gumdrop Mountains. Until 1950s, the phrase "Goody gum" was born. Apollo 9's Command Module was named Gumdrop because of its shape.

How to celebrate National Gumdrop Day

Celebrate the day by trying as many gum flavors as you can! If you have time, you can also do it yourself. This day can also be celebrated by playing Candy Land and by saying "good gum" as much as possible.