Jelly Belly Factory

Megan and I visited the Jelly Belly Candy Co. in Fairfield earlier this month. Because it was a weekend, they were not actually making candies at the time and all the machines were at rest. But we still got to go on a walking factory tour with a knowledgable guide and watch some videos about the Jelly Belly bean-making process. We also saw a number of the Jelly Belly artworks, some of which use as many 5,000 beans. We even saw the 1989 World Series piece that was not missing a single bean after being recovered after the earthquake. Neither photography nor videocameras were allowed, however.

Interesting facts from that tour include:

• The only flavor of Jelly Belly's 50 flavors that is not included in its 49 Flavors bag is Jalapeño.
• Jelly Belly beans that get stuck together or are irregularly-shaped are called Belly Flops
• They also make more than 100 other types of candy, including Candy Corn and Jordan Almonds

After the factory tour, we got to sample Jelly Belly beans from the (free!) Sampling Bar. They had a number of rare flavors available including: Green Tea Ice Cream, Baked Beans, Garlic, Buttered Toast, Pomegranate, Mint Trio, some new JBz flavors and the (ugh!) Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. I recommend having a Strawberry Jam + a Peanut Butter + a Buttered Toast.

But why were there children crying? Hello?! "Like a kid in a candy store" does not refer to unhappiness! You're getting free candy! We bought a few bags of Belly Flops at the visitor store, among other things and also had lunch at the Jelly Belly Cafe where Megan had a Jelly Belly-shaped cheeseburger. All in all, a neat place.