Category Archives: Sour Candy

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year… for Candy Lovers

It’s official, pumpkins are rolling into local stores, haunting attractions are springing up, scary costumes are filling up the shelves, and spider webs are accepted as house decorations. This could only mean one thing; Halloween is just around the corner! Whether this year you’re the one trick-or-treating or the kind neighbor handing out candy, they key ingredient to a spooctacular Halloween is candy. Candy Direct has everything you need to awe your trick-or-treaters and your own taste buds from Jelly Belly Pet Tarantulas to the traditional candy corn. Wondering what little Frankensteins, superheroes, princesses, and mummies love the most? Chocolate is clearly the preferred choice. Of the $1.9 billion sold in Halloween candy each year, $1.2 billion is on chocolate candy alone.  This year, get ready with Candy Direct and their great selection of bite size Snickers, Reese’s, and Milky Ways, oh my! Trick-or-treaters are hungrier than ever for a sugar rush so start getting ready and let us help you get ready for our favorite time of the year.

This Blog is Intern Approved!

Alina Serrano (the newbie)

And the Pucker-Up Award Goes to…

Sour Candy… just reading these two words together can make your mouth water, your lips pucker, and your eyes squint and tear up. Sour candy delivers high intensity flavors to your taste buds that always leave you wanting more. As a kid or maybe even as adults, sour candy not only provides a tingling sensation but it also provides a challenge… how much sour can you handle? As an expert in sour candy and their levels of sourness, a beginner may want to start with Sour Patch Kids or Shock Tarts so that just in case the sour is too much to handle, the sweet aftertaste can mend your scalding tongue. For our intermediates we can move on to extreme sour Smarties or sour Pop Rocks for a little more explosive feeling. Finally, if your tongue and your senses permit it, for your final level you can move on to Warheads or Too Tarts tongue sprayers (use precaution, we don’t want a sour coma). If you think you have what it takes to be sourly invincible visit us at candydirect.com and show us how much sour you can handle!

Bring it on…

This Blog is intern approved!

Alina Serrano (the newbie)

New sizes, prices, and no shipping and handling costs!

Have you ever been shopping for your favorite candy on-line and thought to yourself, “What in the world do I need 5 pounds of candy for?!” You know that when you shop in bulk you save money, but it has never seemed practical to buy 5 pounds of candy for personal or family consumption. Not only is there a good chance that some of it may go bad, but you also have to pay the increased shipping fee, which sometimes can be as expensive as the candy itself!

Well look no further, CandyDirect.com is here for you! At CandyDirect.com we now offer more conveniently sized bulk candy. Your favorite candy is now available in sizes approximately equal to 2.5 pounds! And do you want to know the best part of this promotion from CandyDirect.com? Shipping is included! Can you believe that?! It is like a dream come true! No longer do you need to worry about ordering 5 pounds of bulk candy. You or your family can easily eat 2.5 pounds of your favorite candy!

What’s even more amazing about this promotion from CandyDirect.com is that if you want to try something new and do not want to pay an outrageous amount for it, we have separated the candy by price. That’s right! Candy now available in approximately 2.5 pound bulk bags for under $20, under $30, and under $40! There are even some below $15! This promotion is cleverly called the $20, $30, $40 deal!

Let me say that again so you fully grasp how amazing of a deal this really is: Your favorite bulk candy is now available in more convenient sizes! (Approximately 2.5 pounds) And it is available, with shipping included, conveniently bracketed by price, under $20, under $30, under $40!

This unbelievable deal might not last forever, so make sure to order your favorite candy in bulk, at a reduced price, with shipping included! Unbelievable!

Gimbal’s Sour Lovers Chews

CandyDirect.com is currently running a special on Gimbal’s newest candy creation Sour Lovers Chews, so I decided to give them a try, and boy was I impressed. I am, by nature, a chocolate lover. If given the choice between a chewy or hand candy, and a chocolate bar, I will choose the chocolate bar every single time. But after trying this new sour candy, I can honestly say that I would choose these new Sour Lovers over the majority of chocolate bars.
The package claims, “Intensely Sour and Real Fruit Flavors! Experience the Long-Lasting Mouthwatering Flavor of Sour Lovers. Made with Real Fruit Juice and high in Antioxidant Vitamin C. Absolutely 100% Deliciously Sour!”
For most candies, this description seems too good to be true. The fact is, most candy does not have a “long-lasting mouthwatering flavor,” but that is not so with Sour Lovers. As soon as you bite into this new candy you will have a sour and fruit flavor explosion erupt in your mouth. The external sour sanding and delightfully sour centers are perfectly balanced with the delicious real fruit flavor. You can really tell that this candy was made with real fruit juice and not some chemical flavoring.
Sour Lovers are perfectly sour; not over powering, but not so weak as to be unnoticeable. They come in twelve deliciously sour flavors including Pomegranate, Fuji Apple, Grapefruit, Watermelon, Meyer Lemon, Tangerine, Baja Margarita, Sour Blueberry, Mango, Bing Cherry, Strawberry Daiquiri and Georgia Peach. Each flavor is unique from the others, and equally delicious. I especially love Pomegranate and Sour Blueberry with Baja Margarita and Watermelon coming in right behind as my favorite flavors. Each flavor is fantastically unique and all are sure to please.
This wonderful candy is peanut free, tree nut free, dairy free, egg free, gluten free, transfat free, gelatin free and soy free. So they are perfect for all those special people in your life with dietary restrictions. And since they are in the shape of a heart they are sure to put a smile on your loved ones.
I have consumed a lot of candy in my life, candy of all types, shapes, and sizes, and I can say that I am sold on Gimbal’s new Sour Lovers. I will definitely be eating more of these in my near future. They get my seal of approval.

by Matthew Rogers

To celebrate the launch of Sour Lovers Chews, Gimbal’s and Candy Direct are running a special promotion: For a limited time you can get TWO 11oz bags of new SOUR LOVERS CHEWS -or- 14oz bags of CINAMMON LAVABALLS for just $7! Shipping and handling included!


Jelly Eggs

Regular Jelly Eggs and Sour Jelly Eggs come in four different flavors: Lemon, Orange, Lime, and Cherry. The flavors are not overwhelming, and might even be on the weaker side for those of you who enjoy strong, dominant flavored candy. The flavors, nonetheless, are distinct from each other. My favorites are cherry and lime as I always seem to be drawn toward green and red candy, they also seem to have the most prevalent flavor.

About half the size of my thumb; in my opinion, they are too large to be considered a bite-sized candy and are therefore more difficult to eat than jelly beans or other similar candies which are much smaller. But if you only eat half of the Jelly Egg, the exposed section of the candy is extremely sticky and must be consumed quickly or it will stick to everything it touches, including your hands and all the papers on your desk.

Once consumed, some people prefer to chew them quickly; others prefer to savor the soft, sugary, candy, enjoying the full flavor the candy has to offer. Don’t be fooled, these candies do not have a liquid jelly center, but rather are a soft, chewable candy. I prefer to suck on these candies because I found that when I chew on them they tend to get stuck in my teeth and can be rather difficult to remove.

The Regular Jelly Eggs are lightly sprinkled with sugar crystals, while the Sour Jelly Eggs are sprinkled with sour sugar crystals. I found myself preferring the Sour Jelly Eggs even though I am not particularly inclined towards sour candy, simply because the sour sugar offers more flavor to the candy.

Check out the regular and sour jelly eggs, as well as all your candy needs now at CandyDirect.com

Easter Candy – Something New

Mix it up this Easter with new Ideas

Easter is right around the corner and if you haven’t stocked up on candy then you might find yourself in a tough spot. We all know that there are some popular Easter candies that just seem to run off the shelves themselves leaving us looking puzzled as we try to decide between green marshmallow peep bunnies and regular Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. This year, why not think outside the egg? Colors can be your best friend and with a day like Easter it is easy to think of colors that are appropriate. Spring colors are always a big hit and pastels really give you that Easter look without being overly suggestive of the theme. Some great products in these colors are available all year round so they might be more readily available than most of the themed candy you’re used to seeing, and don’t be afraid to get creative! Think of all the unique candies that you can have to make your Easter celebration delightfully surprising and a hit! Products like Smarties, SweeTarts, Gum Balls, Jordan Almonds, and Laffy Taffy are available all the time with color specific choices. Imagine being the only person on your block to include Gummi Bears and Twinkle Pops in your Easter decorations. Maybe even try a different brand of Jelly Bean, like Gimbal’s Gourmet Jelly Beans, with more than 40 flavors, you’re sure to find your favorites and maybe make some new ones. Plus, if you’re really aching for something more traditional you can always go with Cadbury Creme Eggs, which are available 8 months out of the year. Jump over to Candy Direct and check out the Color section, there’s even a Pastel Colors subcategory where you are sure to find some creative Easter ideas.

Toxic Waste Nuclear Sludge

Was this candy invented by the sewer-dwelling Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles themselves? Is Shredder somewhere on the loose in a candy factory somewhere in America? Toxic Waste Nuclear Sludge is a chewy taffy bar that makes eating a “box of boogers” look safe. I’m a little bit confused about the connection between eating candy and marketing nuclear warfare (there’s a cartoonish, googly-eyed mushroom cloud on the cover resembling the destruction at Hiroshima—and boy, doesn’t that just make you want to chomp down?). But hey, candy is candy, so I ripped open the wrapper of the blue raspberry variety with hopes that this candy would not kill me. It was stretchy and chewy like a taffy should be, but I was a bit ill by the super-sour taste. But if Toxic Waste bars are meant to make you think of highly toxic chemicals in your mouth, they are right on target. This tastes like what I’d imagine sour antifreeze candy to taste like, and it’s the exact color of toilet bowl cleaner. Sour candy fans may get a kick out of this, but it tame enough that you won’t curl up in pain. Try the sour apple and cherry Toxic Waste Nuclear Sludge bars for comparison, but don’t blame me if your body develops a serious chemical imbalance.

Made by Candy Dynamics in Indianapolis, Toxic Waste candy not only puts out sour taffy, but also Sour Dip & Lick Lollipops, Sour Candy Spray and Hazardous Hard Candies. What I do love about this candy is that on the wrapper, there’s a little logo that says, “Toxic Waste Candy sponsors a cleaner planet,” urging you not to litter. Now isn’t that just ironic? The crazy picture of Professor Sauernoggin (makes me think of sauerkraut) on the wrapper is also a hit.

Fascini Sour Snagx

Snag some for yourself, because Fascini Sour Snagx are scrumptious! With four flavors packed into one bite-size, sour snack, this candy has it all. You’ll love these if you like Sour Patch Kids. Inside each rainbow-colored strip is strawberry, apple, tutti frutti, blue raspberry goodness that’s sour, but not in an eye-watering way. The candy has a slight waxy taste to it, though that won’t keep you from pounding ‘em down. Don’t worry—these candies are low in fat and a single serving package has about 200 calories. But their gummy substance does well to fill you up, so you might even throw a bag of these in your pocket or purse to tide you over before dinner. The packaging is a little dull—lots of primary colors, and it reminds me of the old Fruit Stripe Gum commercials that once aired on Saturday morning TV. But the mini fruit-gum characters on the wrapper look like they’re having a good time, so why not join in the fun?

You may not know it, but Fascini is almost 100 years old as a company. Unfortunately, this Netherlands-based family business hasn’t always made candies. Remarkably, they got their start in 1911 making products such as fly catchers and rat poisoning! Their first edible product was licorice, meant to sooth winter colds and sore throats, and soon peppermint candies were added to the line. Sour, sugar-coated gummy candies were next on the market, and the company sold them under its previous brand name, “Candy Castle.” The switch to Fascini took place in 2006, a combination of the founders names (Fassini) and the word fascination. This sends a clear message to consumers that these candies should enthrall and excite. And these candies did just that—I was perplexed and fascinated that a candy I’ve never heard of before and one I’ve never seen on supermarket shelves could taste so good, like an undiscovered gem.

Fizzies Drink Tablets

Alka Seltzer for children? Yes, indeed. Enter Fizzies drink tablets, a candy tablet that is not meant to go in the mouth, but in a 6-ounce cup of water to make a fruity drink mix. The outer packaging of this candy looks enticing. Fizzies come in seven flavors (lemon-lime, root beer, sour apple, orange, blue razz, fruit punch, and cherry) and the animated Fizzard the Wizard character adorns the colorful wrappers. Fizzard casts spells like “balla bo berry, turn to cherry” and “floo fly florange, turn to orange!” And his spells most certainly work—when placed in water, the tablets turn a regular glass of water vibrant colors, adding a dose of flavor and fun for kids who are more interested in eating candy than drinking their recommended dosage of water.

Once the kids taste this water, however, they are likely to spit it out. Though the effervescent tablets are advertised as a good source of vitamin C (equaling 100 percent of your recommended daily value), kids may not be fooled into gulping this stuff down. It doesn’t taste as sweet and fruity as Kool-aid, nor does it taste like a soft drink. The end result is actually closer to watered-down medicine. The orange isn’t bad though, and reminded me of Airborne, the anti-cold medicine. On the plus side, these are calorie free and should make moms happy. The hands-down best part about this candy is watching it dissolve and turn your water colors. Different colored tablets can be combined to create new colors and flavors, which adds an element of learning to the mix.

If you recall, Fizzies first became popular in the 1950’s and 60’s, so parents seeking a nostalgic treat may need to snag one of these tablets just to recall the unique drink-making experience. Fizzies are manufactured today by Las Vegas company Amerilab Technologies, who also create Drinkin’ Mate, a special effervescent tablet meant to relieve hangovers. Who knew?

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Jolly Rancher Double Blasts

Jolly Rancher has gone wild with these new two-in-one candies, Double Blasts. The outside is still a hard candy shell (shaped like a small barrel), but the inside contains a blast of candy powder in a different flavor from the original. They call it “flavor-infused powder filled candy” and that’s exactly what it is. Don’t expect these to last as long as traditional Jolly Ranchers—the inner powder starts seeping out in under a minute, filling you with a complementary fruit flavor. Chorange (cherry-orange) is quite tasty, as are Raspilime (blue raspberry and lime), Strawapple and Mangolemin (take a guess on the contents of the last two). Though, you should be prepared for the lime and lemon to make your face contort a bit at the true-to-life flavor. These powders aren’t too sour tasting—just bold and packed with fruit flavor. Kids and fun-loving adults will flock to Double Blasts for the new candy experience, and because they already love and trust the Jolly Rancher name.

Started in 1949 by Colorado residents Bill and Dorothy Harmsen, the Jolly Rancher Company originally made ice cream in addition to their chocolates hard candies. Realizing their hard candies were growing in popularity at a much faster rate than their other products, they focused on these alone while growing their business. Jolly Rancher changed hands in 1966 to Beatrice Foods, in 1983 to Leaf Candy Company, and then again in 1996 to Hershey’s. The hard candies haven’t changed all that much from their original rectangular prism shape and traditional packaging until new varieties were introduced in the last decade, like Jolly Rancher Sourbolt Blasts and Double Blasts. The packaging of the Jolly Rancher Double Blasts is bright and exciting—plenty to pique your curiosity and make you pull a bag off the shelves. This is so worth trying, so don’t wait too long to snag a bag.

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