Since 1953, Peeps, the most popular non-chocolate Easter candy, have been manufactured in Bethlehem by Just Born.<\/p>\n
Love them or hate them, those marshmallow Peeps that come in blindingly\u00a0bright colors and an array of flavors<\/a>\u00a0are inescapable around the Easter holiday.<\/p>\n Millions are made daily in Bethlehem by Just Born Quality Confections, a family-owned candy manufacturer that also churns out Hot Tamales, Mike and Ike fruit chews and Goldenberg\u2019s Peanut Chews.<\/p>\n Peeps is Just Born\u2019s most recognizable brand and one of a handful of candies that\u00a0evoke strong reactions<\/a>\u2014good and bad. Some say an Easter basket isn\u2019t complete without Peeps while others deride them as being indestructible. Some use them in recipes or even artwork.<\/p>\n \u201cEven if you\u2019re not usually one to gravitate to eating the Peeps, there\u2019s always so many other fun ways to include them in your celebrations,\u201d said Caitlin Servian, brand manager for Peeps.<\/p>\n How many Peeps are made each year?<\/p>\n On average, about 5.5 million are made each day.<\/p>\n That adds up to 2 billion a year\u2014or roughly 6 Peeps for every man, woman and child across the US.<\/p>\n To put it another way, the amount of Peeps produced each year could circle the earth twice.<\/p>\n How many different varieties and colors are there?<\/p>\n First hatched in yellow, the sugary chicks and bunnies come in nine colors for this Easter season<\/a>, including pink, blue and lavender. And there are even more flavors\u201414 for Easter\u2014from a Harry Potter-themed butterbeer, to chili lime mango, to Dr. Pepper, and sour watermelon. The varieties and colors vary throughout the year with different holiday seasons.<\/p>\n The Easter offerings also include Peeps jelly beans, Peeps pops, and S\u2019mores graham cracker-flavored marshmallow chicks.<\/p>\n How long does it take to make a Peep?<\/p>\n Before the early 1950s, making the candies by hand took 27 hours.<\/p>\n