I remember when we gave out Sweethearts in grade school. Well, I am no longer in grade school, but I still enjoy giving and receiving this heart-shaped candy with lovely sayings for Valentines Day. How about you?
I really do love this heart-shaped candy, also known as Conversation Hearts, and very popular in the UK as Love Hearts!
Think about gifting your loved one with some Sweethearts!
Photo Credit: A sweet vintage Sweethearts by Necco candy tin.
Conversation Hearts : I Love You!
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| 8 billion Sweethearts made per year! |
About 250 billion have been made to date!
First sugar, color and other ingredients are mixed together. When the mix feels like dough, it is ready to be made into hearts. Workers pick up the dough and take it to a machine that flattens it.
Another machine stamps a saying like ‘cutie pie’ on it. The same machine also will cut the dough into hearts. The candy drops on a conveyor belt that takes the conversation hearts to a dryer.
Once the candy is dry, it gets mixed in with other colors. Finally, the hearts are boxed and shipped.
Original Equipment is used!
History is still at work in the manufacturing process of conversation hearts. It takes a combination of machines and skilled candy makers to produce conversation hearts. Many of the machines used to make this candy are the original machines or exact replicas.
The History of Conversation Hearts:
Back to the time of Shakespeare? It has been suggested that Queen Gertrude in Shakespeare’s Hamlet might have originated the tradition with her “Sweets to the Sweet.” Offering up sweet candies to her loved one.
The American colonists were known to make candies on which they etched love notes for Valentine’s Day.
Then, along came the New England Confectionary Company, known more popularly as NECCO, who capitalized on the colonists’ idea. In the mid-1800s, NECCO created conversation hearts aka sweethearts.
Sweetheart Sayings: 10 New Sweethearts Sayings At least 10 new conversation heart sayings are introduced each year. Recent additions include "Yeah Right," "Call Home" and "Puppy Love."
That makes well over 100 original sayings in total!
Sold for Limited Time Each Year!
Sweethearts are sold 1/1 - 2/14 The peak selling season for Sweethearts conversation hearts last only six weeks, but confectioners produce the candy for nearly eleven months of the year.
They're available January 1st through February 14th.
Love them??
Do you love this little candies? Can you remember when you first gave or received these? I’d love to hear your memories … let me know!
History: Sweethearts : Valentine Love Hearts was originally created on Squidoo by JaguarJulie on January 10, 2008. Highest lensrank ever achieved: #1,853 overall. Lens #232 in the quest for Giant Squid 300 Club.
