A is for Atomic FireBalls

National Candy Month, day 3.

Atomic FireBall's are made by the Ferrara Pan Candy Company based in Chicago and Forest Park, Illinois. (Along with Atomic FireBalls, they make Lemonheads, Boston Baked Beans, Red Hots, and Black Forest Gummies)

Atomic FireBalls are a round jawbreaker type candy, red on the outside with white layers of hard candy on the inside, and they are spicy hot!

In 1954, Nello Ferrara, son of Salvatore Ferrara, created the famous Atomic FireBall. Nello came up with the idea to make a spicy candy and the company began production. They did not foresee the instant popularity of the Atomic FireBall.  At the time of the candy's introduction to the candy industry, they were only able to produce 200 cases per day, but found that within three weeks of sending samples to candy brokers, orders were rolling in at the rate of 50,000 cases per day. (Astounding!)

The Atomic FireBall was developed using the hot panned candy process. The process involves building candy pieces from single grains of sugar and tossing them into revolving pans while adding flavor, color and other candy ingredients. This process continues until the pieces become the desired size. The entire process takes two weeks to complete. Go to ferrarapan.com to view a video tutorial of how the Atomic FireBall is made.

The Atomic FireBall has remained "sizzling hot", (both figuratively and literally) since 1954. An estimated 15 million fireballs are consumed per week by people all over the world.

Watch this You Tube video to get a recipe for making pickled beets using Atomic FireBalls. (My husband would love these, he's a beet freak!)

Source: ferrarapan.com
Image: sweetfactory.com