Marshmallow Peeps have been an Easter tradition in the United States for over 50 years. (AP Photo/Rick Smith)

Without Peeps, It’s Not an Easter Basket

“Peeps” are still a well-loved part of an Easter basket. 

“In my basket I got a package of yellow ‘Peeps’,” said one ten year old. 

“I got two rows of ‘Peeps’ in my basket, and they were purple!” said the other ten year old.

Marshmallow treats are a 50-year-old tradition

“Marshmallow Peeps” have been an Easter tradition for decades and this year fans can enjoy pink chicks inside a crispy milk chocolate egg.

The “Peeps” brand has grown since it began over 50 years ago.  Mr. Sam Born from Russia came to the U.S. and opened a chocolate shop. Later he opened a candy factory with the help of his family.

The company was called “Just Born” and in 1953 it bought a company that made marshmallow chicks.  Mr. Born thought the chicks were exciting.  The workers made the chicks by hand, squeezing the marshmallow out of a pastry tube into the chick shape.

Now kids can get more than just chicks but also marshmallow pumpkins, Christmas trees, snowmen and bunnies of all colors.  On the Web site www.marshmallowpeeps.com you can see how they are made and learn more about their history.

Peeps get their color from colored sugar

Peeps start out as gooey marshmallow and then machines whip it.   They get their great color from colored sugar that is mixed in large pans.  The workers no longer shape the Peeps by hand.  The company invented a machine that squeezes the whipped marshmallow onto moving conveyor belts. 

“What makes them great is the sugar on the outside,” says Paul Timm, 10. 

Peeps get that sugar two ways.  First they are squeezed onto the belt covered with sugar.  And then they go through a wind tunnel that blows the colorful sugar all around each shape.

Peeps come in plastic to keep them fresh.  If you leave them uncovered they will no longer be soft and will not taste as fresh.  But some people like them a little stale. 

One child put his “Peep” in the microwave to see if it would taste good when warm.  It did puff up, but it quickly became too hard to eat.  

Each “Peeps” chick has 32 calories and 0 grams of fat.  People who buy them for children today, likely remember eating “Peeps” when they were kids. 

“Peeps” has become an Easter tradition, along with chocolate bunnies and dying eggs, even for non-Christians. 

Marshmallow Peeps have been an Easter tradition in the United States for over 50 years. (AP Photo/Rick Smith)