Gibraltar rock (candy) facts for kids
| Alternative names | Gibraltars |
|---|---|
| Type | Confectionery |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Region or state | Salem, Massachusetts |
| Main ingredients | Sugar, water, flavoring (vanilla, peppermint, cloves, or lemon) |
Gibraltar rock, also called Gibraltars or Salem Gibralter, is a very old type of candy. It comes from Salem, Massachusetts in the United States. This candy was the first one ever sold commercially in the U.S. It's still being made and sold today!
How This Candy Started
The Salem Gibraltar candy was first made in 1806. It was created by the Spencer family. They had just moved to northern Salem, Massachusetts, from England.
A shipwreck left the Spencer family with nothing. Their neighbors helped them by donating supplies. One neighbor gave them a barrel of sugar. This was perfect because Mrs. Spencer was a confectioner, meaning she made candies.
She started selling her hard candy herself. She sold lemon or peppermint flavored pieces. At first, she sold them on the steps of the First Church. The candies became so popular that she could buy a horse and wagon. This let her sell them to towns nearby.
A Famous Writer's Note
Nathaniel Hawthorne, a famous writer from Salem, wrote about the candy. In 1947, a cookbook mentioned his notes. He wrote that an Englishman named Spencer made the candy around 1822. His mother sold them from a wagon. They cost "a silver penny apiece" or "four pence, half penny for seven."
Hard candy stays good for a very long time if it's kept dry. Because of this, ship captains could carry the candy. They took it to ports all over the world to sell.
After Mrs. Spencer passed away, the business stayed in her family. But in the 1830s, it was sold to John William Pepper.
What's Inside?
Today, a place called Ye Olde Pepper Companie still sells these candies. They say they use the original recipe. Their "Gibralters" are made with sugar, water, cream of tartar, cornstarch, and lemon oil.
The candies are cut into a diamond shape. Each side is about 1½ inches long. A cookbook from 1947 shared a recipe for the candy. It used sugar, water, vinegar, and flavorings like vanilla, peppermint, or cloves. The mixture was boiled until hard. Then, it was pulled like taffy. After a few days, it would become "soft and creamy."
Famous Mentions
In 1893, a book about Salem called Gibraltars "two Salem institutions." It said the Gibraltar candy was "white and delicate." It was flavored with lemon or peppermint. The book described it as "soft as cream" at first. But it could become "stony and so unutterably flinty-hearted."
The book also said that young people liked the lemon flavor best. Older people preferred the peppermint flavor. It quoted an old Salem woman who said, "I know I must be growing old, because a peppermint Gibraltar is so comforting to me."
Gibraltar candies are also mentioned in Nathaniel Hawthorne's book, The House of the Seven Gables. This novel was published in 1851. In the story, a character named Hepzibah Pyncheon runs a small shop. Her shop had "a glass pickle-jar, filled with fragments of Gibraltar rock." These were "bits of delectable candy, neatly done up in white paper."
Hawthorne's story "The Old Apple-Dealer" also mentions the candy. It calls it "that delectable condiment, known by children as Gibraltar rock."
