Squirrel Nut Caramel facts for kids
Squirrel Nut Zipper candies
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| Type | Caramel candy |
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| Place of origin | United States |
| Created by | Austin T. Merrill Company |
| Invented | 1890 |
| Main ingredients | Corn syrup, sugar, peanuts, condensed milk, chocolate, partially hydrogenated soybean and/or cottonseed oil, natural & artificial flavor, salt, and soy lecithin |
Squirrel Nut Caramels and Squirrel Nut Zippers were popular chewy candies. These treats were made from caramel mixed with peanuts. The chocolate version was known as Squirrel Nut Caramels. The vanilla version was called Squirrel Nut Zippers.
Contents
What Are Squirrel Nut Candies?
Squirrel Nut Caramels were the first flavor of these candies. They had a rich chocolate taste. The main ingredients included corn syrup, sugar, peanuts, and chocolate. They also contained condensed milk and a little salt.
Vanilla Nut Zippers
Squirrel Nut Zippers were the vanilla-flavored version. They were created in the mid-1920s. These candies were made to go along with the chocolate caramels.
Candy Texture and Fun Facts
Squirrel Nut Zippers were small and soft. They were very chewy when fresh. If they got hard, warming them up made them soft again. A music band called Squirrel Nut Zippers shared the same name. Sometimes, the band would even hand out these candies at their shows!
The Story of the Manufacturer
The Austin T. Merrill Company first made Squirrel Nut Caramels. This happened in Roxbury, Massachusetts, in 1890. The company soon changed its name to Squirrel Brand Company.
Moving the Factory
In 1903, the Squirrel Brand Company moved to North Carolina. Then, in 1915, it moved its factory again. The new factory was in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It stayed there for many years, until 1999.
New Owners and Locations
In 1999, the company was sold. The nut-processing part of the business moved to McKinney, Texas. However, the candy brand came back to Massachusetts in 2004. The Necco company started making Squirrel Nut candies. Necco continued making them until 2018, when they stopped their operations.
A Park for the Candy
The old factory building in Cambridge was changed in 2003. It became apartments for people to live in. Next to the old factory, there is now a public park. It is called Squirrel Brand Park, named after the famous candies!
