Inside the factory where Peeps are made
Love them or hate them, those marshmallow Peeps that come in blindingly bright colors and an array of flavors are inescapable around the Easter holiday.
Millions are made daily in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, by Just Born Quality Confections, a family-owned candy manufacturer that also churns out Hot Tamales, Mike and Ike fruit chews and Goldenberg's Peanut Chews.
Peeps is Just Born's most recognizable brand and one of a handful of candies that evoke strong reactions — good and bad. Some say an Easter basket isn't complete without Peeps while others deride them as being indestructible. Some use them in recipes or even artwork.
'Even if you're not usually one to gravitate to eating the Peeps, there's always so many other fun ways to include them in your celebrations,' said Caitlin Servian, brand manager for Peeps.
1 of 16
Peeps marshmallow treats move through the manufacturing process at the Just Born factory in Bethlehem, Pa., Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
How many Peeps are made each year?
On average, about 5.5 million are made each day.
That adds up to 2 billion a year — or roughly 6 Peeps for every man, woman and child across the U.S.
How many different varieties and colors are there?
First hatched in yellow, the sugary chicks and bunnies come in nine colors for this Easter season, including pink, blue and lavender. And there are even more flavors — 14 for Easter — from cookies and cream, to fruit punch and sour watermelon. The varieties and colors vary throughout the year with different holiday seasons.
How long does it take to make a Peep?
Before the early 1950s, making the candies by hand took 27 hours.
Bob Born, who became known as the 'Father of Peeps,' came up with a way to speed up the process. He and a company engineer designed a machine to make them in less than six minutes. The same process is used today.
How are they made?
The main ingredients — sugar, corn syrup and gelatin — are cooked and combined to create marshmallows, which are then shaped and sent through a 'sugar shower.'
A whopping 400 pounds of sugar is used per batch for Peeps' colored sugars.
Freshly made Peeps — each chick weighs one-third of an ounce — then move along a conveyor so that they can cool before being packaged.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Refinery29
an hour ago
- Refinery29
In Materialists, Dakota Johnson Wears A Working Girl -Inspired Uniform, Proenza Schouler Gown & Dôen Florals
Spoilers for Materialists ahead. Toward the end of Materialists, Celine Song's exploration of the contradictions of dating and modern love, pragmatic professional matchmaker Lucy (Dakota Johnson) reaches an epiphany. 'When you love someone, it'll be easy,' she says. 'There's no math.' Until then, Lucy relied on a quantitative approach in determining matches for her clients — and herself. Her data-driven methodology also comes through in her professional aesthetic, full of straight lines and formulas of solid neutrals, as crafted by costume designer Katina Danabassis. But, as Lucy allows love into the equation, her wardrobe begins to bloom, sometimes literally with florals. Lucy's chic, straightforward lineup of suit separates and classic, fine-knit cardigans is partially informed by Song's own experience working as a matchmaker in New York City — a fun fact that adds depth to the character's style. 'It was important to convey that [Lucy] wasn't stealing anyone's shine when it came to her clients. It has to be professional, and appeal to a high-end clientele,' Danabassis, who led costume design for Song's last (and very different) love-triangle film, Past Lives. 'When you're millionaire matchmaking, you have to look the part. But also not come across as someone who's necessarily available.' Lucy eventually allows herself to be available when confronted with two options: the seemingly-perfect financier Harry (Pedro Pascal) and her ex-boyfriend John (Chris Evans), a struggling actor who still lives with roommates. Ahead, Danabassis takes us through how Lucy's love story unfolds through her wardrobe. Always focused, Lucy targets new clients as she commutes to work — and her outfits support the pitch. In the opening scenes, she confidently strides in a strong-shouldered Aritzia blazer and knee-high Paris Texas boots, nearly causing finance bro Robert (Eddie Cahill) to have whiplash as he walks in the opposite direction. 'I was really interested in the idea of putting her in a power suit,' says Danabassis. 'Not only because it's a little bit fresh, but also it seems to be something of a bygone era.' Reflecting a NYC, always-on-the-move sense of dressing, the costume designer teamed the navy pinstripe blazer with a black, wide-striped mini skirt from a Versace suit and a white satin Banana Republic blouse. 'It just felt very New York; timeless, but powerful, modern, but throwback — and iconic,' says Danabassis, referencing a standout memory of a woman in a skirt suit and Dries van Noten-esque thigh-high boots strutting across Bowery Street in Manhattan. Danabassis also dropped in an Easter egg.'It's also a nod to Working Girl,' she says, referring to the 1988 classic starring Johnson's mom, Melanie Griffith, whose character famously wore sneakers with skirt suits to the office. Lucy's Blue Gown Lucy's a top performer at work — with nine marriages to her credit. She's even invited to the latest nuptials of two high-net-worth (and high-maintenance) individuals. Lucy opts for a strapless, draped Proenza Schouler dress in a striking peacock blue that attracts the eye of the viewer and Harry, the rich, swoon-worthy brother of the groom. 'We need something that pops. But simultaneously, it shouldn't be something that's going to steal any shine from the bride,' says Danabassis of her thinking, which led to the pairing of the 'origami-style dress' with silver Bottega Veneta heels. 'Also, the dress is not too fussy. In reality, yes, it was a fussy dress. We had to make sure that it was tied perfectly [at the back]. But it was really simple. Like, you can function in it.' Lucy multitasks like a pro: crisis managing the bride's cold feet, charming potential new clients, and slipping out of the opulent ballroom to reconnect with John, a cater-waiter at the reception. She also agrees to a steamy dance with Harry, in exchange for him agreeing to call her agency. 'It's a work function, basically. She's there to support, but not be a wallflower entirely,' says Danabassis. 'Because she's still a woman in New York and doing her thing.' Lucy's Date-Night Looks She ultimately agrees to consider Harry — 'a unicorn, an impossible fantasy,' as Lucy describes him — as a prospect for herself, and not her loyal clients. Over a series of dinner dates (where they strategically assess each other through their methodical view of relationships), Lucy wears refined, uncomplicated pieces, like a dark St. John blazer over a Leset tank and a strappy black halter dress from Laundry by Shelly Segal. 'She's appealing to his sensibilities, which is just classic, chic, upscale, and a little bit minimal,' says Danabassis. When a previously skeptical Lucy agrees to go all-in with Harry, she elevates her signature black monochrome with a sheer Simkhai top, layered over an Only Hearts bra, and a vintage double-breasted blazer. Her knee-length Another Tomorrow skirt, with dynamic tasseled fringe (a more fun take on the business-like skirt she wears earlier in the film), takes on a life of its own as she and Harry do a dance of sorts through the hallways of his sprawling $12 million Tribeca penthouse. 'We theorized that it should [evolve from] her not trying too, too hard to ramping up to, 'Okay, I'm gonna do a little bit more here.' But keep it very New York, chic, [and] clean,' says Danabassis. 'That black outfit popped against the warmth of his apartment, and the Gucci shoes were amazing because of the shine and the metallic chain at the back.' Lucy's Flashback Florals A flashback reveals Lucy and John's emotional breakup, occurring when they were both cash-strapped actors but chasing divergent goals and lifestyles. Lucy's delicately ruffled floral Dôen top, Nili Lotan straight-leg jeans, and Loeffler Randall mules feel sentimental and hopeful. 'It's that cute look that you put together for going out for your anniversary,' says Danabassis. 'That's not trying too hard or trying to match the same level as the guy. It's really just her.' Lucy also wears a sweet, thrift-store-bought heart necklace that reflects a differing mindset from her present-day sleek Spinelli Kilcollin rolo chain that telegraphs geometry. 'When she's dating Harry, she's in this city mode,' says Danabassis. 'When it's John, it's more naturalistic, grounded, floral, and ethereal.' Lucy's "Reveal" Outfit John finally lands a role in an off-off-Broadway play and invites Lucy, who brings her now-boyfriend Harry. Her outfit — a long '90s-style black leather jacket by Coach, white MNG cami, and Zara high-waisted, wide-leg jeans — fits the venue and post-show dive bar drinks. 'She knows what world she's entering into, like a dingy Brooklyn playhouse thing. But Harry doesn't know where he's going. So he wears his 'Oh, this is my country blazer,'' says Danabassis, about Harry's 'fit: a tweedy Ralph Lauren jacket, caramel-brown Zegna button-down, Hermès dark jeans, and Bottega Veneta oxfords. But the casual-cool ensemble also feels like a slight reveal of her long-suppressed feelings for John — and harbinger of an impending divide with Harry. Lucy's Wedding-Crasher Dress A traumatic event pushes Lucy to accept and follow her feelings, instead of crunching the numbers. She shows up on John's doorstep with luggage packed for a now-canceled Iceland jaunt with Harry. Lucy and John then take a spontaneous drive upstate to crash a rustic wedding. Luckily, John keeps a cater-waiter suit in the trunk of his beat-up car. Lucy presumably plucks a floaty, buttercream yellow Dôen dress out of her suitcase and doesn't change out of her black Nike sneakers. Although the dress — with a curved empire waistline, watercolor florals, fluttery ruffles, and floral appliqués — evokes country wedding more than the luxury vacation she was on her way to take. 'I mean, sure, she could have packed that for Iceland. Like, [Lucy and Harry] were going on a date somewhere, and she's trying to do her special thing and get more in tune with herself. That's the idea there,' explains Danabassis. 'Really, it's just a romantic dress that hits the hidden theme of flowers as a symbol of love that was carried throughout the movie.' Kind of like completing a complex math calculation by maintaining all the variables along the way.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Elizabeth Hurley poses nude for 60th birthday, celebrates 'love' with Billy Ray Cyrus
Elizabeth Hurley is marking her 60th birthday by professing her 'love' for new boyfriend Billy Ray Cyrus and celebrating the milestone occasion in her birthday suit. 'Happy birthday to me! This year has already been a wild ride,' Hurley wrote alongside a nude photo of herself on Instagram. She went on to namecheck her longstanding business partnership with beauty brand Estée Lauder, the 20th anniversary of her eponymous swimwear company, and being 'in love' with Cyrus, whom she went public with back in April. 'Feeling very blessed and grateful for having the best friends & family in the world,' Hurley continued, adding that the snap was 'taken this afternoon… in my birthday suit.' In the photo, Hurley beamed happily as she was captured sitting in a sun-drenched grassy field with her legs crossed. Cyrus shared a photo of himself cuddling Hurley and called the actress 'the love of my life.' Meanwhile, Hurley's celeb pals and fans also took an opportunity to wish her a happy birthday. Her son, Damien, commented on her post 'Hahahah I LOVE YOU ♥️♥️♥️ happy birthday mama xxx.' Actress Patsy Kensit called Hurley 'the most beautiful kind human being' and said she was happy to see her friend finding joy again with her 'true love Billy, who is so fabulous.' America's Got Talent judge Heidi Klum called Hurley 'beautiful, smart and funny' as she shared her best wishes. 'I have never seen a more gorgeous 60-year-old,' one fan praised, while another added, 'Birthday suit suits you.' A third commenter wrote, 'Amazing woman. Amazing face. Amazing body. You spread positivity. Happy Birthday.' Hurley's birthday revelation comes after she debuted her new romance with Cyrus in April. After going Instagram official over Easter, the new couple shared a pair of loved-up images on social media, showing their infatuation with one another is real. Hurley, who met Cyrus while filming the 2022 holiday movie Christmas in Paradise, shared the snaps to her Instagram, captioning the head-over-heels photos: 'Tennessee weekend.' 'Liz spent a beautiful couple of weeks in Tennessee with Billy Ray,' a source told PEOPLE. 'She loved being surrounded by nature in a more laid-back environment. She had a great time with Billy Ray.' Cyrus and Hurley 'appreciate each other's love and friendship,' the insider added. 'They have a very special connection.' According to a source speaking to Us Weekly, the Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery star and the Achy Breaky Heart singer, 63, had been dating in secret for about four months before going public. 'Liz's friends have known about it for a while. It's not a new thing,' another insider close to Hurley told the outlet. 'She had sworn them to secrecy, and they didn't tell anyone outside her tight circle.' Another confidante said that after being 'friends for years … it turned romantic recently. Things are going well.' One source told Page Six that the relationship is the real deal. 'This is not a hoax,' a friend spilled to the outlet. 'Liz is not a hoaxy person; she's very sincere, very bright and I think she likes him.' After making their social media debut, the pair walked the red carpet at the Orizzonti/Rosso exhibition in Rome last month. The duo's glam appearance in Italy came as a source told PEOPLE that Hurley 'doesn't care' that fans don't understand her romance with the musician. 'Liz doesn't care that skeptics don't get it. She's focused on the special things that they have in common, like country music,' the insider said. 'She loves his Southern vibes. He's very calm and happy around her.' In an interview with Apple Music's The Ty Bentli Show in April, Cyrus opened up on how the two reconnected after filming Christmas in Paradise together. 'We did very few scenes together but the couple times we were in the same scene there was a chemistry there,' Cyrus told Bentli, according to excerpts of the interview that were published by PEOPLE and Entertainment Tonight. 'We just laughed, and it was at a time I wasn't laughing a lot.' After splitting from his wife Tish, Cyrus went on to marry singer Firerose in 2023. When that relationship ended, Cyrus said that he received a text from Hurley out of the blue. ''Hey, it looks like life might be a little bit tough and just wanted you to know I'm in your corner. You've got a friend in your corner,'' the message read, as told by Cyrus to Bentli. mdaniell@ Elizabeth Hurley and Billy Ray Cyrus cozy up in new IG pics Elizabeth Hurley and older sister sizzle in bikinis Elizabeth Hurley shuts down theory she took Prince Harry's virginity
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
Wait, Did Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce Actually Get Married?
Do you hear wedding bells? Because after Tom Holland and Zendaya's engagement, Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco's engagement, and those Suki Waterhouse and Robert Pattinson marriage rumors, it appears Hollywood does. And after all those Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift engagement rumors, Travis just spilled on his ideal wedding timeline — that's right, it appears our favorite IRL rom-com couple could be thinking about tying the knot! Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce had a blast at Cole Kmet and Emily Jarosz's wedding on June 6, and Cole's event planner Ellie Nottoli showed off some special Easter eggs she incorporated into TayVis' attendance. The couple was assigned to Table 13 at the wedding reception (Taylor's famously lucky number!), but there was one other detail that immediately caught fans' attention: the letter was addressed to "Taylor and Travis Kelce." 'We all know Taylor and Travis were at a different wedding in Tennessee,' Ellie said on Instagram (via ). 'But each guest had an envelope that was adhered to a beautiful backdrop, and Emily wrote love notes to all of her guests.' "As a 2023 bride - we made this joke with a handful of our very close friends who'd been dating for awhile lol (they all took it in good fun)," one Swiftie , while another , "It has a lovely ring to it." A third Swiftie , "Ummmmm Taylor kelce does fit it should be TAYLOR SWIFT AND TRAVIS SWIFT." And one TikTok user that "in a married relationship it'd been written as Travis & Taylor Kelce big difference." The couple hasn't announced an engagement, but they're definitely happy and that's all I need to know! On a new episode of the podcast he hosts with brother Jason, Travis Kelce revealed he would like to avoid an autumn wedding day. And the reason is literally so on brand it makes me laugh. After a listener revealed over the phone that his girlfriend wants to schedule their wedding during football season, Travis admits that "I actually don't know people who've gotten married in the fall." "My friends always do it in the summer," he says. "I've seen weddings everywhere but the fall. So, I'm not sure if the fall is a good wedding season." The weather of an autumn wedding (not to mention the incredible aesthetic of the wedding photos!!) have always made it seem so dreamy. Plus, I've attended more than one summer wedding (some on the beach!) and it can get toasty under the summer sun. Spring then, Travis? Travis' comments come after he responded to rumors that he'd pop the question to girlfriend Taylor Swift. During the June 1 Big Slick Celebrity Weekend's onstage comedy sketch, Ted Lasso star Jason Sudeikis asked Travis about a potential engagement. "Hey Travis, real talk, OK, just the guys here," . "When are you going to make an honest woman out of her?" "Guys," Travis says, "you're really pushing it." It's a pretty kind way to say back off!! I'm excited for whenever Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce tell us they're engaged — should they choose to share at all. Check out the latest news on ! This post has been updated.
