Thread by @BusinessInsider

An #Easter basket is incomplete without Peeps. How are these marshmallow blobs made?

We visited Just Born's Pennsylvania factory to see how @PEEPSBrand's iconic treats come to life. 👇

Peeps are a household name.

People use them nationwide to make dioramas, participate in the "100 Peeps challenge," and even pop them in the microwave to see if they'll explode.

Easter accounts for 70% of Peeps' annual sales.

But Peeps fell into the Just Born company's lap sort of by accident.
businessinsider.com/how-55-million…

Sam Born founded Just Born in 1923. He created the technology to make sprinkles and invented a machine that inserted the sticks into lollipops.

He went on to buy the Rodda Candy Company, which was making Peeps by hand in a back room.

Just Born decided to ramp up production of Peeps. What once took 27 hours to make can now be done in six minutes.

So what's inside a Peep? The four basic ingredients are sugar, corn syrup, gelatin, and air.

"Peeps become Peeps when they get their decorations," the company's brand manager said.

The decorations are made with edible wax and are then squirted on with precision. There are people dedicated to making sure everything looks just right on the treat

In order to keep up with this year's Easter demand, the company had to make a hard choice during last year's production.
businessinsider.com/peeps-hallowee…

The sweet treat has been around for over 60 years, and Just Born thinks there will always be new ways to use Peeps.

In fact, the brand partnered with @Pepsi recently for a limited-edition beverage.

Which Peeps flavor would you try?

We ranked 16 flavors from best to worst here: insider.com/i-reviewed-the…