Grape Jelly Jelly Belly Jelly Beans - 10 lbs bulk
Click to buy directly from Jelly Belly!
Click to buy directly from Jelly Belly!
The Good: Great realistic flavor, Environmentally responsible bulk, Taste does not fade
The Bad: No real nutritional value
The Basics: Perfect, though understated, the Grape Jelly Jelly Belly jelly beans are most economical and environmentally sound in the ten pound bulk box!
There is some irony to the last leg of my cross-country trip from last year, which is bound to become apparent in the next few weeks as I transfer reviews based on the two week adventure. Chief among them, though, would have to be the fact that my wife and I stopped at a Russell Stover Outlet on our return trip home and there . . . she picked me up a load of Jelly Belly Jelly Beans so I'd be able to near completing the reviews of them! I have reviewed all fifty flavors and she was so excited to pick me up one of the last flavors I needed to try that it seemed silly to me, the glee with which she presented me the gift. But at one of America's foremost chocolatiers, she picked me up a box of Grape Jelly Jelly Belly jelly beans!
For those who might never have had Jelly Belly jelly beans, these are easily the best jelly beans on the planet, packing a lot of flavor into a very small size. Unlike most jelly beans which are only vaguely flavored and are more based on colors, Jelly Belly jelly beans have a wide variety of actual flavors, like dark chocolate, wild blackberry, Grape Crush, or their signature flavor Buttered Popcorn.
Who needs ten pounds of Grape Jelly flavored Jelly Bellys? I suppose anyone who likes that much Grape Jelly, but doesn't want to have to spread it or does not like bread. Anyone who likes Grape Jelly taste, but for some reason believes jelly beans would be a better way to get the taste than sitting down with a jar of jelly and a spoon. I suppose those who like a more firm texture than jelly offers might go wild for ten pounds of Grape Jelly Jelly Bellys. Anyone who might like Grape Jelly Jelly Belly jelly beans will likely find that this is the best way to get them in bulk in an environmentally responsible way for the least amount of money.
Basics
Grape Jelly is a flavor of Jelly Belly jelly beans. Jelly Belly jelly beans are approximately one half inch long by one quarter inch wide and they are roughly bean-shaped. These little candies are marketed to taste precisely like Grape Jelly and they live up to that exceptionally well.
Grape Jelly flavored Jelly Bellys are available in a wide array of quantities, but the largest quantity available is the ten pound bulk case. This is a decent-sized box with a plastic lining and while some might wonder why anyone would need a ten pound box, I ask, "Have you ever had government surplus grape jelly? Don't you think this is better?" I suspect that for most people, a ten pound case is a year's supply of these jelly beans.
Grape Jelly flavored Jelly Bellys are remarkably easy to recognize and distinguish from other Jelly Bellys, as they are an opaque dark purple. This easily distinguishes them from Plum (light opaque lilac color), Island Punch (light opaque purple) and any of the dark brown Jelly Bellys.
Ease of Preparation
These are jelly beans, not making a thousand peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in under an hour. In the case of the ten pound box, one might want to put them in a candy dish of some form as opposed to always going into the box. Then again, there is no law against eating them right from the box, even if some might consider it unsanitary. Eat them freely from the box (or jar them up for an authentic grape jelly experience)!
Taste
Grape Jelly Jelly Bellys have no real scent, so it is only by putting them on one's tongue that they reveal their flavor. Grape Jelly is aptly titled, as they taste incredibly realistic of grape jelly. The thing about this Jelly Belly is that its taste comes in two waves. The first taste, from the shell, is quite precisely that of grape. This is the manufactured, processed grape taste that most of us are used to from anything flavored like grape.
But the inside of the jelly bean is the more accurate taste of grape jelly. The taste is sweeter, more processed and as one swallows, the taste is exactly like that of grape jelly. The drip, if you will, is exactly like the flavor it claims to be, so if one has a few in their mouth at a time, they may make the taste endure by swallowing one early and the combination of flavors will tantalize the taste buds. This is a Jelly Belly whose taste does not fade in any appreciable way, making it an ideal one to stock up on.
Nutrition
Again, these are jelly beans, so anyone looking to them for nutrition needs to understand they are based upon a sugary spread, so they're not going to be terribly nutritious! Jelly beans, even Jelly Belly jelly beans, are not a legitimate source of nutrition. These are a snack food, a dessert, and are in no way an adequate substitute for a real meal. A serving is listed at thirty-five beans, with each Jelly Belly jelly bean having approximately four calories. This means that in a single serving, there are 140 calories, which is 12% of your daily recommended intake.
The thing is, Jelly Belly jelly beans are not as bad as they could be in the nutrition area. They have no fat and no protein, but for those who have ever dated a Vegan, these are Vegan compliant because they contain no gelatin! However, as I was recently contacted by the fine folks at Jelly Belly, they have had some concerned Vegans write to them about how the wax in the coating does not make these Vegan compliant. I suppose it depends on just how strict a Vegan your Vegan is, if this matters at all. Generally, they are animal free! Jelly Belly jelly beans have only one percent of the daily sodium with 15 mg and they are gluten free! The main ingredients are sugar, corn syrup and modified food starch, so it's not like this is an all-natural food, but they could be far, far worse.
Storage/Clean-up
Jelly Belly jelly beans have a shelf life of approximately one year and I have yet to run across a stale Jelly Belly (though that could have something to do with a package never surviving a year around me and this flavor doesn't even last six months usually). They remain freshest when they are kept in an airtight container (the bag in the bulk box is sufficient if it is kept closed) and they ought to be kept in a cool environment. Storing them in hot places is likely to make the beans stick together and be gross. Kept in a cool, dry place, the beans retain their flavor perfectly.
As for cleanup, unless one allows the Jelly Belly to get hot to the point that the waxy coating on the bean melts, the dyes on these do not bleed or denature, so there is usually no cleanup necessary, not even washing one's hands after eating them (fortunately, these are not sticky like actual grape jelly!). I've never had Grape Jelly Jelly Bellys stain anything.
Overall
Once again, Jelly Belly produces a perfect jelly bean that is perfect for stocking up on with Grape Jelly Jelly Bellys. This is a flavor that quite simply lives up to its promise as a confection, making it an ideal bean.
For other flavors of Jelly Bellys, please check out my reviews of:
Peanut Butter
Buttered Popcorn
Jalapeno
9.5/10
For other food reviews, please visit my index page for an organized listing by clicking here!
© 2010, 2009 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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