Less What One Might Want From Green Apple, Gimbal's Jelly Beans Disappoint.

The Good: Taste endures, Environmentally responsible bulk, Economically smart bulking.
The Bad: Slightly waxy taste, More sugary than apple-flavored, Not terribly nutritious.
The Basics: A disappointing flavor of Gimbal's jelly beans, Green Apple is more generically sour than actually the flavor it promises to be.


As I have now begun to find myself eating a whole new (to me) jelly bean company's jelly beans, I am trying to explore the full range of flavors without simply comparing them to Jelly Belly jelly beans. So far, I've only reviewed Gimbal's Perfectly Pear jelly beans (click here for my review!), but today that changes! I've gotten in the Green Apple Gimbal's jelly beans, but that's where the excitement for me ends.

It is worth noting that Green Apple is roughly analogous to the Green Apple Jelly Bellys, though the coloring is slightly different and the taste is vastly different. I do not know if Jelly Belly or Gimbal's came first, but Jelly Belly is certainly better known, at least in Upstate New York. Conversely, Gimbal's jelly beans are less expensive and that is a nice bonus for those bulking up on them with the ten pound box.

Who needs ten pounds of Green Apple flavored Gimbal's jelly beans? No one that I know, even those who want to celebrate green year round. This flavor is not as true-to-life as the Jelly Belly equivalent and that makes it not just a less expensive, but a cheaper, jelly bean. The ten pound box is the ideal way for such people to stock up on these jelly beans, at least from an environmental and economic standpoint.

Basics

Green Apple is a flavor of Gimbal's jelly beans. Gimbal's 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 green apples and they unfortunately fall short. I've also noticed an inordinate number of mutant beans (misshapen) in my box of Green Apple jelly beans.

Green Apple flavored Gimbal's 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 say anyone who thinks they are a leprechaun! The Green Apple flavor is one that is unremarkable and a ten pound case is a year's supply of these jelly beans. Kept properly, the Green Apple jelly beans keep for a year even in this level of bulk.

The Green Apple Gimbal's is easily differentiated from other Gimbal's jelly beans by its translucent green shell. The only similar jelly bean from Gimbal's is Watermelon and that is a much darker green, so even in low lighting Green Apple is distinctive.

Ease Of Preparation

These are jelly beans, not playing "Where's Green Waldo" on Saint Patrick's Day! Preparing them is as easy as opening the box and popping one (or several) into your mouth. 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 nothing inherently wrong with eating them out of the box.

Taste

What initially surprised me most about the box of Green Apple Gimbal's jelly beans was how opening the box did not yield a strong scent. Instead, these beans smell very neutral, not at all fruity like one might hope with this quantity of fruit-flavored jelly beans.

On the tongue, Green Apple is waxy, without any real flavor, which left me initially disappointed. My disappointment only grew when I bit into the jelly bean. Gimbal's Green Apple jelly beans are instantly sour on the tongue and it is more a citrus taste than an apple one. Sadly, it is only when the aftertaste creeps onto the tongue that a vague hint of actual apple flavor is revealed. It comes out with a sweet flavor as well, so the aftertaste is more like apple pie than just green apple. But the primary taste is just slightly tart in a generic way that is likely to disappoint fans of green apples.

Sadly, the taste of this jelly bean is consistent. Unlike some which fade to generic sugary, the Gimbal's Green Apple is consistently waxy, sour and aftertaste of apple pie. They do not get better or worse when eaten in bulk.

Nutrition

Again, these are jelly beans, so anyone looking to them for nutrition is bound to be disappointed. Jelly beans, even Gimbal's 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-seven beans. This means that in a single serving, there are 140 calories, which is 12% of your daily recommended intake.

The thing is, Gimbal's 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! They have only zero percent of the daily sodium with 10 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. As well, these candies were not produced on machines with peanuts or other nuts and they are egg, trans fat, dairy and egg free!

Green Apple Gimbal's jelly beans do not have any of the vitamin nutrients of actual apples.

Storage/Clean-up

Gimbal's jelly beans have a shelf life of approximately one year and I have yet to run across a stale Gimbal's (though arguably that is because of my lack of experience with them). 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 lukewarm environment. Storing them in hot places or in an intimate location is likely to make the beans stick together and become gross. Kept in a cool, dry place, the beans retain their flavor perfectly.

As for cleanup, unless one allows the Gimbal's 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 (always wash your hands before eating Gimbal's jelly beans; that's just common sense). I have never had Green Apple Gimbal's jelly beans stain anything.

Overall

While Gimbal's Green Apple jelly beans are more affordable than Jelly Belly's comparable flavor, the apple flavor is not nearly as impressive or true, making it easy to pass by.

For other candy reviewed by me, please check out:
Hershey's Kisses Irish Creme
Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark
Peach Bellini Jelly Belly

3/10

For other candy and food reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!

© 2010 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.

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