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Jawbreakers are hard candies that are difficult to bite into, so they must be sucked. Ferrara Pan claims to be the original makers, but other candy makers were creating similar candies before. The candy takes two to three weeks to make using a hot-pan process. They come in various flavors and sizes, but larger ones can be a choking hazard and may explode when exposed to high heat.
A jawbreaker, also called a gobstopper or jawbuster, is a type of spherical hard candy that is very difficult to bite into. Instead the jawbreaker is often a favorite with children because it lasts an hour or two and must be sucked to consume the candy. No one has yet invented the delicious everlasting gobstopper that plays a major role in Roald Dahl’s beloved book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. However the average gobstopper can last for a while.
Candy company Ferrara Pan claims to be the original makers of the jawbreaker, usually quite small candies sold in a box in various flavors. There is evidence that other candy makers were also creating jaw-like candies prior to the introduction of Ferrara Pan in the early 20th century. Ferrara Pan is still notable as one of the first to commercially produce jawbones in large quantities.
The secret to the jawbreaker’s long-lasting nature is the way the candy is made. It takes two to three weeks to create a jawbreaker, using what’s called a hot-pan process. Adding individual grains of sugar, one after the other, into large hot rotating containers or “pans” creates the candy. Towards the end of the process, the jawbones are given a colored coating, leaving the inside of the candy white. Some versions have layers of color that make the jawbreaker interesting to eat while still sucking on the candy. The flavor is adding during the panning process. This grain-for-grain process makes for an exceptionally hard candy that doesn’t disintegrate easily.
Although the first jawbreakers were small candies usually about 0.5 inch (1.27 cm) in diameter, interest grew in making larger sizes. Today you can find jaws that barely fit in the mouth, and really probably shouldn’t since they pose a choking hazard. Instead, a large jawbreaker should be held in the hand and sucked on until it is small enough to fit in the mouth. Getting to this size can take several hours or even days.
The jawbreaker comes in various flavors. Some prefer those that have had a large amount of citric acid added to produce a very tart flavor. Atomic Fireballs, developed in 1954 by Ferrara Pan, incorporate the warm flavor of cinnamon into the jaws.
There have recently been some concerns about large jawbreaker candies exploding when exposed to high heat. In 2003, nine-year-old Taquandra Diggs suffered severe burns when she poked a jaw that had been left in the sun. The hosts of the MythBusters TV show wanted to see if the story was accurate, and they baked several jawbones to try and replicate the circumstances of the crash. The rascals exploded and two of the show guests were burned. Given this information, it’s a good idea to keep jawbreakers stored in a cool, dry place away from heat sources.
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