1258: "The History of Peeps!"

Interesting Things with JC #1258: "The History of Peeps!" – They’re soft, sweet, and seemingly simple, but beneath the sugar lies a story of postwar innovation, seasonal tradition, and quiet cultural dominance.

• Curriculum

  Episode Anchor

  Episode Title: "Peeps!"
  Episode Number: #1258
  Host: JC
  Audience: Grades 9–12, college intro, homeschool, lifelong learners
  Subject Area: Industrial History, STEM (Engineering & Manufacturing), Cultural Studies

  Lesson Overview

  Students will:

  • Define the process of marshmallow candy production, including historical and modern methods.

  • Compare the handmade and automated manufacturing of Peeps.

  • Analyze the cultural significance and societal impact of Peeps as a seasonal product.

  • Explain how innovation in manufacturing changed the scalability and cultural role of a simple product.

  Key Vocabulary

  • Automation (/aw-tuh-MAY-shun/) — The use of machines and technology to make processes faster and more efficient. Bob Born automated Peep production to reduce time from 27 hours to 6 minutes.

  • Silhouette (/sil-oo-ET/) — The outline or general shape of something. Peeps were redesigned with a simpler silhouette for easier mass production.

  • Marshmallow (/MARSH-mel-oh/) — A soft, chewy candy made from sugar, corn syrup, gelatin, and air.

  • Diorama (/die-oh-RAH-muh/) — A three-dimensional model representing a scene. Peeps have been used in dioramas for art contests.

  • Cultural Footprint (/KUHL-chuh-ruhl FOOT-print/) — The lasting impact or influence a product or tradition has on society and culture.

  Narrative Core

  • Open: The episode opens by evoking the nostalgic image of yellow marshmallow chicks that quietly appear in spring.

  • Info: Listeners are introduced to the origins of Peeps in 1953 and the hand-crafted methods used at the Rodda Candy Company.

  • Details: The story pivots to immigrant entrepreneur Sam Born and his son Bob, who revolutionized production using automation, transforming Peeps into a mass-produced icon.

  • Reflection: Peeps become more than candy — symbols of family tradition, artistic expression, and even wartime morale.

  • Closing: These are interesting things, with JC.

  Transcript

  See Transcript Below

  Student Worksheet

  1. What year did Peeps production shift from hand-made to machine-based, and who was responsible for this change?

  2. Describe how the shape of Peeps changed and why that was important for manufacturing.

  3. How were Peeps used during the Gulf War, and why were they suitable for that context?

  4. What role did the Peeps Diorama Contest play in the public’s engagement with the candy?

  5. Reflect on how a simple treat can evolve into a cultural symbol. Can you think of another example?

  Teacher Guide

  Estimated Time: 60–75 minutes

  Pre-Teaching Vocabulary Strategy:

  • Use a word wall or digital flashcards for terms like "automation" and "diorama"

  • Relate vocabulary to familiar items (e.g., marshmallows or common art projects)

  Anticipated Misconceptions:

  • Students may think Peeps were always machine-made.

  • Students may not realize candy can have cultural or historical significance.

  Discussion Prompts:

  • How do holidays shape product design and consumer habits?

  • In what ways do innovations in one field (e.g., machinery) influence others (e.g., culture)?

  • What does the story of Peeps tell us about American manufacturing history?

  Differentiation Strategies:

  • ESL: Use illustrated vocabulary and sentence frames.

  • IEP: Provide guided notes and extended time for writing tasks.

  • Gifted: Invite deeper analysis of food as cultural artifact and propose redesign ideas for another seasonal product.

  Extension Activities:

  • Create a “Then vs. Now” infographic comparing historical and modern candy production.

  • Host a mini Peeps diorama contest to reenact a historical moment.

  • Research another food item with cultural significance (e.g., fortune cookies, matzo, mooncakes).

  Cross-Curricular Connections:

  • History: Industrialization, immigration

  • Engineering: Mechanical design and automation

  • Sociology: Rituals, traditions, and popular culture

  • Art: Dioramas as multimedia storytelling

  Quiz

  Q1. What year did each Peep take 27 hours to make?
  A. 1945
  B. 1953
  C. 1967
  D. 1978
  Answer: B

  Q2. What machine innovation was Sam Born known for before Peeps?
  A. Candy wrappers
  B. Lollipop stick inserter
  C. Gumdrop shaper
  D. Jelly bean divider
  Answer: B

  Q3. Why did engineers change the shape of the Peep?
  A. To make it smaller
  B. To reduce sugar use
  C. To allow for easier machine molding
  D. To add more flavor
  Answer: C

  Q4. How long does it take to produce a Peep today?
  A. 1 hour
  B. 27 hours
  C. 6 minutes
  D. 30 seconds
  Answer: C

  Q5. What event caused Just Born to pause Peeps production in 2021?
  A. A factory fire
  B. Supply shortages
  C. Pandemic staffing limits
  D. Holiday boycott
  Answer: C

  Assessment

  1. In what ways does the story of Peeps reflect broader trends in American manufacturing and culture?

  2. How did the redesign of the Peep's shape influence its success in mass production?

  3–2–1 Rubric:

  • 3: Accurate, complete, thoughtful

  • 2: Partial or missing detail

  • 1: Inaccurate or vague

  Standards Alignment

  Common Core (CCSS):

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.3 — Analyze how a text makes connections among individuals, ideas, or events.

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.1 — Cite strong textual evidence to support analysis.

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2 — Write explanatory texts to convey complex ideas.

  C3 (College, Career, and Civic Life Framework):

  • D2.His.2.9-12 — Analyze change and continuity in historical developments.

  • D2.Eco.6.9-12 — Evaluate the benefits and costs of economic decisions.

  CTE (Career and Technical Education):

  • MPD01.02 — Explain how technological developments have shaped production and business.

  International Equivalents:

  • UK National Curriculum KS4 History — Understand the impact of modern industrial changes on society.

  • IB MYP Individuals & Societies Criterion B — Investigating: Organize and analyze information.

  • Cambridge IGCSE History 0470 — Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of changes over time.

• Transcript

  Interesting Things with JC #1258: "Peeps!"

  They show up quietly, sometime in March. Little rows of soft marshmallow chicks, each with two tiny brown eyes and a sugar crust that sticks to your fingertips. But Peeps, the kind sold in cardboard boxes with cellophane windows, aren’t just a holiday treat. They’re an unlikely triumph of industrial engineering, immigrant ingenuity, and American seasonal culture.

  In 1953, each Peep took 27 hours to make. At the Rodda Candy Company in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, marshmallow batter was piped by hand into a chick shape using pastry bags. The mixture had to cool for hours to stabilize. And finally, workers used a pair of tweezers to hand-apply each eye, one dab at a time.

  That same year, an immigrant candy maker named Sam Born, originally from Russia, purchased the company. Born (pronounced “born,” like the word itself) had already changed the confectionery world once. He invented a machine that could insert sticks into lollipops, and he printed “Just Born” on wrappers to guarantee freshness. That same phrase became the name of his company, Just Born, Inc.

  Born’s son, Bob Born, applied the family’s mechanical instinct to the marshmallow problem. He developed a process to automate what had previously taken hours. By the early 1960s, they had reduced the production time for a single Peep from 27 hours to just 6 minutes. The factory in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, began producing on a scale the founders of Rodda could not have imagined.

  Today, Just Born produces over 2 billion Peeps every year. That’s more than 5.5 million per day. Laid end to end, the annual production of Peeps would stretch more than 52,000 miles (83,700 kilometers), more than twice the circumference of Earth. Each Peep measures about 2.5 inches (6.4 centimeters) in length and weighs roughly 0.25 ounces (7 grams). That translates to over 30 million pounds (13.6 million kilograms) of marshmallow product per year.

  But the evolution of Peeps wasn’t only about speed and volume, it was also about shape.

  In the early handmade versions, Peeps had wings that stuck out slightly from their sides. That detail made molding difficult at scale. In the late 1950s, engineers at Just Born redesigned the Peep by removing the wings, giving it a rounded, cleaner silhouette. The updated shape could be formed more reliably by machine and packed more efficiently for shipping. The eyes remained, each one still applied by a mechanical nozzle with the precision of a dot.

  Over time, the Peep lineup expanded: bunnies, hearts, pumpkins, and even ghosts. But the yellow chick remains the flagship. It accounts for nearly 60 percent of seasonal sales. Peeps are most popular around Easter, with more than 1.5 billion sold during the eight-week lead-up to the holiday.

  They’ve also found an unexpected second life, as art supplies.

  In 2006, The Washington Post launched its annual “Peeps Diorama Contest.” The idea was simple, create a diorama using marshmallow Peeps to reenact a moment in history, pop culture, or everyday life. Thousands of entries poured in. One memorable submission featured a Peep version of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Another recreated the courtroom from To Kill a Mockingbird, complete with a marshmallow Atticus Finch.

  The contest ran until 2017, when it moved to local outlets like the Washington City Paper, continuing the tradition. Teachers and parents embraced it as a springtime project. Libraries displayed dioramas in glass cases. Peeps became something more than candy, a medium of expression.

  But the cultural footprint of Peeps isn’t limited to art and holidays. During the 1991 Gulf War, Peeps appeared in military care packages sent to U.S. troops overseas. The candy’s long shelf life, up to two years when properly sealed, made it ideal for shipment. Soldiers wrote home about the novelty of receiving a soft, bright yellow Peep in the middle of the desert. Some squads even staged Peep target practice as a morale booster. It wasn’t official protocol, but it was real.

  Domestically, Peeps became part of family rituals. Grandparents mailed them in bubble wrap envelopes, timing delivery to arrive just before Easter morning. Photos from the 1970s show Peeps nestled between dyed eggs and hollow chocolate bunnies on linoleum countertops. For some families, it wasn’t Easter unless Peeps were slightly stale, left open on the counter for 48 hours to toughen the outside, just the way grandpa liked them.

  Celebrity endorsements added another layer of visibility. Justin Bieber once tweeted his love of Peeps to over 35 million followers. Martha Stewart featured them on her cooking show, crafting them into elaborate table centerpieces. And in 2021, when Just Born paused holiday production due to pandemic staffing limits, it made national headlines. The break was short-lived, but it proved something. People noticed when Peeps disappeared.

  Through all of it, the essential formula has barely changed: sugar, corn syrup, gelatin, and air. Yet that mixture has become a cultural fixture. A symbol of low-cost sweetness, tied not to any single religion or tradition, but to an American rhythm of seasonal cycles, birthdays, baskets, brunch tables.

  So what do we make of a factory that turns out 2 billion marshmallow chicks a year? Of a product designed for 10 seconds of chewing, now featured in art galleries, war zones, and memory drawers?

  It tells us something about scale. About how small things, done well, done consistently, can take on a life bigger than anyone expected. Peeps went from 27-hour novelties to a product that orbits the Earth in metaphor, in quantity, and in the imagination of those who give it a second look.

  These are interesting things, with JC.

• Show Notes

  Show Notes

  In Episode #1258 of Interesting Things with JC, listeners explore the story of Peeps — marshmallow chicks that became an iconic part of American culture. From their humble beginnings as a hand-crafted candy to a mass-produced cultural staple, Peeps offer a fascinating lens into manufacturing innovation, immigrant entrepreneurship, and seasonal tradition. The episode invites learners to see how something simple can scale into a symbol of memory, celebration, and creativity… a timely reflection for classrooms studying industrial history, STEM, or cultural studies.

  Reference:

  Just Born, Inc. (n.d.). The history of Peeps. Just Born Quality Confections. Retrieved April 19, 2025, from https://www.justborn.com/brands/peeps/history