Sweet as Hale — A Freeze Dried Surprise
Grace Phillips
The Ashland Beacon
A new craze is taking the candy world by storm and that storm has just blown into our area with Sweet as Hale freeze dried candies. The couple that has brought this unique confection to our area is DJ Hale and Jessica James-Hale. Jessica has always had a finger on the craft community and followed the latest trends. She has dabbled in everything from a chocolate business, to glitter cups then vinyl and sublimation. Then she heard of the freeze dried candy trend that was growing quickly, and just knew it was for her.
DJ tells me, “She came to me and said, babe I would really like to try this. We already had so much on our plates I was not easily convinced especially since we both have full time jobs.”
He went on to say he was a numbers guy and they loved people. After running some numbers and doing research on the subject, DJ finally told Jessica, “I think we might be able to do this.”
DJ continued, “We ordered our freeze dryer and the wait began. The machines and this process was originally designed for homesteading. People would freeze dry vegetables, meals, fruit, etc. and they have a shelf life of 25 years.” At this point he laughed and said he was pretty sure there was an “uh-oh” moment when someone accidentally freeze dried a candy only to find out it was pretty amazing. “It’s so mind blowing the taste and the texture you get when you freeze dry the candy. It so totally enhances the flavors,” Jessica added.
What is freeze dried candy exactly? It is what the name implies — the candy itself has been freeze dried. It is heated up to about 150 degrees and at the same time, is vacuumed out all of the water and moisture in the candy while freezing it, leaving behind only the pure sugar crystals. The process time of freeze drying the candy varies with each one, but it can range from 5-11 hours each batch. DJ says, “It’s really crazy to watch the process as it happens. You’ll be watching the little Nerd cluster — like everybody eats out of the bag — then all of a sudden it starts getting the vacuum seal on it and it just blows it up! That’s where the flavor becomes really enhanced.”
The texture of the candy is also changed in the freeze dry process … what was hard is now light and airy, chewy becomes crispy, and the sticky taffy like candy just turns to powder and melts in your mouth. Jessica described their Bit O Honey candy as this, “It is kind of like a cheese puff. If you hold it on your tongue for just a second it starts to melt and then is just crunchy. It’s same thing with the Jolly Ranchers. Everyone wants to know what they are like. It’s like those cheese ball puffs …. everyone has had those. It’s that soft crunch on the outside and just kind of melts in your mouth from there.” This can be a great way for people with braces or a sensitive mouth to still enjoy their favorite candy without it getting stuck in the braces or fillings.
Their very first event was in July at Ashland’s 1st Friday. “It was so much fun for us to get people’s reactions when they tried the candy …. we just love it!” Jessica said. It was a huge success and a near sellout. They recently setup in the Walmart parking lot and a lady pulled up in her car and asked Jessica, “What is freeze dried?”
Jessica’s simple response was, “It’s your new addiction. Someone else was in the car with her and they were testing samples and just having the best time. That is honestly what we live for, we don’t care about the money, people’s reactions trying the candy for the first time is literally what makes our day. It’s what keeps us thriving to build the business.”
While researching the process, DJ saw that the candies from many online companies was pretty expensive and determined from the beginning they would sell their product at a reasonable price. Everything, no matter the type of candy, is only $5 per bag.
Even though they have found instant success with the business … even more than they ever dreamed possible … they aren’t content to just ride out the trend. DJ has big dreams and plans for the growing and expanding the business. His real vision is to have a storefront. He continued, “This kind of thing is not just a candy thing … it started out that for us … and Jessica is still in the candy world. My friends tell me my brain is always 5 moves ahead in everything I do.” In the future he looks to doing meats for hunters, fruits, vegetables, even eggs … there are endless possibilities. He already has the design and layout of the storefront in mind and can see it vividly.
They are about to purchase the second machine in order to keep up with the demand and request for the candy. DJ says they are having to limit the number of shows and events they do right now because they don’t want to commit to a show and not have enough product for the entire event. Everything is done by just the 2 of them working together, from the freeze drying process to the heat sealed packaging and labels.
In closing Jessica says, “I do want to make a point that we are just 2 people, candy lovers, that wanted to create a unique experience for people and now we are small business owners just having fun with what we do.” However, perhaps the bags should come with a caution label …. “WARNING, this is your newest addiction!”
You can find Sweet as Hale at Ashland’s 1st Friday on Aug. 4, or you can message them through their Facebook page, Sweet as Hale.