I Haven't Lowered My Standards: "Strawberry Jam" Jelly Belly's Are Just That Good!

Strawberry Jam Jelly Belly Jelly Beans - 10 lbs bulk
Click to buy directly from Jelly Belly!

The Good: Tastes exactly like strawberry jam, Delicious, Environmentally responsible bulk
The Bad: Not terribly nutritious
The Basics: Another perfect bean from the fine folks at Jelly Belly, Strawberry Jam is a real winner!


Every now and then I get into a product that by its nature, I end up rating higher. So, I'll do a bunch of reviews of a television show I truly love or I'll go through a musical artist's library and discover they truly are a genius. This might lend those who follow my reviews to think that I have gone soft on a product.

As I find myself reviewing flavor after flavor of Jelly Belly jelly beans, I fear that some might think I have gone lax on my standards. I mention this as I shovel bean after bean of Strawberry Jam flavored Jelly Belly into my mouth because I have just discovered that this flavor is not plagued by the severe drawback some Jelly Belly's have: it doesn't start tasting bland or like sugar when one eats them in bulk! This, combined with the fact that the flavor of these Jelly Belly's is the precise flavor of strawberry jam and it is packaged in an environmentally responsible bulk pack makes it . . . another perfect Jelly Belly flavor!

For those unfamiliar with Jelly Belly jelly beans, the U.S. company produces eccentric flavors of jelly beans. They have flavors like Sour Apple, Kiwi, Margarita, and their flagship Buttered Popcorn.

Basics

Strawberry Jam 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 Strawberry Jam and they live up to that incredibly well. In fact, perhaps the most striking aspect of the bean is how it overwhelms the tongue with a sweet, flavorful burst, but then lingers as a slightly tart aftertaste, just like real strawberry jam!

Strawberry Jam flavored Jelly Belly'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 have learned not to question what my heart desires when it comes to Jelly Belly jelly beans. The Strawberry Jam flavor, is one that is underrated and I want to say that a ten pound case is a year's supply of these jelly beans, they would certainly keep for a year even in this level of bulk, but my case is going suspiciously fast . . .

The Strawberry Jam Jelly Belly is easily differentiated from other Jelly Belly jelly beans by its spots. This is a dark red jelly bean with tiny blue or purple spots on the surface of the jelly bean. There are other red Jelly Belly's - Very Cherry (opaque light red), Red Apple (opaque darker red), Sizzling Cinnamon (bright red with yellow streaks) and Raspberry (a more translucent red) - but none of them have dark spots or markings like Strawberry Jam does.

Ease Of Preparation

These are jelly beans, sneaking out of a shotgun wedding. 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. Or, you might want to try to attract the Gluttony Police, in which case, leave the box open and out for all to see. Constantly.

Taste

As with all of the best Jelly Belly flavors, the strength of Strawberry Jam flavored Jelly Belly's is that they taste exactly like strawberry jam! This bean does not have a scent, so I was a bit dubious about the prospects when I began consuming them for review. Most of the flavors that lack a strong scent seem to be the one that quickly become flavorless with a generic sugary taste to it.

But the taste is precisely and accurately that of Strawberry Jam flavoring, with all its sweetness. They have the taste of Strawberry Jam both on the shell of the candy and in the center. It is worth noting that the flavor is precise: strawberry jam has a sugary flavor with a kick of strawberry fruitiness to it and that is exactly what this Jelly Belly has!


Nutrition

Again, these are jelly beans, so anyone looking to them for nutrition needs to remember that Strawberry Jam Jelly Bellys are, in fact, not a cure for cancer and probably not an aphrodisiac. 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! They 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 . . .). 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 a friend's ear is likely to make the beans stick together and be gross (real 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 (always wash your hands before eating Jelly Belly's, though if you only have hand sanitizer like Purelle, I suppose that would do). I have never had Strawberry Jam Jelly Belly's stain anything.

Overall

Strawberry Jam Jelly Belly jelly beans are one of the best flavors of Jelly Belly's, mostly because they taste precisely like the Strawberry Jam they claim to. If only they had a few of the vitamins of strawberries . . .

For other Jelly Belly flavors reviewed by me, please check out:
Red Apple
Sunkist Orange
Cotton Candy

10/10

For other Jelly Belly jelly bean reviews, please be sure to visit my Ultimate Guide to Jelly Belly jelly beans by clicking here!

© 2011, 2008 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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