#181 Peppermint Humbugs that everyone is Dying to try.

I'm impressed that I guessed what the mistake was before you stated it. My goodness, what a terrible mistake.

Arsenic didn't just get into food by accident. Scheele's Green, or copper hydrogen arsenite, was an early artificial green colour developed in the 1770s. It was far superior in colour and durability to earlier green colours, so it was widely used for dying fabrics, paper and paint - and in candy. Despite the toxic nature of arsenic being well-known from the 1830s onwards, Scheele's Green only really fell out of favour in the 1860s.

I do love my nineteenth century candy.

But not THAT nineteenth century...

Candy killed people! Gotta love a happy/sad thing

i feel bad for how loudly i laughed at "12 pounds of arsenic" oh my god 😭

Watching this channel around Christmas time has always been my comfort zone for like 10 years now, I love the vibes

Awesome Humbug collection lofty pursuits

Awesome Video lofty pursuits

Mint candy is my favorite kind of candy, I wish it was more popular outside of the xmas season.

I always enjoy watching your candy videos. They legit boost my serotonin levels and I always learn something new. Legit this place is a bucket list place for me.

You should advertise these with "Now 100% Arsenic-free!" on the labels.

What a fascinating story! P.S. you have a typo in your description... I assume it is meant to be poisoning not poising?

I always love your history lessons. But this is the first time I've ever said, "oh shit!" while watching a video. When you said the powder was arsenic. 😳 I'd imagine all the people involved lived with an irreconcilable guilt until the day they died.

The previous Humbug video is actually #18

"...and that leads to a story where candy kills people... just in time for the holiday season!"

You're wonderful, Greg. <3

Question: in all the image candy we’ve bought, the white color that you get from pulling on the hook turns into what looks like just compressed sugar crystals while the non-pulled sugar on the outside is nice and smooth and glassy. Why is that?

In the original humbug video there was a version of “straighten up and fly right” playing in the background that i could not seem to find, does anybody know who that was?

Ooh! Do the wintergreen ones spark when you bite them, like the lifesavers do?

Absolutely lovely stuff

Strange insight, I might be able to explain "The Oriental Cut". I don't particularly care for the term but it might be because of the rolled aspect of it. In many asian countries there is a cutting technique where you roll the vegetable as you cut it when making stews and some steamed dishes.

for the love of all that is holy please stop saying double u double u double u when you say your website name.

Interesting - then why are they called Bismarck in Europe?

This candy looks tasty. Good job.

Greg, have you thought about adding cinnamon humbug to this mix?

My god there's just something so funny about the phrase "and he bought 12 pounds of arsenic" xD

I’m going to say that the good part of the story is that we now have food regulations 😮

Calling in from Iceland. After years of observing and enjoying, I have to say it aloud, your videos are fantastic! Great for us chefs to admire and the knowledge you bring is inspiring. Thank you. I really hope I will be able to visit Tallahassee one day and get some sweets 🥰

I really didn't know about the story, thanks for sharing Greg

Is it possible to make some lamb flavored Humbugs? Then they would be Baaah Humbugs.

It's a guess by someone who hasn't done any research yet, but the humbugs might have earned the "oriental cut" nickname as they looked like a long queue braid from Qing China. The resemblance is quite canny after seeing the humbugs leaving the machine.

I have never heard that story and I live less than an hour from Bradford. How tragic! It's interesting to learn how our laws evolved but heart-breaking that so many people died for it to happen.

I love how educational your videos are! And I love your store!

I'm from Bradford, this is a true story.

Greg here, keeping the X in XMAS!

The silence after the 12 pounds of arsenic was pretty intense. Good candy.

These are arriving at my house in an hour, I cannot wait but I must! Very excited, and my 3 year old loves your videos, so he will be getting some image candy for Christmas, and my husband will have green apple sours. <3 Thank you for all you do so passionately, that's the best reason to order from you!

Mine just came in and they did not disappoint! Don't suppose you might do a cinnamon version in the future, would you?

I knew exactly where this was going! I've often wondered why they don't feature THIS story in Olde Timey Period Pieces -- it's so much more interesting than endless speculation about Jack the Ripper. As you pointed out, this has a lasting effect on food safety to this day.

not slavery, the tarrifs

Greg, you can't keep stopping and starting during the middle of this story, I could feel my blood pressure spike each time!

For some reason I’m not surprised. There’s a reason they say “our regulations are written in blood.”

It's a shame I'm halfway across the world from your shop 😭

Red, green, and blue.

In Sweden we call them “polka pigs” for some reason.

YUMMY

An interesting process to watch, but I spent the whole video waiting to see how the caramel was put in the centre. =(

The man's got to be an expert, you wouldn't catch a timorous amateur like me pouring a whole kettle of boiling sugar in a t-shirt, I'd be terrified of splashing myself.

I love how Greg is so learned about so many subjects during the stories he tells. Am born and bred in Bradford and nearly fell out of my chair to hear my city mentioned.