Halloween Candy Lookout: SweeTarts

Who doesn’t remember these? Pictured above are giant chewy SweeTarts, but the way we love ’em is in those little rectangle paper packets housing a trio of these tangy candies.

SweeTarts were invented by J. Fish Smith in the 1960s. Parents were crying about the big names like Pixy Stix and Lik-M-Aid being too messy, so Mr. Smith solved the problem by using the same recipe for a much less messy hard candy. The new candy debuted in 1963 with a round design and familiar tartness. The were made available in the same popular flavors as Pixy Stix: cherry, grape, lemon, lime and orange.

Willy Wonka Candy Company now owns the SweeTarts brand, which currently sports tropical punch, cherry, grape, green apple, lemon and orange as its flavors. The SweeTarts name has also extended beyond the trademark hard candies, expanding with other fare such as Shock Tarts, Gummy Bugs, Jelly Beans, Candy Ropes and SweeTarts Squeeze, a semi-liquid candy you eat like toothpaste!