ART IN THE AGE OF MECHANICAL REPRODUCTION

INTERVIEW: Slap Jack Candy Proprietress, Mary Jane Chavez!

Whether it was childhood memories or the need for a sugar fix, we just HAD to get our hands on some of Mrs. Benner’s Own Made Slapjack Candy here at Art in the Age! After speaking with current business owner, Mary Jane Chavez of Havertown, PA, we discovered that Slap Jack candy had a story that needed to be shared. The re-telling of family traditions and the enthusiasm of the Benner family spiked my interest. It was truly a pleasure to learn more about the history of The Benners and Slap Jack Candy. Mary Jane is just as sweet as her creations!

Nicole Hutnyk: Tell us a little bit about how this candy began.
Mary Jane Chavez: Around October when you could feel a chill in the air, we would always ask if it was time for Slap Jack, because it was only made when the weather got colder.  My dad would stop at a lady’s house from our church in Souderton, Pennsylvania (Mrs. Clemmer) on his way home to buy Slap Jack. That was the best tasting stuff we had ever had, the first Slap Jack of the season. To this day, the first batch of candy of the season always tastes the best. My mom started making it in 1959.

NH: Where did your mother get her recipe?
MJC: My mom got the recipe from Mrs. Clemmer, who also showed her how to make it. I do not know where the original recipe came from. My mom said it was a Pennsylvania Dutch Pull Taffy. Before it was known as Slap Jack, people and youth groups from churches would get together for a taffy pull. They would pull candy back and forth – not over a hook like my mom did.

NH:: Where did she make all of this candy?
MJC: She made it in the basement of her house. The steps that led to the basement were right by the stove where she cooked the Slap Jack. The younger children would sit and play games on these steps, so they could watch mom and she could watch them. We would wake up in the morning to the chopping sound of mom cutting the candy.  Those are things that you never forget. My mom was a short little lady, and the hook she needed to pull it was hanging from her basement ceiling.

NH:: Where did your family first sell Slap Jack?
MJC: The first store that purchased Slap Jack was the Souder’s Store, located on Main Street in Souderton, PA.  You could buy material and all kinds of sewing products, so it always amazed me that they sold candy. I remember that was a big deal.

NH: What are the ingredients?
MJC: Brown Sugar, Water, Flavoring and (as my mom used to say) a piece of margarine the size of a pea.

NH: How many flavors do you make? What is the most popular?
MJC: My mom made the original flavor of Wintergreen and then decided to make an Anise flavor.  When my siblings and I started making it, we tried some different flavors: Root Beer, Coffee, and Vanilla.  We gave people samples, and most people thought we should try Root Beer, so we added that to the other flavors.  But to this day, the overall favorite and best seller is the Wintergreen. My favorite is also Wintergreen, especially if I have a cold or sore throat. It is very soothing.

NH: Is Slap Jack available year round?
MJC: The candy can only be made from late October through March or April, depending on the weather. My mom made it as late as Memorial Day, but you take the chance that it will get too warm and stick together. We play it safe and quit around the beginning of April.

NH: Why did you decide to keep your mother’s business going?
MJC: I used to help my mom with making Slap Jack after I was married, and she used to always say “I hope someone keeps making it after I am gone.” My reply would always be, “Mom, I have always worked in a factory, and it’s way too much work.” But when someone dies it makes you think of what is really important in life.

My mom died September 24, 1996.  People began asking if I was going to keep making the candy. At first I thought, “No way!” The more I thought about it, the more I remembered my mom hoping someone would keep going. One of my sisters, a couple of my nieces, and my brother and his wife agreed to help me, so I decided to add a room to my house. We call it the “candy room.” Until that was completed we made Slap Jack in mom’s basement the way she did. By the next candy season, we were prepared.  Since then have lost some customers – a lot of mom’s customers were family businesses, and it’s difficult to keep small businesses afloat in this economy – but we also have acquired new ones.  We feel very blessed to be able to keep going even in bad economic times. There are a lot of sentimental reasons to keep plugging along.

NH: Who helps you make Slap Jack now?
MJC: One of my sisters, Sally Bauer and two of my nieces, Maryanne Dassler and Denise Bauer, are my most loyal committed partners.  My sister-in-law Debbie Benner and my husband do most of the delivery for me. Others are also involved as they find time: My son Micahel and his wife Joanna, my nieces Mary Beth Benner and Becca Benner, my sister Ella and her husband Dan Ettinger, my niece Anna and my grandchildren Sierra, Miranda, Michael and Jonah.  As you can see, it is a family affair. Every bit of help is important in keeping this wish of mom’s alive.  Each of us works a full-time job, and many times we are tired, but mom was an inspiration to us. We get together, drink coffee, eat donuts, and have fun remembering all the good times we had with mom, and knowing how happy she is that  we are carrying on her business.

NH: How did you help your mother’s business as a child?
MJC: When I was in high school, the kids found out about Slap Jack. My mom made up little brown bags with 5, 10, or 25 pieces, and I would take them along to school to sell.  You have no idea how much trouble I used to get into selling that stuff!  I was only allowed to sell it at lunchtime or after school in the cafeteria, but kids would buy it from me in the hall between classes! During class they would send me a note with how many pieces they wanted, and we would pass it back and forth. When the teachers got tired of this, they would send me to the office and I would promise not to sell it during class anymore. It didn’t last, and before you knew it, I would be back selling it!  The Junior High School kids found out and would come across the street before or after school and at lunch time to buy candy from my mom. To this day, I have to made up bags of Slap Jack to put on the tables at my class reunions.

NH: What do you want people to remember about Slap Jack and your mother?
MJC: Mom only went to the eighth grade in school but she had a good head on her shoulders and was very good with business stuff.  When she decided to do something, she did it.  She was a very hard worker and never complained about anything.  Before she passed away, she had a leg amputation due to diabetes, but she never gave up. That spring she was out in her road stand selling her fruits and vegetables with the help of her grandchildren. She was a very determined woman.

NH:: Have you ever experimented with the ingredients or process of the original recipe?
MJC: We never really experimented or changed the process. Besides some different flavors, we have also tried to make larger batches. It’s very time consuming to make one batch (about 2 ½ pounds). We tried making a batch and a half at a time, but it really didn’t help that much. After it is cooked, you have to cool it down on a marble slab before pulling. The larger batch took longer to cool and was a lot more to handle. So now we use 2 burners and cook 2 batches at a time when we have 4 people working.

Mary Jane: My mom did it all by hand. Before she passed away, we were trying to find some machinery to help her. Later we found a cutting machine from a candy store in Philadelphia. We also bought an electronic scale. We were trying to find a pulling machine, similar to what they use at the shore for taffy, but they don’t make them anymore because they are so dangerous!

NH: How many cavities have you had? Do you think it’s from the Slap Jack?
MJC: I don’t know if I ever got any cavities because of Slap Jack. One time the dentist remarked that it looked as though I was eating a lot of sticky stuff.  Many people have told us that they have had fillings come out because of eating the Slap Jack.  I always tell people to suck on it, rather than chew it. I have a cousin in Colorado always orders Slap Jack to give to her dentist for Christmas because he loves it!

—–

Many thanks to Mary Jane for taking time out of her busy day to answer our questions! Art in the Age is pleased to help the Benner family to keep Slapjack candymaking alive! Mrs. Benner’s Own Made Slap Jack Candy is available for purchase in 3 different flavors (Wintergreen, Root Beer, and Anise) at the Art in the Age store. The candies come in 4 oz. bags for $4.25 and are only available for a limited time.