I, Zeb the Duck, took a tour of Hammond’s Candy factory with mom and her friend.

Carl Hammond, Sr. worked as an apprentice in a Denver candy factory.   When he was ready, in 1920, he founded Hammond’s Candy.   His motto was “Nothing is More Important than Quality.”  That may be why Hammond’s is still in business and was even profitable during The Great Depression.  When we arrived, Ginnie showed us to the first room where we watched a video about the beginning and growth of Hammond’s Candy.

Next, Nina led our tour.   First stop was watching the candy being cooked.

Candy is cooked to 324 degrees F in copper kettles.   One candy maker makes an entire batch of candy.   First cooking the candy, then pulling the candy.   The filling for candy canes is flavored.

The gray block is flavored filling for candy canes.   The colors on the table are the outside of candy canes.  Assistants help with cutting and filling candy canes, but the candy maker is the overseer of that batch of candy.

Scissors, not knives, are used to cut the candy canes.   The scissors finish the bottom of the candy cane better than a knife could.   As this sign reminds us, Hammond’s Candy makes a lot of candy canes.

Christmas candy is made many months of the year and kept in climate controlled rooms to keep everything tasting fresh.   Hammond’s Candy was owned by the Hammond family until 1999.   The company was sold again in 2007 and is now owned by the Andrew Schuman family. Hammond’s now makes peanut brittle.

This factory sure smells good!  Here are some Christmas tree lollipops being boxed for later distribution.

Hammond’s Candy also makes chocolate candy.

But, they were not making chocolate candy the day we visited.   This was a very nice and very informative tour.   Hammond’s Candy is the oldest and largest producer of handmade hard candy in the country.   All Hammond Candy is made at this factory, in Denver, Colorado.   The candy is shipped all over the United States and into several foreign countries.   At the end of the tour, we were offered a complimentary sample.

They all look so good, it is difficult to choose.   Then we went into the retail store.   We love caramel corn.

Look at all these candy canes.

There are so many flavors.   And the lollipops.

I love being a kid duck in a candy store.   There was a display case of handmade fudge.

We sampled chocolate mint swirl fudge.   Yum!   And the chocolate candy case.

We wanted to take some of everything home.   We did buy a lot, but we will share with the rest of the Colorado Traveling Duck family.   Here are chocolate bars.

There were crazy flavors.   One had bacon and chips in chocolate.   Probably tastes great, but we bought a couple different flavors.   You know there will be much candy eating at our house for awhile.   When you are in Denver, don’t forget to visit Hammond’s Candy and take the tour. You never know what they will be making when you visit, but it will be delicious.  For more information visit http://www.HammondsCandies.com