The best sour candies hit that perfect spot — tangy enough to make your mouth pucker with just enough sugar to take the edge off. Trader Joe’s has several varieties of sour candies, such as Super Sour Scandinavian Swimmers and Peas and Carrots Sour Gummies, but there’s one spring candy that the grocery store released earlier this year that’s a cut above the rest — sour strawberry candy belts. According to Trader Joe’s customers, who were discussing the candies on a Reddit thread, these little fellas are far more sour than the store’s other offerings.
One customer said, “I got these this morning and these are actually sour. And I’ve eaten like 5-6 and now my mouth feels like I just ate some sour skittles,” while another said, “love them! they definitely pass the sour test!” Commenters on another similar Reddit forum explained that the tart personality of the candy belts grows over time: “they get sour as you eat them. lol I didn’t think they were sour at first but then I started chewing it and found it pretty sour, a little less sour than a sour patch kid.”
But there were also some words of warning to be found. “Beware these are very addictive,” said one commenter. “I would not get them because I’ll eat the whole box (not in one sitting but quickly) and my teeth would hurt.”
What makes sour candy so sour?
Take a peek at the ingredient list on a box of 10oz Trader Joe’s Sour Strawberry Candy Belts and you’ll find something called citric acid. This compound is naturally present in citrus fruits, such as lemons and limes. Known as an acidulant, citric acid increases the acidity of foods, creating that tart or sour taste on the tongue that’s so addictive when combined with sugar. Salivating is the body’s attempt to neutralize the acid ingredients in sour candies, which can also be made with malic acid, tartaric acid, and fumaric acid.
Trader Joe’s candy belts have a sugary dusting on their surface, which lends them their sweetness when paired against their mouth-puckering middle. One keen-eyed Redditor who tried the belts commented on the difference between these sour candies and similar varieties from other brands. “It seems like they’re coated in sugar and the sour part is the gummy itself. I think most sour gummies have sour powder and a sweet gummy, so these are like the opposite. I could see someone thinking these were not sour if they ate them really fast.”
The natural color and flavor of Trader Joe’s sour laces comes from fruit juices, including apple juice. They have a strong strawberry aroma and are free from animal products and derivatives, making them vegan-friendly.
