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Welcome to Mrs. Myers Chocolates! We’re glad you stopped by. We here at Mrs. Myers are always happy to have visitors. Make yourself at home and feel free to browse through our web site. Learn about how chocolates are made, read about the history of Mrs. Myers Chocolates, and choose from our plentiful array of delicious chocolates to fill your shopping cart with. Mrs. Myers offers a wide range of selections that are perfect for any occasion. Whether it’s your aunt’s birthday, your parent’s anniversary, or even a special event at the office, Mrs. Myers has an assortment of tasty delights that will surely be appreciated. When your finished filling your shopping cart, check out and have your chocolates delivered to your door within days!
We hope you enjoy your visit and hope to see you again soon. Come back to see Mrs. Myers latest chocolate creations. Ta-ta for now.
COMPANY HISTORY
It all started when Ethel Myers discovered how to make fudge in her home economics class in high school. From the beginning, Ethel was enthusiastic about making candy and loved to experiment with new ideas. Years later, while working for a large department store, she made candy every night to take to her co-workers as snacks. After her marriage to Jonathan Rutledge, a pharmacist, and the start of her family, these same co-workers encouraged her to continue making chocolates and bring then to the store's candy department so they could buy them. This helped Ethel's young family make ends meet and before long, word about Ethel's delicious chocolates had spread. It was only a matter of time before she was supplying department stores and downtown businesses. Soon after this, she gave up her position at the department store and devoted herself full time to her candy business.
Mrs. Myers Chocolates Today
Over the years, Mrs. Myers Chocolates has become a local legend in southern Indiana and northern Kentucky that specializes in high quality chocolate candy and related products such as candy covered almonds, dinner mints, as well as specialty items. Mrs. Myers Chocolates, a family owned firm, is celebrating its seventy-fifth anniversary since its founder, Ethel Myers, began operations in 1922. It was incorporated in 1949. Her two grandsons, Dennis and George Rutledge, now own and operate the business that serves the southern Indiana and northern Kentucky.
The company prides itself in its traditions. The distinctive Silver Box and Blue Ribbon has been a signature of high quality for two generations. There are no preservatives or additives in any of the products. All chocolate products use 40 percent butterfat cream, and only cane sugar is used even though beet sugar is cheaper. There is a sugar free line of products as well. You may view our complete list of products and prices.
CHOCOLATE HISTORY
Source: Chocolate: The Consuming Passion
by Sandra Boynton. Workman Publishing: New York, 1982
The first recorded evidence of chocolate as a food product goes back to Pre-Columbian Mexico. The Mayans and Aztecs were known to make a drink call “Xocoatl” from the beans of the cocoa tree. In 1528, the conquering Spaniards returned to Spain with chocolate still consumed as a beverage. A similar chocolate drink was brought to a royal wedding in France in 1615, and England welcomed chocolate in 1662. To this point “chocolate” as we spell it today, had been spelled variously as “chocolata”, “jocolatte”, “jacolatte”, and “chockelet.”
In 1847, Fry & Sons in England introduced the first “eating chocolate,” but did not attract much attention due to its bitter taste. In 1874, Daniel Peter, a famed Swiss chocolateer, experimented with various mixtures in an effort to balance chocolates rough flavor, and eventually stumbled upon that abundant product -- milk. This changed everything and chocolate’s acceptance after that was quick and enthusiastic.
OTHER FACTS ABOUT CHOCOLATE
Growing Cocoa Beans
Cocoa beans are usually grown on small plantations in suitable land areas 20 degrees north or south of the Equator. One mature cocoa tree can be expected to yield about five pounds of chocolate per year. These are planted in the shade of larger trees such as bananas or mangos, about 1000 trees per hectare (2,471 acres).
Cocoa trees take five to eight years to mature. After harvesting from the trees, the pods (which contain the cocoa beans) are split open, beans removed, and the beans are put on trays covered with burlap for about a week until they brown. Then they are sun dried until the moisture content is below 7%. This normally takes another three days.
After cleaning, the beans are weighed, selected and blended before roasting at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for two hours. Then shells are removed leaving the “nib.” Nibs are crushed to create a chocolate “mass.” This is the base raw material from which all chocolate products are made.
Kinds of Chocolate
Milk Chocolate
This consists of at least 10% chocolate liquor (“raw” chocolate pressed from carob nibs) and 12% milk solids combined with sugar, cocoa butter (fat from nibs), and vanilla.
Sweet and Semi-Sweet Chocolate
Made from 15-35% chocolate liquor, plus sugar, cocoa butter, and vanilla. Imprecision of the two terms causes them to commonly be called “dark” or “plain” chocolate. Dark chocolate has a large following among dessert makers, and for this reason is referred to as “baking” chocolate.
Bittersweet and Bitter Chocolate
Bittersweet usually contains 50% chocolate liquor and has a distinct “bite” to the taste. Bitter or unsweetened chocolate liquor also is used in baking and is also referred to as “bakers” chocolate.
Creams and Variations
Bite sized and chocolate covered. They are filled with caramels, nuts, creams, jellies, and so forth.
White Chocolate
Not really chocolate as it contains no chocolate liquor.
Carob
This is a brown powder made from the pulverized fruit of a Mediterranean evergreen. It is used by some as a substitute for chocolate because it can be combined with vegetable fat and sugar, and made to approximately the color and consistency of chocolate.
How Chocolates are Made
There are four basic methods of coating chocolate onto something such as caramel or a nut. They are:
Enrobing
Least expensive method. Centers are carried by conveyor through a machine that showers them with chocolate.
Panning
Chocolate is sprayed on the centers as they rotate in revolving pans, then cool air is blown in pan to harden the chocolates.
Dipping
Generally done by hand by small scale producers.
Shell Molding
Most sophisticated method. Used for most sculptural chocolates. The process consists of many steps, thus causing it to be more expensive than other methods.
COMPANY INFO
You may contact Mrs. Myers by e-mail. Our address is . You may also reach us at the address below or call our toll free 800 number 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We welcome your comments and appreciate your interest.
Mrs. Myers Chocolates
Walnut Street
Evansville, Indiana (ZIP?)
Customer Service 1-800-555-1234
Locations
The company has three retail outlets: the main store at the factory site in Evansville, Indiana on Walnut Street, a mall location on the outskirts of the city, and a location across the Ohio River in Henderson, Kentucky. Mrs. Myers Chocolates can also be found at local area supermarkets and department stores, such as Krogers and A&P.
CUSTOMER SERVICE
If you have any questions about the status of your order, please call 1-800-555-1234, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you have any questions, compliments or concerns regarding your Mrs. Myers Chocolates order, call our Consumer Affairs Department at 1-800-222-3333 between 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Central time Monday-Friday. We will be happy to assist you.
For Your Privacy
We make our mailing list available to carefully screened companies whose products or services might interest you. If you would prefer to have your name withheld, or if you no longer wish to receive our catalog, please let us know by calling us at 1-800-555-1234 or e-mail us at
Duplicate Mailings
If you are receiving more than one of the same catalog, send us all of the mailing labels, indicating the correct one. Or, call us at 1-800-555-1234. We'll correct the situation.
Freeze Now, Enjoy Later
Our chocolates may be frozen with reasonable care. Without removing box overwrap, seal box in foil and place in freezer. After removal from freezer, place sealed box in refrigerator for 24 hours, then let unopened box stand at room temperature an additional 24 hours before enjoying the chocolates. Since we use only the finest ingredients and no preservatives, our chocolates are best when consumed within two weeks of purchase.
Nut Allergies
Some of Mrs. Myers Chocolates contain peanuts and/or other nuts.
Liqueur Restrictions
Cream liqueur chocolates contain alcohol in excess of 0.5% by weight. Orders may be placed from any state by persons 21 years of age or older. However, we can only ship to states that have statutes which permit the receipt of Mrs. Myers® Cherry Cordials by persons 21 years of age or older. Those states are: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Texas, and Virginia. Mrs. Myers cannot process orders for liqueur chocolates that do not meet the above requirements.