For as truly iconic as “I Love Lucy” is, it can be easy to forget how many culinary moments the black-and-white 1950s television classic had. Lucy herself pitched boozy Vitameatavegamin in proto show-within-a-show fashion, baked a bit too much bread in her homesteading efforts, and stomped grapes for vino in Italy, even as the nation had already embraced automated wine making. And then, there was the sweetest scene of them all: Lucy and her best pal Ethel wrapping candy — at first — on a two-woman factory assembly line. Spoiler alert: It does not go great. But business at See’s Candies, where Lucille Ball and co-star Vivian Vance trained for the episode, boomed, and the big chain remains operational today.
Ball and Vance engaged in a little method acting at See’s La Cienega Boulevard kitchen in Los Angeles, California, in 1952, a mere year after the show’s premiere. A La Cienega factory still churns out confections all these decades later, just with actual professionals at the helm to ensure quality, as hilarious as the comedy duo’s bit might have been. And, with more than a couple hundred brick and mortar stores, plus nationwide shipping, you can reenact Lucy and Ethel’s candy-eating adventure right in your own home, no toque required.
How to score treats from See’s Candies today
If this historic moment from silver screen Americana doesn’t ring a bell, See’s Candies might be more familiar from its record-breaking lollipop. Dozens of sugar professionals created the 7,000 pound sucker back in 2012. One can only imagine what the shipping cost associated with such a grand expanse of candy might carry, but it makes See’s $10 entry-level shipping cost seem like a relative bargain.
That delivery fee covers items like broadly beloved boxes of chocolates, bridge mix, brittle varieties (you might have to make your own brownie brittle at home, though), and seasonal treats like Halloween and Día de los Muertos-themed goodies, advent calendars, and, of course, plenty of Valentine’s Day gifts. The chances also aren’t bad that there might be a See’s near you, instead. See’s is mostly concentrated around the western United States, but shops have also been known to appear in locations as far as New York City. And, should you really catch the chocolate factory itch, you can make your own chocolate candies with just three ingredients and a slow cooker, absent any pressure.
