WORDS Tara Crutchfield
PHOTOGRAPH Tara Crutchfield
Davidson of Dundee Davidson of Dundee–a time capsule for both the factory’s authentic 1960’s style and the delectable taste of sweet Florida treats. Known for their selection of citrus candy, chocolates, jellies, and marmalades, Davidson’s celebrated their 50th anniversary just last year, having opened their doors in 1967. I spoke with the owner of Davidson’s of Dundee, Tom Davidson to learn the story of how the candy factory came to be. Tom spoke about his grandparents, relaying,“They lived on a road in Winter Haven where they had lots of orange groves behind them so they would use those oranges and make some good stuff that way.” “It was like a special treat because it was right after the Great Depression so times were pretty tough,” he said about the citrus candies his grandparents would make. Tom’s father Glen who got to enjoy these citrus confections, grew up in Winter Haven, attending Winter Haven High School. After school, he flew dive bombers in the Navy during World War II. Following the Navy, Glen worked for Sunline Candy Company in St. Louis where the candy Pixy Stix originated from. Tom told a story about when his father worked for Sunline, looking to develop new products. His father attended Rotary Club with a friend that worked for Tums, the antacid and heartburn medicine company. They began talking about making Pixy Stix in a tablet like Tums medicine. Tums allowed them to use their machines to attempt this. This is where the candy SweeTARTS was born. Tom’s father left Sunline and came to Dundee where he built the candy factory in 1967, giving visitors a taste of Florida ever since. “We’ve got 134 marmalade and jelly flavors and about 128 of the
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citrus candies and chocolate items,” relayed Tom. When you visit Davidson’s you can take guided tours of their factory where you can see their marmalades and jellies filling jars and coming down the converter belt to be labeled or take a peek at the candy side. I took the tour with guide Val Hartman where I learned how their famous candies are made–the old-fashioned way. “We still cook things the same way as we did back in the day, in 1967, in the copper kettles and stirred with wooden paddles,” Val said. The jelly candy is cooked until it reaches a temperature of 225 degrees. Paper is then put down on marble tables with a frame laid on top. Once the candy reaches the desired temperature, they pour it into the frame to set and cool. Val explained the purpose behind using marble tables and copper kettles–the kettles cook the candy evenly and the marble allows it to cool quicker. Once cooled and set, the candy is cut into three sections and put on a rack where is sets for another two days to gel completely. When cutting the candies, they put sugar on the table to keep it from sticking and more sugar on top. After it is cut into squares, it is sugared again, the excess is sifted off, and it is ready to be weighed, sealed in packaging for freshness, and topped with Davidson’s signature orange bow. How much sugar does the factory go through in a week? Val pointed to a 400-pound barrel of sugar in the factory and explained that they go through two of them every week in the candy factory. With each kettle making around 40 pounds of candy, Davidson’s makes between 1,000 and 3,000 pounds of candy per day, all by hand. Whether you choose orange, tangerine, key lime,
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or any of Davidson’s other flavors, rest assured that it contains the natural juice from that fruit, all from Florida. According to Val, “That’s what makes it taste so good!” What keeps Davidson’s business going strong? Aside from their old-fashioned, Florida fruit juice flavored candies, Tom credits his many wonderful long-term employees. “We had a lady that worked at the counter for us and she started in 1967 and she just retired about three years or so ago,” he said. Because she had been with the company since it’s start, it wasn’t unusual for guests to recognize her from previous visits and ask to take pictures. Tom continued, “We had one fellow that came in with his family, took the photo, and then pulled out of his wallet, a picture of when he was a 12-year-old boy with Alice, taking a picture.” The quality of their products also draws crowds. Tom remembers his father saying, “What we’ve got to do is make it so special and make it taste so good that people will want another one.” Tom added, “So, that’s what we’re trying to do the whole way through.” Whether your sweetheart likes, chocolate, citrus candies, pecan logs, or peanut brittle, you’ll find a sweet symbol of your love at Davidson’s. For Valentine’s Day, they have a candy they call “Strawberry Delicacy”, a citrus candy that is dipped in white chocolate as well as milk chocolate. I had a chance to sample one…or two… or four of the Strawberry Delicacy dipped in white chocolate and they were addicting, I was in love! Address: 28421 HWY 27, Dundee FL, 33838 Phone: 863-439-2284 Website: https://www.davidsonofdundee.com