Sweet dreams: Freeze-dried candy venture a success

MOUNT BLANCHARD — Amber Miller says she and her husband, Bret, have the sweetest job ever. The couple owns and operates Treats From BAM, a candy store on Mount Blanchard's Main Street. But it's not just any kind of candy store. The storefront only offers freeze-dried candies, samples of which are provided to anyone who comes in the front door. "We do this all day, every day, as long as we're open," says Amber, scooping up a yellow puff that in its past life was a piece of salt water taffy and offering it to an intrigued visitor. Now called a Popper, the banana-flavored tidbit elicited a happy "Mmmmm" from the woman. Meanwhile, a little boy who came in to the store with his dad asked for a grape Jolly Puff — formerly a Jolly Rancher. The crunchy treat exploded in a wave of sourness, and the accompanying scrunched-up look on the boy's face made Amber laugh. The boy nodded and smiled, giving her a thumbs up. The Millers opened the shop about six months ago, but already they have found fans who come seeking freeze-dried Skittles, Milk Duds, Starbursts and Bit-o-Honey. The business also supplies products to area stores, including Brinkman's Market and the Marathon gas station on Trenton Avenue in Findlay. "To me, it's a dream come true," said Bret, donning a white chef's hat. He grew up in the house next door to the store. "So this to me, you really can't get any more home than this. So to have this as being where I provide for my family means a lot." Bret and Amber both grew up in Mount Blanchard. And although they each spent some time away — Bret in Anchorage, Alaska, and Forest, and Amber in Findlay — the allure of their hometown eventually drew them back. "Small town," said Amber. "You can't shake it, and nothing else is the same." She used to sell cars for a living. Bret said he's what they call a "jack of all, a master of none," having worked in the factory industry, as an entrepreneur and a painter of industrial machines. He also served as mayor of Mount Blanchard. Everything changed when they bought a freeze dryer for their own personal use. The machine is typically used for food preservation, Bret said, but the instructions included recipes for freeze-drying candy. The process removes moisture from the product, which changes the texture of the candy and causes the flavors to pop. After some experimenting, the couple decided they could make it a business. "This kind of came about and started almost as a joke and a gimmick," said Bret. "And now we're both here full time." The process involves placing candy inside the freeze dryer, where it's frozen to temperatures as low as negative 40 degrees Fahrenheit. This creates a vacuum around the candy pieces. The machine then gradually warms the candy, and ice is evaporated through sublimation. This stage is where the ice turns into a gas, Bret explained, skipping the step when it becomes a liquid. "It's science, but it is rather simple," he said. Each type of candy has its own recipe that includes preparation, duration in the machine and the temperature inside, Bret said. "Certain things take much more time to prepare then others," he said. "Like the marshmallows, for example. Those would be the easiest, but everything else takes some sort of preparation." The motto for their candy is "The Same, But Different." The couple's 10-year-old daughter, Arraya, thinks it's the "greatest thing ever," said Amber. "Especially when she comes in and she gets to tell all of her friends about it. She absolutely loves it." A fan of Star Rocks, which are made from Starburst candies, the Riverdale third-grader calls herself Star Rock Girl. In fact, they all have their personal favorites. Amber is partial to Poppers, the name she gave to the freeze-dried salt water taffy. "I named them because I would just sit there and keep popping them in my mouth," she said with a smile. "I love fruity. I love fun things like that. Those are definitely my favorite." Her nickname, Mallow Mom, harkens back to the days when she was selling cars. "I caught myself when I was working at the dealership, I would keep a bag of (freeze-dried) marshmallows at my desk. And I would just sit there and grab a handful, and I would just kind of munch on them as I was sitting there typing and going through my day," she said. Bret is a fan of Caramel Puffs, which are created with Milk Duds. He said these were a favorite chewy treat when he was younger, but have become more challenging to eat as he's gotten older. "In this form, I still get all of the same great flavors. So to me, it's just like bringing back a little bit of childhood," he said. Many of the couple's older customers like the fact that the traditionally sticky candy changes texture during freeze-drying, so it doesn't adhere to teeth or dentures. Bret said they once had an older gentleman who expressed his delight at being able to eat salt water taffy again in its new form. "He said it'd been over 10 years, and he just about cried because it was one of his favorite childhood candies. You start living life and think you're never going to get just the simplest joy again," he said. Bret has adopted the name Frittle Man, in tribute to Frittles, which are made from Skittles — the product that actually started the company. With products already in several area stores as well as their own, the couple plans to launch an online store soon. Business hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, and other times when the couple is there working. Free samples are provided whenever the neon "Open" sign can be seen illuminating the front window, although children must be accompanied by a parent due to allergy concerns. "We're big on samples," said Bret. "We understand we have a new product and it's different, so people really do need to try it." The shop is also a manufacturing facility and not a retailer, so the store is not ADA compliant and cannot allow service animals to enter. However, the Millers will do their best to accommodate people with disabilities. Treats From BAM products are also sold at the Food Center and gas station in Mount Blanchard, Martin's Meat Mart in Forest, the Upper Sandusky Carry Out, the Shell station in Carey and the BP station in Fostoria. The couple said they're happy to have taken this step. "We're really living the American dream. I really can't imagine doing anything else," said Bret. Wolf: 419-427-8419