Coast candy shop goes healthy with freeze-dried fruits and veggies plus dye-free treats
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Crackin’ Candy specializes in freeze dried confections and healthy snacks.
- New offerings include dye-free, allergen-free and gluten-free candy options.
- Freeze drying enhances flavor, extends shelf life, and accommodates allergies.
Freeze dried candy has a more intense flavor that makes adults and children fans with their first bite.
Crackin’ Candy at 1708 Bienville Blvd. has been turning out freeze dried versions of favorite candies such as peppermint drops, honey bites, puffed ranch candies, strawberry sunset candies and many others for about a year now.
The bright pink building the shop occupies is expanding — not in size, but by adding healthy choices like freeze dried fruits and vegetables, said Rachel Councell, who operates the store with her husband, Hobie Councell.
The shelves display freeze dried watermelon strips, pickles, jalapenos and other fruits and vegetables they continue to try.
The watermelon is popular, Rachel said, and has no added sugar. “We took a watermelon, cut it into pieces, and freeze dried it,” she said.
The freeze dry fresh jalapenos are spicy and pickled jalapenos are a bit more mellow.
They also just introduced dye-free, allergen-free candies that don’t cause adverse reactions in some people.
“We’ve also done taffy that is dye free,” she said, and caramel corn that doesn’t affect dental work.
“I have on my shelf right now gluten-free Oreos,” she said, for people who have celiac issues. Her family has a history of celiac, peanut and milk allergies and diabetes.
“I do understand these things, and it’s something that I take very seriously,” she said, and is committed to natural ingredients.
Why freeze dried?
Freeze drying food is a reatively new trend.
“This was trending on Tik Tok and we decided to give it a try,” Rachel said.
They moved south from Ohio and now call Ocean Springs home. He is a disabled American veteran who worked at a coal-fired power plant for years while she worked in the food business. Their children had grown.
“We took a trip,” she said, and when they arrived in Biloxi and at Keesler Air Force Base, they realized South Mississippi is home, she said.
Melt in your mouth treats
Freeze dried products generally cost more because of the time required for freeze-drying, which can take 12 to 24 hours, and the cost of the equipment. But it also has big advantages, like a pop of candy that melts in your mouth, she said.
“It is absolutely yummy, and it’s great for people with any kind of dental issues. It doesn’t stick in your teeth like others do,” Rachel said.
It’s also a novelty that makes the candy popular for custom treat bags at birthday parties and weddings, she said.
The store features Barq’s rootbeer in a bottle, local honey, fig candles and supports local vendors, including young entrepreneurs who sell their jewelry alongside the freeze dried candy.
Crackin’ Candy has a commercial license to sell wholesale and to ship products throughout the country for those who visit South Mississippi, pick up some Crackin’ Candy and crave more.
This story was originally published August 14, 2025 at 8:02 AM.
