It's Harder To Destroy Peeps Candy Than You Might Think

Love them or hate them, Peeps candy is one of the most classic marshmallow candy treats of our time. Since coming to market in 1953, Peeps have become an annual sweet treat, with the chicks and bunnies making their way into people's Easter celebrations (via Just Born). The sugar-dusted, multi-colored marshmallow snacks — packed full of food dyes, natural flavors, preservatives, and corn syrup — are of course not necessarily healthy or good for you in any way. This makes having them around the holidays that much more special when they begin to line the shelves.

Throughout the years, Peeps have undergone several makeovers when it comes to colors and flavors. While you might associate Peeps with just Easter, Peeps actually have 19 different flavors, shapes, and colors for just about any holiday. These include Gingerbread Man Peeps, Birthday Cake Peeps, Valentine's Day vanilla crème hearts, Chocolate Mousse reindeer, Fruit Punch Peeps, Hot Tamales Peeps, and more (via Lehigh Valley Live).

If you're someone who labels yourself as a Peep hater (we see you and won't judge) and fantasizes about destroying Peeps, we have some bad news for you. Believe it or not, it's actually quite hard to destroy the famed marshmallow candy.

If you're trying to destroy your Peeps, you're going to have your work cut out for you. According to a 1999 research study conducted at Emory University, Peeps have the consistency to withstand some harsh conditions. The experiment outlines different reactions the Peeps have to various factors, including cold, heat, low pressure, and some soluble solutions (via Fox 4).

When the Peeps were hit with a hammer and then placed in a bucket of liquid nitrogen for a minute, the candy did harden and break apart — but do you have a bucket of freezing liquid nitrogen around? Didn't think so. On the opposite spectrum, when Peeps were exposed to a pressure cooker for 15 minutes and then to 350-degree Fahrenheit heat, the candy turned into gooey marshmallow fluff but didn't completely disintegrate. When Peeps were submerged in different solutions including water, acetone, sulfuric acid, and sodium hydroxide for an hour, the Peeps' sugar started dissolving but they retained their shapes. Even scarier, when submerged into phenol — a dangerously strong chemical that breaks down proteins — the Peep itself turned to goo but its eyes remained totally unharmed. This could be because the eyes are made with car wax, which is hard to break down. Last but not least, when exposed to a low-pressure vacuum, the Peep folded in on itself like marshmallow chewing gum (via Peep Research).

Next time you reach for Peeps, imagine how hard it is for your body to break any of this down.