Natalie and Zachary Chapman were extra sweet this holiday season and donated $100 of the money they made selling homemade freeze-dried candy to Blades Elementary to help families needing assistance with their meal balances.

“I really enjoyed going to Blades, and when I found out about the ‘Pay it Forward,’ I wanted to help the cause,” Natalie said. “It made me feel really happy knowing that it was going towards a good cause and helping people.”

For those who are unaware, ‘Pay it Forward’ is a Mehlville School District-wide community aid program. Schools throughout the district accept donations specifically labeled “Pay It Forward Meal Account Donation” and then use those funds to offset negative balances in students’ accounts.

The Bernard Middle seventh grader and Blades Elementary fourth grader, respectively, started making freeze-dried candy in August 2022 after their parents bought a freeze dryer to make food while camping. They put Skittles in it to test, and the candies came out crunchy, intriguing everyone. From there, they experimented with other candies and the result was the same: crispy, extra flavorful candy.

“We make all kinds – Skittles, taffy, caramel candies and lots of other candies. Everything has lots of sugar,” Zachary said.

“The freeze dryer freezes the candy to a really low temperature then pulls a vacuum on the candy and the ice turns to a gas and freezes on the sides of the freeze dryer chamber,” Natalie said, explaining the process. “Candy doesn’t have a lot of water so it puffs up when the vacuum is pulled.”

The siblings sell everything for $5, or three for $12. Natalie’s favorite freeze-dried candy is Charleston Chews, and Zachary’s is Tropical Skittles.