Love, It’s Hearts and Flowers Time

RIO GRANDE – History tells when the priest Valentinus was executed by the Romans for marrying soldiers and ministering to Christians he left a note to the daughter of one of his jailers and signed off “from your Valentine.” Little did he know millennia later an entire industry would flourish because he penned those three little words.
According to research, over $1 billion is spent annually in celebration of Valentine’s Day. Feb. 14 has become not only a day to say “I love you,” but also a day to present your sweetie with flowers and candy.
In Cape May’s Fudge Kitchen they’re paddling up a storm of fudge to make sure the holiday is a sweet one.
Jim McHugh, shop manager, said over the course of the Valentine’s Day holiday over 1,000 pounds of candy, including a mix of homemade chocolates and novelty items such as conversation hearts and cinnamon hearts will be sold.
“Believe it or not, said McHugh, people also buy Swedish Fish and Gummi Bears as well.”
McHugh said the two biggest sellers in his shop are hearts made of fudge as well as traditional chocolates. He added the store will sell approximately 400 fudge hearts over the course of the holiday.
“The large ones are over a pound and the small ones are close to three-quarters of a pound,” said McHugh in describing the fudge hearts. The store also sells empty hearts that can be filled with an assortment of candy.
“We like to say we will pack your sweetheart’s heart with whatever their heart desires,” said McHugh with a smile.
At Laura’s Fudge in Wildwood, owners Lori and David Roach, along with candymaker Chuck Leuker, were preparing for the big day. In the back of their shop they were making chocolates as well as fudge.
“We probably make 300 or 400 pounds,” said Lori Roach noting Valentine’s Day is a smaller holiday for the company. “Most of it is chocolate-covered fruit and fudge hearts. We do strawberries, blueberries, pineapple, banana and raspberries in season” said Roach. All candy is made on-site.
Roach said Laura’s Fudge sees a mix of customers, male and female, with the majority of customers being local.
“We do some Internet orders,” she said. “We’ve already sent out a couple of hundred pounds of candy and 300 pounds or so of fudge.” Roach said her husband customizes all fudge hearts.
Hearts can be made in any of the store’s long list of flavors. Interestingly, peanut butter, not chocolate, is the most requested fudge heart flavor. Each fudge heart is chocolate covered after being cut.
This year Laura’s is selling its chocolate-covered bacon for Valentine’s Day. The sweet and salty treat was developed by David Roach when he participated on the television show “Dinner Impossible.”
Lori Roach said Michael Simons wanted bacon fudge but was told the shop could not produce fudge in the amount of time allotted by the show.
“My husband came up with chocolate-covered bacon,” said Lori Roach.
“It’s not bad,” said Lori Roach. “It tastes like chocolate covered pretzels with a smoky twist. It has the salt and the chocolate but it has the smoky bacon twist.”
With rows and rows of heart boxes sitting empty waiting to be filled and trays of trays of freshly-made chocolate candies waiting to be placed in them, it was a chocolate lover’s dream.
“Valentine’s is a warm up for Easter for me,” said David Roach. “I get in here; I get all the equipment back in running shape and get everything back to where it’s supposed to be and getting ourselves back into it again.”
Leuker has made candy for almost a quarter-century. This year he does not have a Valentine.
Cupid keeps missing me,” said the man who had brought smiles to the faces of hundreds of women with his confections.
If candy isn’t the way to your sweet’s heart, there are always flowers. Sharon Roman, owner of Marie’s Flower Shop in Wildwood Crest was busy preparing for the onslaught of customers who would be stopping by to purchase roses, along with other hints of spring, for their love.
“Obviously roses,” said Roman when asked what her big seller was for Valentine’s Day. “And color of choice? Red.” While red roses symbolize love, Roman added she also sells yellow roses, which symbolize friendship.
Roman said her shop will go through 45 dozen red roses for the holiday. The flowers come from South America and need to be prepped when they arrive. Thorns are removed; imperfect petals are removed, cutting, a soak in floral solution, the addition of baby’s breath and greenery, a vase and a bow all make the process of giving a dozen roses labor intensive.
While many think florists hike up the price of roses for the holiday Roman said not necessarily. This year romantics hoping to woo their Valentine with flowers will find the price the same as last year.
“The reason why they’re more expensive at Valentine’s Day has to do with the time of year,” explained the florist. “They pinch the roses back at a certain time of year, so there’s a shortage.”
“It’s mostly all men,” said Roman, noting the majority of her customers walking out the door with roses in hand. She added many of them are repeat customers.
“I think they think they have to do it, or are supposed to do it,” Roman replied when asked why men buy flowers. “I think the majority of them do it, too, because they love their significant other or spouse,” she added.
Roman said her favorite flowers are not roses but daisies, has been married 18 years. She said she prefers candy from her Valentine.
“It’s kind of hard to give flowers to somebody who works around them all day long. I know my husband always says ‘I can’t give you flowers.’” Roman laughed as she said. “Jewelry’s always nice.”
For many, a trip to the grocery store this week may mean bread, milk, eggs and roses.
“Last year we sold 600 dozen,” said Michelle Williams, of ShopRite Rio Grande, the store’s floral manager. That number did not include single stem or boxed three stem roses or those added into arrangements.
According to Williams the store offers roses both in a vase as well as a gift box.
While picking up roses at a grocery store may seem like an afterthought for someone doing their food shopping, that’s not so, said Williams.
“It’s not just grab and go. About 90 percent ask for help and upgrades rather than what we have out.”
The store also sells holiday carnations, including 700 to local high schools allowing students to buy a single stemmed flower for their sweetheart. The bakery department can also supply a sweet treat to eat.
Williams said in her department Valentine’s Day is the busiest time of year, followed by Mothers’ Day. “But it’s definitely Valentine’s Day.”
The store sees many repeat customers year to year, Williams said.
For Williams, the fun part of the holiday is seeing the customers.
“Mainly you see a lot of the men, and some of them look so confused. That’s the fun part – you’re helping them.” According to Williams only 15 percent of customers are female.
After spending her day tiptoeing through tulips and arranging roses, Williams said the one thing she does not want for Valentine’s Day from her Valentine of 19 years is flowers.
“No, thank you, but I’d prefer not to get flowers after dealing with them all day,” she said.
According to Williams, her husband usually puts one single stemmed rose on her car seat when she leaves for work and then gifts her with jewelry.
When it comes to the hubbub of the holiday, Williams summed it up. “You pull your hair out, but it’s fun.”