1 00:00:08,275 --> 00:00:11,310 - The United States is and always has been 2 00:00:11,379 --> 00:00:13,965 a melting pot of cultures, customs, ideas, 3 00:00:14,034 --> 00:00:16,310 and yes, food. 4 00:00:16,379 --> 00:00:18,137 One of the things that I love most about food 5 00:00:18,206 --> 00:00:21,310 is that it can, and always does evolve. 6 00:00:21,379 --> 00:00:24,137 Coming up with new inventions, new innovations, 7 00:00:24,206 --> 00:00:25,827 that's an American tradition, 8 00:00:25,896 --> 00:00:28,448 and we've been revolutionizing the world of food 9 00:00:28,517 --> 00:00:30,793 just like every other part of our society 10 00:00:30,862 --> 00:00:32,482 since our founding days. 11 00:00:32,551 --> 00:00:35,310 In fact, there are a lot of iconic foods 12 00:00:35,379 --> 00:00:37,827 you probably associate with other countries 13 00:00:37,896 --> 00:00:41,448 that were actually invented right here in the US of A, 14 00:00:41,517 --> 00:00:45,517 like English muffins, yeah, that's ours. 15 00:00:45,655 --> 00:00:49,655 The Cuban sandwich, that's an American innovation. 16 00:00:49,724 --> 00:00:51,793 Even salad dressings like Russian, 17 00:00:51,862 --> 00:00:55,137 French, and ranch, invented here too. 18 00:00:55,206 --> 00:00:57,655 American innovations also include 19 00:00:57,724 --> 00:01:01,379 the first chocolate that didn't melt in summer heat, 20 00:01:01,448 --> 00:01:06,034 the first condensed soup, and so much more. 21 00:01:06,103 --> 00:01:08,344 Today we're getting a look at American inventions 22 00:01:08,413 --> 00:01:10,206 and innovations up close. 23 00:01:10,275 --> 00:01:13,413 We'll go behind the curtain at world famous Dippin' Dots 24 00:01:13,551 --> 00:01:16,034 where we'll see how a process originally created 25 00:01:16,103 --> 00:01:18,827 for feeding cattle gave us a brilliant 26 00:01:18,896 --> 00:01:20,137 re-invention of ice cream. 27 00:01:20,241 --> 00:01:24,517 Plus we'll see how Blue Apron is changing the grocery game 28 00:01:24,586 --> 00:01:27,724 by using innovative machines on the assembly line. 29 00:01:27,793 --> 00:01:30,379 You won't believe how they're shipping millions 30 00:01:30,448 --> 00:01:32,034 of specially designed packages 31 00:01:32,103 --> 00:01:34,206 every month across the country. 32 00:01:34,275 --> 00:01:38,379 And we'll see behind the curtain at the jelly bean company 33 00:01:38,448 --> 00:01:40,862 that blew up the jelly bean world 34 00:01:40,931 --> 00:01:43,034 by figuring out how to pack hundreds 35 00:01:43,103 --> 00:01:47,689 of crazy new flavors into the center of their beans. 36 00:01:47,758 --> 00:01:52,172 This is "Modern Marvels, Inventions and Innovations." 37 00:01:52,241 --> 00:01:54,862 [upbeat music] 38 00:02:02,482 --> 00:02:03,793 What is innovation? 39 00:02:03,862 --> 00:02:07,275 To me, it's that spirit of asking "Is there a better way? 40 00:02:07,344 --> 00:02:08,931 How can this improve?" 41 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:11,103 Maybe it's improving a process 42 00:02:11,172 --> 00:02:12,793 or making something more efficient, 43 00:02:12,862 --> 00:02:16,448 or maybe it's creating something completely new. 44 00:02:16,517 --> 00:02:19,275 The biggest and most beloved innovations 45 00:02:19,344 --> 00:02:21,103 have changed the world as we know it, 46 00:02:21,172 --> 00:02:25,724 like the light bulb, the automobile, and the supermarket 47 00:02:25,793 --> 00:02:29,137 [upbeat music] 48 00:02:29,206 --> 00:02:32,275 Today, I'm at one company that is reinventing the grocery 49 00:02:32,344 --> 00:02:35,413 process that had been in place for a hundred years. 50 00:02:35,482 --> 00:02:37,448 From the idea of the company itself 51 00:02:37,517 --> 00:02:40,241 to the processes and machinery they've implemented, 52 00:02:40,310 --> 00:02:44,758 the whole thing is one big innovation, Blue Apron. 53 00:02:46,034 --> 00:02:49,620 Founded in 2012, Blue Apron is one of the leaders 54 00:02:49,689 --> 00:02:53,241 in this $5 billion meal kit industry, 55 00:02:53,310 --> 00:02:56,275 doing almost half a billion dollars 56 00:02:56,344 --> 00:02:58,620 in revenue last year alone. 57 00:02:58,689 --> 00:03:03,655 I'm currently inside their 495,000 square foot 58 00:03:03,724 --> 00:03:06,517 custom built, state-of-the-art facility. 59 00:03:06,586 --> 00:03:11,310 And it is very big, bigger than a New York City block. 60 00:03:11,379 --> 00:03:12,482 And today we're going to find out 61 00:03:12,551 --> 00:03:16,862 how they take 125 truckloads of ingredients, 62 00:03:16,931 --> 00:03:20,172 portion them, organize them, and pack and ship 63 00:03:20,241 --> 00:03:24,517 hundreds of thousands of meals every single week. 64 00:03:24,586 --> 00:03:29,000 Grocery stores are responsible for about 43 billion 65 00:03:29,068 --> 00:03:32,000 pounds of food waste in the US. 66 00:03:32,068 --> 00:03:34,034 That waste costs you money. 67 00:03:34,103 --> 00:03:37,137 Blue Apron's developed a host of innovative approaches 68 00:03:37,206 --> 00:03:40,344 to getting food to table that minimize waste 69 00:03:40,413 --> 00:03:44,310 and maximize efficiency, and that saves you money. 70 00:03:44,379 --> 00:03:45,862 At the same time, 71 00:03:45,931 --> 00:03:48,034 it's setting new standards for the industry. 72 00:03:48,103 --> 00:03:51,344 Their innovations, including some of the most cutting edge 73 00:03:51,413 --> 00:03:53,517 machinery I have ever seen, 74 00:03:53,586 --> 00:03:57,172 are changing our entire relationship with food, 75 00:03:57,241 --> 00:04:01,241 how we cook it, how we package it, and how we shop for it. 76 00:04:01,310 --> 00:04:04,068 And I want to figure out how they do it. 77 00:04:04,137 --> 00:04:08,206 Each Blue Apron box contains a recipe for a meal, 78 00:04:08,275 --> 00:04:11,586 as well as a set of perfectly portioned ingredients 79 00:04:11,724 --> 00:04:13,551 to make the meal with. 80 00:04:13,620 --> 00:04:17,206 The menu is constantly changing to keep things interesting, 81 00:04:17,275 --> 00:04:19,758 as well as focusing on what's in season. 82 00:04:19,827 --> 00:04:23,206 Before we see the process of how they work their magic, 83 00:04:23,275 --> 00:04:25,586 I want to see some of the finished meals. 84 00:04:25,655 --> 00:04:28,896 It starts with a meal prep box. 85 00:04:28,965 --> 00:04:33,758 Meal prep is an old idea busy Americans have long employed. 86 00:04:33,827 --> 00:04:37,068 Cook on one day, but prep all the meals 87 00:04:37,137 --> 00:04:39,758 for your entire hectic work week. 88 00:04:39,827 --> 00:04:42,724 But Blue Apron is re-inventing the whole idea 89 00:04:42,793 --> 00:04:45,620 of meal prep with their new box. 90 00:04:45,758 --> 00:04:49,068 You take one day to prep and cook four different meals 91 00:04:49,137 --> 00:04:51,413 and then reheat them through the week. 92 00:04:51,482 --> 00:04:53,206 So let's see what's for dinner. 93 00:04:54,620 --> 00:04:57,551 John Adler, a former chef in my hometown of Brooklyn, 94 00:04:57,620 --> 00:05:01,275 is Blue Apron's VP of Culinary and Physical Products. 95 00:05:01,344 --> 00:05:03,620 It is his job to make sure 96 00:05:03,689 --> 00:05:07,000 all of Blue Apron's meals are delicious. 97 00:05:07,068 --> 00:05:10,827 - So what you have here is chicken, pork chorizo meatballs, 98 00:05:10,896 --> 00:05:12,827 and then some mashed sweet potatoes and broccoli. 99 00:05:12,896 --> 00:05:15,655 I'm just curious with something like the mashed potatoes. 100 00:05:15,724 --> 00:05:18,482 If you can tell what's different about our mashed potatoes 101 00:05:18,551 --> 00:05:20,448 then maybe most mashed sweet potatoes. 102 00:05:20,517 --> 00:05:21,517 - Okay, you got it. 103 00:05:26,034 --> 00:05:28,793 Mm, I love the consistency of it 104 00:05:28,862 --> 00:05:31,000 - But now I'm going to, I'm going to name something for you 105 00:05:31,068 --> 00:05:34,137 that you're going to say, "nah, that's a dessert." 106 00:05:34,206 --> 00:05:35,103 Mascarpone cheese. 107 00:05:35,172 --> 00:05:36,137 - Mascarpone. 108 00:05:36,206 --> 00:05:38,310 - Mascarpone is how you get that creaminess. 109 00:05:38,379 --> 00:05:42,000 What we do is we start to think about what's a plus one? 110 00:05:42,068 --> 00:05:45,137 What are different things that we can add to the experience 111 00:05:45,206 --> 00:05:46,620 where someone is going to feel like 112 00:05:46,689 --> 00:05:48,310 it was memorable and exciting? 113 00:05:51,068 --> 00:05:52,793 - [Adam] Think about all the different ingredients 114 00:05:52,862 --> 00:05:54,965 that come in a Blue Apron box. 115 00:05:55,034 --> 00:05:57,655 Meats like duck, chorizo, 116 00:05:57,724 --> 00:06:00,310 produce like chickpeas and bok choy, 117 00:06:00,379 --> 00:06:03,034 not to mention sauces and seasonings. 118 00:06:03,103 --> 00:06:06,379 So does Blue Apron deliver all those different foods 119 00:06:06,448 --> 00:06:10,206 to your door in one box, fresh and ready to cook? 120 00:06:10,275 --> 00:06:11,551 Well, it's time to meet Blue Apron 121 00:06:11,620 --> 00:06:14,241 president and CEO Linda to find out. 122 00:06:15,241 --> 00:06:16,034 - Shall we go? 123 00:06:16,103 --> 00:06:16,896 - [Adam] You lead, I follow. 124 00:06:17,034 --> 00:06:18,068 - All right. 125 00:06:18,137 --> 00:06:19,724 - [Adam] Let's do it. I'll hold your apron strings. 126 00:06:20,896 --> 00:06:23,000 See how it did that? It's, oh forget it. 127 00:06:23,068 --> 00:06:25,724 Because the menu is constantly changing, 128 00:06:25,793 --> 00:06:28,689 the machines and assembly line have to be adaptable 129 00:06:28,758 --> 00:06:30,758 to handling all the different ingredients, 130 00:06:30,896 --> 00:06:34,206 sauces, spices, basically everything and anything 131 00:06:34,275 --> 00:06:35,689 you can think to cook with. 132 00:06:35,758 --> 00:06:38,206 Blue Apron has a major challenge, 133 00:06:38,275 --> 00:06:40,724 how to keep all these different ingredients 134 00:06:40,793 --> 00:06:42,724 with different storage temperatures 135 00:06:42,793 --> 00:06:45,344 fresh through their entire process 136 00:06:45,413 --> 00:06:47,344 and all the way to your doorstep. 137 00:06:47,413 --> 00:06:49,551 - So we have receiving docks that actually bring in 138 00:06:49,620 --> 00:06:51,896 all the produce, all the protein, et cetera. 139 00:06:51,965 --> 00:06:55,034 So we have a very specific cold chain handling process 140 00:06:55,103 --> 00:06:57,379 to make sure ingredients stay at the right temperature 141 00:06:57,448 --> 00:06:58,517 for that ingredient. 142 00:06:58,586 --> 00:06:59,586 - Okay. 143 00:06:59,724 --> 00:07:01,103 - So for example, tomatoes should not be 144 00:07:01,172 --> 00:07:02,551 as cold as say milk. 145 00:07:02,620 --> 00:07:03,689 - You hear that? 146 00:07:03,793 --> 00:07:05,793 Hey, you don't put your tomatoes in the fridge? 147 00:07:05,862 --> 00:07:07,241 - Never put your tomatoes in the fridge. 148 00:07:07,310 --> 00:07:10,448 - Come on, people, it crystallizes. 149 00:07:10,517 --> 00:07:13,448 How many trucks are going to be coming in? I mean. 150 00:07:13,517 --> 00:07:16,620 - You know, we can have anywhere from 100 to 125 a week. 151 00:07:16,689 --> 00:07:18,586 So we've got about 25 trucks coming in 152 00:07:18,655 --> 00:07:20,931 per day just for receiving. 153 00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:23,758 - And if I may, I just want to show one thing, 154 00:07:25,827 --> 00:07:30,620 that despite the fact that this is meal kits you can order, 155 00:07:30,689 --> 00:07:32,758 you're getting actual produce. 156 00:07:32,827 --> 00:07:36,965 This isn't like a freeze-dried reconstituted pepper. 157 00:07:37,034 --> 00:07:39,793 And here is where Blue Apron's innovative process 158 00:07:39,862 --> 00:07:43,758 offers a big advantage over a traditional grocery store. 159 00:07:43,827 --> 00:07:45,413 - If anybody's bought one of those peppers 160 00:07:45,482 --> 00:07:47,586 in the grocery store, you know how expensive they are. 161 00:07:47,655 --> 00:07:48,586 - Yes. 162 00:07:50,517 --> 00:07:52,793 the waste surrounding the system. 163 00:07:52,862 --> 00:07:55,413 So if a lot of those peppers are going to get thrown out, 164 00:07:55,482 --> 00:07:58,137 then each individual pepper has to cost more. 165 00:07:58,275 --> 00:08:01,310 We can give it to you at a much better cost because 166 00:08:01,379 --> 00:08:04,000 of the fact that we know it's not going to be wasted. 167 00:08:04,068 --> 00:08:05,827 [upbeat music] 168 00:08:05,896 --> 00:08:07,689 - [Adam] Blue Apron's approach is new, 169 00:08:07,758 --> 00:08:10,517 but the idea of inventing new ways to help busy families 170 00:08:10,586 --> 00:08:14,137 get dinner on the table has a long history. 171 00:08:14,206 --> 00:08:15,965 One of the first companies to do it 172 00:08:16,034 --> 00:08:18,172 wasn't even aiming for the dinner table. 173 00:08:18,241 --> 00:08:20,172 They were aiming for a TV tray. 174 00:08:20,241 --> 00:08:22,517 The year was 1953. 175 00:08:22,586 --> 00:08:25,172 The company Swanson was already 176 00:08:25,241 --> 00:08:27,827 a successful purveyor of frozen poultry. 177 00:08:27,896 --> 00:08:32,517 But that year they had a whopping 260 tons 178 00:08:32,586 --> 00:08:35,965 of frozen turkey left over from Thanksgiving, 179 00:08:36,034 --> 00:08:38,344 and faced a dilemma and how to monetize 180 00:08:38,413 --> 00:08:40,000 their expensive surplus. 181 00:08:40,068 --> 00:08:43,517 Then a brilliant idea, to carve up those birds 182 00:08:43,586 --> 00:08:46,517 and add sides of stuffing and sweet potatoes 183 00:08:46,586 --> 00:08:50,517 and freeze all three in a partitioned aluminum tray 184 00:08:50,586 --> 00:08:52,310 that can be heated up at home. 185 00:08:52,379 --> 00:08:57,310 Swanson had just invented an American legend, the TV dinner. 186 00:08:57,379 --> 00:09:01,413 And get this, some husbands even wrote angry letters 187 00:09:01,482 --> 00:09:04,413 to Swanson at the time, miffed about losing 188 00:09:04,482 --> 00:09:07,068 their fancy full-blown home cooked meals, 189 00:09:08,413 --> 00:09:11,896 but a TV dinner is frozen and stays frozen 190 00:09:11,965 --> 00:09:14,206 until you pick it up at the supermarket. 191 00:09:14,275 --> 00:09:16,896 A gourmet meal kit with fresh ingredients 192 00:09:16,965 --> 00:09:18,241 delivered right to your door, 193 00:09:18,310 --> 00:09:21,034 that is a new innovation entirely. 194 00:09:21,103 --> 00:09:22,586 Think about an avocado. 195 00:09:22,655 --> 00:09:25,724 You hand test them at the supermarket to make sure 196 00:09:25,793 --> 00:09:29,413 they're in that small window of perfect ripeness. 197 00:09:29,482 --> 00:09:32,068 How does Blue Apron make sure the multitude 198 00:09:32,137 --> 00:09:35,931 of avocados they send out arrive at your doorstep 199 00:09:36,068 --> 00:09:38,206 within that tiny window? 200 00:09:38,275 --> 00:09:41,068 - Avocados has always been a tricky ingredient for meal kits 201 00:09:41,137 --> 00:09:43,586 because very hard to get that perfect ripeness. 202 00:09:43,655 --> 00:09:44,586 You know what's even harder, 203 00:09:44,655 --> 00:09:46,896 having it stored, shipped to a customer, 204 00:09:46,965 --> 00:09:48,413 and then having it be the perfect ripeness 205 00:09:48,482 --> 00:09:49,379 when it gets there. 206 00:09:50,931 --> 00:09:54,241 how much pressure it takes to penetrate into that fruit. 207 00:09:54,310 --> 00:09:56,413 It's called a penetrometer. 208 00:09:56,482 --> 00:09:57,896 So we're gonna penetrate into the fruit. 209 00:09:57,965 --> 00:09:59,241 - Are we allowed to say that? 210 00:09:59,310 --> 00:10:00,724 This is a family show. 211 00:10:01,827 --> 00:10:03,586 - We want the ripeness of the fruit 212 00:10:03,655 --> 00:10:07,068 to be between 10 and 15 pounds per square inch. 213 00:10:07,137 --> 00:10:08,758 So I'm gonna place the avocado 214 00:10:08,827 --> 00:10:11,206 with the cut side right underneath our device. 215 00:10:13,448 --> 00:10:14,586 Perfect. 216 00:10:14,655 --> 00:10:19,275 - Avocado, it's almost like a tightrope walk. 217 00:10:19,413 --> 00:10:22,551 It's like the ripeness, you need to nail that sweet spot. 218 00:10:22,620 --> 00:10:26,758 You have to do that for one component of one recipe 219 00:10:26,827 --> 00:10:30,413 in one kit that may have multiple recipes in it. 220 00:10:30,482 --> 00:10:35,413 So this is a small sample of the produce quality assurance. 221 00:10:36,137 --> 00:10:39,241 We haven't even yet entered the cold chain. 222 00:10:39,310 --> 00:10:43,206 A cold chain is a variation of the standard supply chain 223 00:10:43,275 --> 00:10:46,551 where foods are transported from producer to consumer 224 00:10:46,620 --> 00:10:49,241 at a certain temperature to maximize their freshness. 225 00:10:49,310 --> 00:10:52,724 But at Blue Apron, they've taken it to the next level. 226 00:10:52,793 --> 00:10:55,206 Instead of the one size fits all approach of either 227 00:10:55,275 --> 00:10:58,551 refrigerate or don't refrigerate, they've innovated 228 00:10:58,620 --> 00:11:01,827 and have subdivided their cold chain to include three 229 00:11:01,896 --> 00:11:05,310 different temperature coolers along with their freezer. 230 00:11:05,379 --> 00:11:07,482 And because of their innovative approach, 231 00:11:07,551 --> 00:11:11,827 their ingredients are stored at their own ideal temperature, 232 00:11:11,896 --> 00:11:15,793 locking in freshness and keeping the prices down. 233 00:11:15,862 --> 00:11:18,827 Besides being immensely complicated, 234 00:11:18,896 --> 00:11:23,103 Blue Apron's cold chain runs at an insane size. 235 00:11:23,172 --> 00:11:26,517 This is like the biggest, best pantry ever. 236 00:11:30,172 --> 00:11:32,310 -[Adam] When it comes to inventions and innovations, 237 00:11:32,379 --> 00:11:35,517 American candy makers have done their share and then some. 238 00:11:35,655 --> 00:11:38,206 Over 100 years ago, New Yorker Leo Hershfield 239 00:11:38,310 --> 00:11:41,310 changed American childhood when he invented a new candy 240 00:11:41,379 --> 00:11:43,724 that combined a chocolaty taste 241 00:11:43,827 --> 00:11:47,344 with a taffy consistency, the Tootsie Roll. 242 00:11:47,482 --> 00:11:50,965 Tootsie Roll's taffy base gave them durability, 243 00:11:51,034 --> 00:11:52,793 making them the very first chocolate 244 00:11:52,862 --> 00:11:55,344 that wouldn't melt in summer heat. 245 00:11:55,482 --> 00:11:57,758 In an era before refrigerators and AC, 246 00:11:57,827 --> 00:12:00,000 that was a very big deal. 247 00:12:00,068 --> 00:12:03,034 Tootsie Rolls were also the first single serving candy 248 00:12:03,103 --> 00:12:06,689 to be individually wrapped and sold for one cent. 249 00:12:06,758 --> 00:12:09,551 For the first time, even the poorest kids 250 00:12:09,620 --> 00:12:12,862 could pick up a penny candy at the corner store. 251 00:12:14,724 --> 00:12:16,551 One of those poor kids went on to become 252 00:12:16,620 --> 00:12:20,172 a 20th century pop culture type, Frank Sinatra. 253 00:12:20,241 --> 00:12:22,827 Old Blue Eyes loved Tootsie Rolls so much 254 00:12:22,896 --> 00:12:24,931 he was reportedly buried with some, 255 00:12:25,034 --> 00:12:27,724 and the iconic treat is still going strong 256 00:12:27,793 --> 00:12:31,586 in the 21st century with 64 million Tootsie Rolls 257 00:12:31,724 --> 00:12:34,172 rolling off the line every single day. 258 00:12:36,551 --> 00:12:39,413 Here at Blue Apron, they have completely refashioned 259 00:12:39,551 --> 00:12:41,000 the traditional assembly line 260 00:12:41,068 --> 00:12:44,068 with innovative concepts like the cold chain, 261 00:12:44,206 --> 00:12:47,206 which starts right here in this enormous room 262 00:12:47,275 --> 00:12:49,689 at their flagship New Jersey facility. 263 00:12:49,758 --> 00:12:53,689 This is like the biggest, best pantry ever. 264 00:12:53,758 --> 00:12:56,793 - [Mike] Absolutely, this is our cooler number one. 265 00:12:56,896 --> 00:13:00,379 - [Adam] Okay, peppers, eggplant, tomato. 266 00:13:00,448 --> 00:13:02,103 This is the right climate for them? 267 00:13:02,172 --> 00:13:03,172 - Absolutely. 268 00:13:03,275 --> 00:13:06,172 - You'll have three, four meals in a box, 269 00:13:06,275 --> 00:13:09,482 but again, you don't know if the customer 270 00:13:09,620 --> 00:13:10,586 is going to cook them right away, 271 00:13:10,655 --> 00:13:12,965 what order they're going to cook them in. 272 00:13:13,034 --> 00:13:16,482 So they have to be hardy enough for a whole week, correct? 273 00:13:16,620 --> 00:13:19,275 - Yep, and by keeping them at their perfect temperature, 274 00:13:19,344 --> 00:13:21,482 you know, that 45 to 55 degree range, 275 00:13:21,586 --> 00:13:22,448 - [Adam] Right. 276 00:13:22,517 --> 00:13:23,068 we're going to extend that shelf life. 277 00:13:23,137 --> 00:13:24,310 - Absolutely. 278 00:13:24,448 --> 00:13:28,000 Blue Apron has four different cooler storage spaces 279 00:13:28,103 --> 00:13:30,241 all designed to keep every ingredient 280 00:13:30,310 --> 00:13:33,103 within its ideal temperature range. 281 00:13:33,172 --> 00:13:34,413 [upbeat music] 282 00:13:34,482 --> 00:13:37,931 Back in the '80s, a microbiologist named Kirk Jones 283 00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:39,448 came up with a food innovation 284 00:13:39,517 --> 00:13:41,517 that also involved cold temperatures, 285 00:13:41,620 --> 00:13:44,758 but he was thinking just a smidge colder, 286 00:13:44,827 --> 00:13:47,413 negative 320 degrees. 287 00:13:47,482 --> 00:13:50,620 Dippin' Dots revolutionized the idea of ice cream 288 00:13:50,689 --> 00:13:54,275 when they burst out the scene in 1988. 289 00:13:54,344 --> 00:13:57,482 Jones was working at a company that used liquid nitrogen 290 00:13:57,620 --> 00:14:00,448 to freeze yogurt into feed pellets for cattle 291 00:14:00,517 --> 00:14:03,000 when he had a brilliant idea. 292 00:14:03,068 --> 00:14:06,827 What if you applied the same technique to ice cream? 293 00:14:06,896 --> 00:14:09,931 His revolutionary concept created a brand new product, 294 00:14:10,034 --> 00:14:14,413 super dense, ultra creamy, tiny little spheres of ice cream, 295 00:14:14,517 --> 00:14:18,137 and every Dippin' Dot you have ever tasted 296 00:14:18,206 --> 00:14:20,827 was made right here in Paducah, Kentucky. 297 00:14:22,689 --> 00:14:26,586 - We get about 2.8 million pounds of cream per year, 298 00:14:26,689 --> 00:14:29,517 2.8 million pounds of skim milk per year. 299 00:14:29,586 --> 00:14:32,000 We get liquid sugar and corn syrup, 300 00:14:32,068 --> 00:14:34,689 and all that goes into the process of making 301 00:14:34,758 --> 00:14:38,551 three and a half million gallons of Dippin' Dots per year. 302 00:14:38,689 --> 00:14:42,862 - [Adam] That equals 87 million servings of Dippin' Dots, 303 00:14:42,931 --> 00:14:47,172 or 174 billion actual dots, each one of which 304 00:14:47,241 --> 00:14:50,413 begins its life right here in a batch tank. 305 00:14:50,517 --> 00:14:54,000 At this stage, the mix is just like any other ice cream mix. 306 00:14:55,413 --> 00:14:57,689 - Once our mix is pasteurized, 307 00:14:57,758 --> 00:14:59,586 it'll go into one of these flavor vats. 308 00:14:59,689 --> 00:15:02,103 Today we're making birthday cake. 309 00:15:02,241 --> 00:15:06,620 There's a blue, a white, a pink, and a teal. 310 00:15:06,758 --> 00:15:09,448 Each different color goes into a different vat. 311 00:15:09,586 --> 00:15:11,448 We keep those colors separated 312 00:15:11,586 --> 00:15:15,413 over into our cryogenic pelletizers. 313 00:15:15,482 --> 00:15:17,620 - [Adam] Here is we're Dippin' Dots diverges 314 00:15:17,758 --> 00:15:20,448 from every ice cream maker that came before it. 315 00:15:20,586 --> 00:15:22,448 Instead of using a regular freezer 316 00:15:22,586 --> 00:15:24,241 to freeze their ice cream mix, 317 00:15:24,310 --> 00:15:29,241 they use liquid nitrogen, a process called cryogenics. 318 00:15:29,310 --> 00:15:32,586 And no, I don't mean freezing people when they die. 319 00:15:32,724 --> 00:15:34,379 For the record, that's cryonics. 320 00:15:34,448 --> 00:15:37,206 That's the subject of a very, very different show. 321 00:15:37,275 --> 00:15:41,586 - Liquid nitrogen is so incredibly cold, 322 00:15:41,655 --> 00:15:45,379 320 degrees Fahrenheit below zero. 323 00:15:45,448 --> 00:15:48,068 And because of that, it can freeze food, 324 00:15:48,137 --> 00:15:50,931 especially ice cream in an instant, 325 00:15:51,068 --> 00:15:53,655 which is such an advantage because it can result in 326 00:15:53,758 --> 00:15:56,275 really, really, really small ice crystals 327 00:15:56,413 --> 00:15:58,241 so that you don't detect them by the tongue, 328 00:15:58,310 --> 00:16:00,068 which is why Dippin' Dots have become 329 00:16:00,137 --> 00:16:01,793 really popular over the years. 330 00:16:01,862 --> 00:16:04,000 You're eating spheres of ice cream 331 00:16:04,137 --> 00:16:05,931 instead of a scoop of ice cream. 332 00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:08,448 - [Adam] And this is where the magic happens. 333 00:16:08,517 --> 00:16:12,103 Droplets of the mix fall directly into liquid nitrogen, 334 00:16:12,172 --> 00:16:16,310 which at a chilly 320 degrees below zero, 335 00:16:16,379 --> 00:16:19,862 freezes the dots with much smaller ice molecules 336 00:16:19,965 --> 00:16:21,379 than conventional ice cream. 337 00:16:21,482 --> 00:16:22,689 This gives Dippin' Dots 338 00:16:22,827 --> 00:16:25,862 their trademark smooth creamy texture. 339 00:16:25,965 --> 00:16:28,551 The dots also look very different. 340 00:16:28,655 --> 00:16:31,482 They are tiny, smooth individual spheres, 341 00:16:31,551 --> 00:16:35,482 as opposed to traditional ice cream, which is an emulsion. 342 00:16:35,551 --> 00:16:38,965 The dots are then collected at the bottom of the processor 343 00:16:39,034 --> 00:16:41,379 and taken onto packaging. 344 00:16:41,482 --> 00:16:44,103 - Each bag holds one gallon of ice cream. 345 00:16:44,172 --> 00:16:47,379 There's roughly 25 servings in a gallon of ice cream. 346 00:16:47,482 --> 00:16:49,965 Each serving has about 2,000 dots. 347 00:16:50,034 --> 00:16:52,827 She's filling each bag individually. 348 00:16:52,965 --> 00:16:54,793 From there, he's taking the bags 349 00:16:54,862 --> 00:16:56,862 and running it through a sealer. 350 00:16:56,965 --> 00:16:58,793 On the other side of the band sealer 351 00:16:58,862 --> 00:17:00,482 is our quality assurance person, 352 00:17:00,551 --> 00:17:03,689 and she's checking the color, make sure the blend 353 00:17:03,758 --> 00:17:05,896 and the proportion is right. 354 00:17:05,965 --> 00:17:08,793 They're packaging six of those bags to a case. 355 00:17:08,896 --> 00:17:11,206 - [Adam] And Dippin' Dots have to be stored 356 00:17:11,275 --> 00:17:13,827 in a freezer at negative 45 degrees. 357 00:17:13,896 --> 00:17:15,862 That is far colder than what's used 358 00:17:15,931 --> 00:17:17,241 for conventional ice cream. 359 00:17:17,379 --> 00:17:20,862 - This is all the different ice cream that we're storing. 360 00:17:20,931 --> 00:17:23,000 Each row is a different flavor. 361 00:17:23,068 --> 00:17:25,517 So all the different SKUs that we handle 362 00:17:25,586 --> 00:17:26,620 are in this freezer. 363 00:17:26,724 --> 00:17:29,172 - [Adam] The Dippin' Dots stay fresh here 364 00:17:29,241 --> 00:17:30,896 until they're ready to be shipped to kiosks 365 00:17:30,965 --> 00:17:34,517 in all 50 States by the 11 countries around the world. 366 00:17:38,620 --> 00:17:41,551 Some now classic candies like the Tootsie Roll 367 00:17:41,620 --> 00:17:43,896 burst on the scene is brand new inventions. 368 00:17:43,965 --> 00:17:46,379 Others like the jelly bean evolved over time. 369 00:17:46,448 --> 00:17:51,206 Jelly beans are a hybrid of two much older confections. 370 00:17:51,275 --> 00:17:54,000 They have the chewy center of Turkish delight 371 00:17:54,068 --> 00:17:56,517 combined with the shell of Jordan almonds. 372 00:17:56,586 --> 00:18:00,413 The term jelly bean first appears in 1861 373 00:18:00,551 --> 00:18:02,931 when Boston candy maker William Schrafft 374 00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:06,482 encouraged customers to send his jelly beans 375 00:18:06,620 --> 00:18:09,137 to Union soldiers during the Civil War. 376 00:18:09,206 --> 00:18:13,137 With their egg-like shape, jelly beans soon became a staple 377 00:18:13,275 --> 00:18:15,103 of Easter baskets everywhere, 378 00:18:15,172 --> 00:18:18,241 but they didn't change much until a candy company 379 00:18:18,310 --> 00:18:20,931 called Jelly Belly came up with the idea 380 00:18:21,000 --> 00:18:24,931 of a gourmet jelly bean in the 1960s. 381 00:18:25,000 --> 00:18:29,275 At the time, jelly beans only came in simple flavors 382 00:18:29,344 --> 00:18:30,620 like lemon and licorice, 383 00:18:30,689 --> 00:18:34,000 and those flavors were only added to the shell of the bean. 384 00:18:34,103 --> 00:18:35,965 Jelly Belly's big innovation 385 00:18:36,103 --> 00:18:38,448 was to pack the center of a jelly bean 386 00:18:38,517 --> 00:18:43,275 with a huge variety of new and interesting flavors. 387 00:18:44,793 --> 00:18:49,172 - So the mini gourmet jelly bean that we made at that time 388 00:18:49,275 --> 00:18:51,620 was the precursor to Jelly Belly. 389 00:18:51,689 --> 00:18:56,344 And in 1976, we added in these peanut butter 390 00:18:56,448 --> 00:19:00,413 and coconut flakes and coffee and juices and purées. 391 00:19:00,482 --> 00:19:04,172 - [Adam] By using these flakes, juices and purées, 392 00:19:04,241 --> 00:19:06,655 Jelly Belly is able to pack big flavor 393 00:19:06,724 --> 00:19:08,517 into these tiny beans. 394 00:19:08,586 --> 00:19:12,172 And once again innovated a candy that had predominantly 395 00:19:12,241 --> 00:19:15,034 remained unchanged for over 100 years. 396 00:19:15,172 --> 00:19:18,896 And their revolutionary flavors built Jelly Belly 397 00:19:19,000 --> 00:19:22,310 into the candy titan it is today, 398 00:19:22,379 --> 00:19:27,172 beloved by everyone from preschoolers to presidents. 399 00:19:27,241 --> 00:19:31,758 - We sent three and a half tons of candy to the inauguration 400 00:19:31,862 --> 00:19:34,862 for President Reagan in red, white and blue colors, 401 00:19:34,931 --> 00:19:36,758 which we actually had to come out with blue 402 00:19:36,862 --> 00:19:39,344 because we hadn't made a blueberry bean yet, 403 00:19:39,413 --> 00:19:42,965 which has been a top selling flavor ever since. 404 00:19:43,034 --> 00:19:44,310 [relaxed music] 405 00:19:44,379 --> 00:19:47,689 - Today, the Jelly Belly factory in Fairfield, California 406 00:19:47,758 --> 00:19:50,793 cranks out an astonishing 20 million jelly beans 407 00:19:50,862 --> 00:19:52,724 every single day. 408 00:19:52,862 --> 00:19:56,034 - So here at Jelly Belly, we have over 150 flavors, 409 00:19:56,172 --> 00:19:57,482 and they all have to start here 410 00:19:57,551 --> 00:20:00,000 in our kitchen as a cooked slurry. 411 00:20:00,068 --> 00:20:02,172 So every year we end up going through 412 00:20:02,241 --> 00:20:04,517 about 20 million pounds of sugar, 413 00:20:04,586 --> 00:20:06,482 about six million pounds of corn syrup. 414 00:20:07,931 --> 00:20:11,034 So the factory is about 250,000 square feet. 415 00:20:12,413 --> 00:20:15,517 It takes between seven to 14 days 416 00:20:15,586 --> 00:20:18,344 to make a Jelly Belly jelly bean from beginning to end. 417 00:20:20,241 --> 00:20:23,413 - [Adam] The first step is to make the center of the bean. 418 00:20:23,517 --> 00:20:25,206 - It's real cinnamon oil that's going into 419 00:20:25,344 --> 00:20:27,689 the center of a Jelly Belly jelly bean. 420 00:20:27,758 --> 00:20:32,413 So each kettle is going to produce about 150,000 beans. 421 00:20:32,517 --> 00:20:35,965 And we're going to make about 20 million beans today. 422 00:20:36,034 --> 00:20:37,827 Now the color is going in. 423 00:20:40,379 --> 00:20:42,931 - [Adam] The hard work starts to pay off downstairs 424 00:20:43,034 --> 00:20:46,586 where the cinnamon slurry drops into these molding trays 425 00:20:46,689 --> 00:20:49,206 and first takes the shape of a jelly bean. 426 00:20:49,344 --> 00:20:52,068 - While the candy is a hot liquid form, 427 00:20:52,172 --> 00:20:55,000 we want to shape it to the exact dimensions 428 00:20:55,068 --> 00:20:56,896 that we want of each piece of candy. 429 00:20:58,172 --> 00:21:01,758 So we have over a thousand beans per tray. 430 00:21:01,896 --> 00:21:04,724 We do over 30 trays a minute. 431 00:21:04,793 --> 00:21:06,068 - [Adam] And we are talking about 432 00:21:06,137 --> 00:21:08,620 some seriously pampered jelly beans. 433 00:21:09,827 --> 00:21:12,655 After resting overnight, it's time to hit the spa 434 00:21:12,758 --> 00:21:16,689 for a steam bath, followed by sugar shower. 435 00:21:16,758 --> 00:21:18,448 Yes, you heard me, right. 436 00:21:18,586 --> 00:21:20,379 - So the beans go through a steam bath 437 00:21:20,448 --> 00:21:22,241 to get them a little moist 438 00:21:22,310 --> 00:21:24,586 so that they can go through a sugar shower. 439 00:21:25,827 --> 00:21:29,137 They then go down into this elevator, 440 00:21:29,241 --> 00:21:33,551 up all the way down to a robot to be stacked. 441 00:21:33,620 --> 00:21:35,448 So after these beans are stacked, 442 00:21:35,586 --> 00:21:36,793 they will be resting overnight. 443 00:21:38,586 --> 00:21:41,241 - [Adam] It's time to add syrup, sugar, flavor, and color 444 00:21:41,310 --> 00:21:44,241 to form the shell around the center of the bean. 445 00:21:44,310 --> 00:21:47,034 - Every run is a bank of eight pans. 446 00:21:47,103 --> 00:21:52,103 He's doing about 150,000 beans in each pan. 447 00:21:53,275 --> 00:21:55,586 So he's going over a million beans. 448 00:21:55,655 --> 00:21:58,413 We're going to take those beans now that they have a shell 449 00:21:58,482 --> 00:22:00,758 and we're going to put a confectioner's glaze 450 00:22:00,827 --> 00:22:03,103 and they're going to sparkle and shine. 451 00:22:05,034 --> 00:22:07,620 - [Adam] But not every bean will make it into a bag. 452 00:22:07,689 --> 00:22:11,655 This screen separates Jelly Bellies from belly flops. 453 00:22:12,862 --> 00:22:15,034 - So when the bean is the right size, 454 00:22:15,137 --> 00:22:18,172 it goes through this screen and works its way up. 455 00:22:19,793 --> 00:22:21,724 This is a belly flop, 456 00:22:21,827 --> 00:22:25,517 it's about five beans all stuck together. 457 00:22:25,655 --> 00:22:28,655 So a belly flop is a Jelly Belly bean 458 00:22:28,724 --> 00:22:33,034 that is not the correct size, color, or shape. 459 00:22:33,137 --> 00:22:34,448 - [Adam] Only flawless beans 460 00:22:34,517 --> 00:22:37,000 get that famous Jelly Belly logo. 461 00:22:37,068 --> 00:22:41,000 - We started to print the beans because we had imitators 462 00:22:41,137 --> 00:22:44,034 that were not the original Jelly Belly. 463 00:22:44,137 --> 00:22:47,103 So this machine runs a set of rollers 464 00:22:47,172 --> 00:22:51,827 that will put that Jelly Belly logo as it goes through. 465 00:22:54,000 --> 00:22:57,586 So now we're going to go see how we pack it into a bag. 466 00:22:57,655 --> 00:23:00,413 [relaxed music] 467 00:23:03,586 --> 00:23:06,413 This is probably my favorite robot in the whole place. 468 00:23:06,551 --> 00:23:07,689 These are our grab and go bags. 469 00:23:07,758 --> 00:23:10,275 This is the best bag out there. 470 00:23:10,379 --> 00:23:13,206 So this is the final stage. 471 00:23:13,275 --> 00:23:17,034 We've made that bean, it's now packed and ready to go. 472 00:23:17,103 --> 00:23:21,068 So we make about 2,000 beans per second, 473 00:23:21,206 --> 00:23:24,517 and about 15 billion beans per year. 474 00:23:26,448 --> 00:23:28,448 - [Adam] These Jelly Bellies are finally ready 475 00:23:28,551 --> 00:23:29,551 to head out into the world, 476 00:23:29,620 --> 00:23:32,758 destined to create smiles wherever they land. 477 00:23:35,206 --> 00:23:38,551 Back at Blue Apron, it's time to hit the factory floor, 478 00:23:38,620 --> 00:23:41,068 but here they call it the kitchen. 479 00:23:41,206 --> 00:23:43,689 That's because unlike a typical factory floor 480 00:23:43,758 --> 00:23:46,275 which produces the same product day in and day out, 481 00:23:46,379 --> 00:23:49,931 on this factory floor, just like a kitchen, 482 00:23:50,034 --> 00:23:52,379 hundreds of different foods are prepared 483 00:23:52,448 --> 00:23:55,275 in a lineup that changes every single day. 484 00:23:55,379 --> 00:23:57,517 To do that, Blue Apron have had to innovate. 485 00:23:57,586 --> 00:24:00,931 Each individual machine had to handle a wide variety 486 00:24:01,000 --> 00:24:03,310 of foods that come in a huge array 487 00:24:03,448 --> 00:24:06,103 of different shapes, sizes and texture. 488 00:24:06,172 --> 00:24:08,620 What do we have here? 489 00:24:08,689 --> 00:24:11,586 - [Linda] We have scallions on the auto-bagger. 490 00:24:11,655 --> 00:24:13,275 Last year alone, we sent out 491 00:24:13,344 --> 00:24:16,586 23 million scallions to customers. 492 00:24:16,655 --> 00:24:17,586 - Which is insane. 493 00:24:20,965 --> 00:24:23,172 but what's most amazing is that tomorrow, 494 00:24:23,275 --> 00:24:25,689 it could be pita bread or radishes. 495 00:24:25,793 --> 00:24:28,275 - Basically this machine takes the bags that will hold 496 00:24:28,344 --> 00:24:30,000 various ingredients and they've been printed 497 00:24:30,103 --> 00:24:32,482 with the information about those ingredients, 498 00:24:32,620 --> 00:24:36,172 turns it right side up and then feeds it through this slot 499 00:24:36,275 --> 00:24:39,000 where she can focus on checking the scallions 500 00:24:39,103 --> 00:24:41,000 and putting them in the bag. - [Adam] Okay. 501 00:24:41,103 --> 00:24:42,620 - And then when it gets to the end, 502 00:24:42,689 --> 00:24:45,275 it trims the top off and seals the bag. 503 00:24:45,344 --> 00:24:47,000 - Oh, that's where it seals it. 504 00:24:47,103 --> 00:24:48,241 - [Linda] Exactly. 505 00:24:48,310 --> 00:24:51,655 - [Adam] I just also would say that she has not only 506 00:24:51,793 --> 00:24:54,310 done quality control on the scallions, 507 00:24:54,448 --> 00:24:56,275 but to actually be packing these things 508 00:24:56,344 --> 00:24:59,689 while they're moving, it's like hitting a moving target. 509 00:24:59,793 --> 00:25:03,068 And tomorrow she will have to QC and pack 510 00:25:03,172 --> 00:25:05,137 a completely different item 511 00:25:05,206 --> 00:25:07,310 like butter leaf lettuce or chives. 512 00:25:07,379 --> 00:25:09,551 That alone seems pretty impressive. 513 00:25:09,655 --> 00:25:11,137 Where to next? 514 00:25:11,206 --> 00:25:12,551 - Well, there's a lot more to see. 515 00:25:12,655 --> 00:25:13,827 So let's move on. 516 00:25:13,896 --> 00:25:14,344 - Lead on. 517 00:25:14,482 --> 00:25:15,172 - All right. 518 00:25:15,241 --> 00:25:16,206 - You're doing excellent work! 519 00:25:16,344 --> 00:25:18,206 You're doing the Lord's work right now. 520 00:25:21,896 --> 00:25:23,758 -[Adam] Sometimes names can be deceiving. 521 00:25:23,862 --> 00:25:26,000 Just because a famous dish has a particular place name in it 522 00:25:26,068 --> 00:25:27,689 doesn't mean it was invented there. 523 00:25:27,758 --> 00:25:31,000 - The providence of some of our favorite foods 524 00:25:31,068 --> 00:25:32,827 that we think are from elsewhere 525 00:25:32,896 --> 00:25:35,655 are actually American inventions. 526 00:25:35,724 --> 00:25:39,172 - [Adam] English muffins were not created in England. 527 00:25:39,241 --> 00:25:43,517 They were invented in New York by baker Samuel Bath Thomas. 528 00:25:43,586 --> 00:25:45,310 He debuted his toaster crumpets 529 00:25:45,379 --> 00:25:48,689 with their beloved nooks and crannies in 1880 530 00:25:48,758 --> 00:25:52,000 and dubbed them English muffins years later. 531 00:25:52,068 --> 00:25:55,448 The Cuban sandwich must've been born in Cuba, right? 532 00:25:55,517 --> 00:25:57,862 Nope, Florida. 533 00:25:57,931 --> 00:26:01,586 By 1900, the Cubano sandwich was well established 534 00:26:01,655 --> 00:26:04,241 as an inexpensive lunch for Cuban laborers 535 00:26:04,310 --> 00:26:06,034 in Florida's cigar factories. 536 00:26:06,103 --> 00:26:09,068 Tampa and Miami have been at odds over who should be 537 00:26:09,137 --> 00:26:11,931 recognized as the true creator of the Cuban sandwich, 538 00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:15,793 with the Tampa city council even introducing a resolution 539 00:26:15,931 --> 00:26:20,758 with the exact way to make a historic Tampa Cuban sandwich, 540 00:26:20,827 --> 00:26:23,896 down to using precisely three pickles. 541 00:26:25,137 --> 00:26:27,413 But there is no mistaking the home country 542 00:26:27,482 --> 00:26:29,586 of this next food invention. 543 00:26:29,655 --> 00:26:33,103 - Ranch dressing is so popular and so ubiquitous to America 544 00:26:33,172 --> 00:26:35,758 that in other parts of the world, ranch flavored foods 545 00:26:35,827 --> 00:26:37,758 are sometimes called cool American. 546 00:26:37,827 --> 00:26:39,724 - [Adam] Ranch is a buttermilk based dressing 547 00:26:39,793 --> 00:26:41,586 with dried herbs and spices. 548 00:26:41,655 --> 00:26:44,068 And with its versatile creamy tang, 549 00:26:44,137 --> 00:26:46,758 it completely reinvented the whole idea 550 00:26:46,827 --> 00:26:49,241 of what a salad dressing could be. 551 00:26:49,310 --> 00:26:51,931 Before ranch came along, traditional dressings 552 00:26:52,000 --> 00:26:54,068 stayed pretty much where they were designed to be, 553 00:26:54,137 --> 00:26:55,137 on top of salad. 554 00:26:55,241 --> 00:26:58,241 But from the beginning, ranch was different. 555 00:26:58,310 --> 00:27:01,448 It swiftly move far beyond the salad bowl, 556 00:27:01,517 --> 00:27:03,965 becoming a dip, a sauce, a relish, 557 00:27:04,034 --> 00:27:06,655 even a popular flavor of Doritos 558 00:27:06,724 --> 00:27:10,482 - Ranch has become the number one favorite dressing 559 00:27:10,551 --> 00:27:14,310 for Americans, it has become a dip for fried food. 560 00:27:14,379 --> 00:27:16,620 It has become a topping for pizza. 561 00:27:16,689 --> 00:27:17,655 There's really nothing 562 00:27:21,068 --> 00:27:24,758 - [Adam] Ranch got its start in Alaska in the early 1950s 563 00:27:24,827 --> 00:27:27,310 when a Nebraskan named Steve Henson 564 00:27:27,379 --> 00:27:29,965 started mixing up his own buttermilk salad dressing 565 00:27:30,034 --> 00:27:31,793 for his fellow oil workers. 566 00:27:31,862 --> 00:27:34,965 Fresh herbs were hard to come by, so instead he added 567 00:27:35,034 --> 00:27:37,827 dried garlic, onion, and herbs to spice it up. 568 00:27:37,896 --> 00:27:41,827 The dressing was a hit and Steve took his recipe with him 569 00:27:41,896 --> 00:27:44,448 when he and his wife left Alaska and bought a guest ranch 570 00:27:44,517 --> 00:27:46,655 in the hills above Santa Barbara. 571 00:27:46,724 --> 00:27:49,310 They dubbed the ranch Hidden Valley, 572 00:27:49,379 --> 00:27:51,827 and here is where ranch dressing 573 00:27:51,896 --> 00:27:54,655 started to venture beyond the salad bowl. 574 00:27:54,724 --> 00:27:56,793 With Henson serving it on steaks, 575 00:27:56,862 --> 00:27:58,793 potatoes, and vegetables. 576 00:27:58,862 --> 00:28:03,034 In fact, guests loved Steve's signature ranch dressing 577 00:28:03,103 --> 00:28:06,724 so much they soon demanded to have it at home. 578 00:28:06,793 --> 00:28:10,172 But shipping a buttermilk-based dressing was impractical, 579 00:28:10,241 --> 00:28:15,034 so Steve created a spice packet of just the dry ingredients 580 00:28:15,103 --> 00:28:17,551 and mailed it to customers all around the country 581 00:28:17,620 --> 00:28:19,862 to mix with milk and mayonnaise. 582 00:28:19,931 --> 00:28:22,896 Clorox later bought Hidden Valley ranch 583 00:28:22,965 --> 00:28:26,862 and finally developed a bottled version in the early '80s. 584 00:28:26,931 --> 00:28:30,206 Ranch is a distinctly American invention, 585 00:28:30,275 --> 00:28:32,206 and American inventiveness and know-how 586 00:28:32,275 --> 00:28:35,413 are also key to Blue Apron's success. 587 00:28:37,103 --> 00:28:41,379 They have built an assembly line unlike any other on earth. 588 00:28:41,448 --> 00:28:43,206 To accommodate their constantly changing 589 00:28:43,275 --> 00:28:46,000 roster of ingredients, they have custom built 590 00:28:46,068 --> 00:28:47,551 some of their machines. 591 00:28:47,620 --> 00:28:50,551 What is this magical contraption? 592 00:28:50,620 --> 00:28:52,724 - So this is our cup filler. 593 00:28:52,793 --> 00:28:55,379 So what you can see is the ingredient 594 00:28:55,448 --> 00:28:58,862 gets put into the machine, in this case it's hot sauce. 595 00:28:58,931 --> 00:29:00,931 And what it's doing is it's actually 596 00:29:01,000 --> 00:29:03,275 filling the cup directly. 597 00:29:03,344 --> 00:29:06,275 And then you can see there's a sheet of labels 598 00:29:06,344 --> 00:29:09,482 that comes down on top of the cups 599 00:29:09,620 --> 00:29:13,448 and gets sealed with heat to seal off the actual cup. 600 00:29:13,517 --> 00:29:15,275 - So it's both label and lid. 601 00:29:15,344 --> 00:29:16,482 - [Linda] Right. 602 00:29:16,620 --> 00:29:19,275 - [Adam] Now remember, this machine has to handle 603 00:29:19,344 --> 00:29:21,275 a different ingredient every day. 604 00:29:21,344 --> 00:29:22,275 It's hot sauce today, 605 00:29:22,344 --> 00:29:25,103 but tomorrow it could be basil pesto. 606 00:29:25,172 --> 00:29:27,620 So what innovation did Blue Apron come up with 607 00:29:27,689 --> 00:29:31,275 to make sure the allergens from say a peanut sauce 608 00:29:31,344 --> 00:29:34,241 aren't transferred to a chimichurri the next day? 609 00:29:35,172 --> 00:29:37,448 - This machine is self-cleaning. 610 00:29:37,517 --> 00:29:39,241 So it can go through its own cycle 611 00:29:39,310 --> 00:29:41,241 over a period of like six to eight hours, 612 00:29:41,310 --> 00:29:44,620 where it will completely sanitize and clean the machine 613 00:29:44,689 --> 00:29:47,620 so there's no transfer of allergens 614 00:29:47,689 --> 00:29:50,275 or ingredients from one serving of the next. 615 00:29:50,344 --> 00:29:52,448 - And there's a guy over here 616 00:29:52,517 --> 00:29:54,931 doing one of the coolest damn things I've ever seen. 617 00:29:55,000 --> 00:29:58,413 He's using the vacuum created by those suction cups 618 00:29:58,482 --> 00:30:01,758 to lift and stack 24 ramekins at a time. 619 00:30:01,827 --> 00:30:03,793 This is the greatest thing I think I've ever seen. 620 00:30:03,862 --> 00:30:06,586 Tor those of you at home, in case you were keeping count, 621 00:30:06,655 --> 00:30:12,034 this machine fills a ramekin, labels it, seals it, 622 00:30:13,103 --> 00:30:16,448 weighs it, helps it channel into being packed, 623 00:30:16,517 --> 00:30:19,068 then provides an amount of suction 624 00:30:19,137 --> 00:30:22,586 for him to use this incredibly cool tool to load it. 625 00:30:22,655 --> 00:30:24,586 And then self cleans! 626 00:30:24,655 --> 00:30:26,793 I would marry this machine. 627 00:30:30,275 --> 00:30:30,931 -[Adam] Probably the most ancient problem 628 00:30:31,000 --> 00:30:32,482 when it comes to food 629 00:30:32,620 --> 00:30:34,241 is simply this, how to prevent it from spoiling. 630 00:30:34,310 --> 00:30:36,965 In recent centuries, two big innovations 631 00:30:37,103 --> 00:30:39,275 have made it possible to preserve food 632 00:30:39,344 --> 00:30:41,172 far longer than ever before. 633 00:30:41,275 --> 00:30:45,172 One was refrigeration, and the other canning. 634 00:30:45,275 --> 00:30:48,068 The idea of canning food actually goes back 635 00:30:48,137 --> 00:30:49,862 to the Napoleonic Wars, 636 00:30:49,965 --> 00:30:52,517 when the French government offered a prize to anyone 637 00:30:52,620 --> 00:30:55,000 who could figure out a way to preserve food 638 00:30:55,103 --> 00:30:56,689 for their large armies. 639 00:30:56,793 --> 00:31:00,827 A brewer named Nicolas Appert finally won the prize 640 00:31:00,896 --> 00:31:02,482 with a brand new technique. 641 00:31:02,551 --> 00:31:05,758 He sealed food in an air tight glass jar 642 00:31:05,862 --> 00:31:08,827 and then dumped the jar into boiling water. 643 00:31:08,896 --> 00:31:11,482 Now both protected from air and cooked, 644 00:31:11,551 --> 00:31:14,689 the contents of the jar were prevented from spoiling. 645 00:31:14,758 --> 00:31:17,896 But if there is one name that is almost synonymous 646 00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:20,655 with canned foods in the American mind today, 647 00:31:20,724 --> 00:31:23,551 it's this one, Campbell's soup. 648 00:31:23,655 --> 00:31:26,310 [upbeat music] 649 00:31:28,068 --> 00:31:30,034 - Campbell's soup, it's iconic. 650 00:31:30,172 --> 00:31:32,310 It's something that you see in art, of course. 651 00:31:32,379 --> 00:31:35,172 And it's something that you see at the grocery store, 652 00:31:35,241 --> 00:31:37,827 and it's something from childhood that became kind of 653 00:31:37,896 --> 00:31:41,241 a cultural staple of American cuisine, 654 00:31:41,344 --> 00:31:44,172 in a way that is very uniquely American. 655 00:31:44,241 --> 00:31:45,827 - [Adam] In the late 19th century, 656 00:31:45,896 --> 00:31:48,034 America's soup makers had a problem. 657 00:31:48,103 --> 00:31:52,689 Soups were inexpensive to make but very expensive to ship. 658 00:31:52,758 --> 00:31:57,241 Then in 1897, Campbell's lead chemist John Dorrance 659 00:31:57,344 --> 00:31:59,482 came up with an innovation that would change 660 00:31:59,551 --> 00:32:03,931 the canning industry as well as the American pantry forever. 661 00:32:04,068 --> 00:32:07,241 He developed a way to remove the water from soup 662 00:32:07,310 --> 00:32:09,586 while still retaining its essential ingredients 663 00:32:09,724 --> 00:32:10,931 and flavors. 664 00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:15,413 Campbell's then sold it in a smaller condensed soup can. 665 00:32:16,137 --> 00:32:18,724 - Basically that made it much less expensive to ship 666 00:32:18,793 --> 00:32:21,275 and much less expensive for the consumer. 667 00:32:21,413 --> 00:32:24,275 And that's kind of how it became very popular. 668 00:32:24,413 --> 00:32:26,931 You would add the water to the soup and heat it up. 669 00:32:27,793 --> 00:32:29,620 Soup used to cost 30 cents a can 670 00:32:29,758 --> 00:32:32,310 and it knocked the price down to 10 cents a can, 671 00:32:32,413 --> 00:32:35,241 and made it very profitable for Campbell's. 672 00:32:35,310 --> 00:32:37,241 - [Adam] And Campbell's soup is still a staple 673 00:32:37,310 --> 00:32:39,068 of the American kitchen today, 674 00:32:39,137 --> 00:32:43,103 to the tune of over 1 billion cans sold every year. 675 00:32:44,482 --> 00:32:45,379 Back at Blue Apron, 676 00:32:47,965 --> 00:32:52,068 This amazing machine cranks out 5,000 bottles an hour 677 00:32:52,137 --> 00:32:54,034 or 100,000 to date. 678 00:32:54,103 --> 00:32:56,206 - So what you're seeing here are these little tiny 679 00:32:56,275 --> 00:32:59,310 individual bottles that get filled with everything 680 00:32:59,413 --> 00:33:01,758 from vinegar, which is what we're running right now, 681 00:33:01,827 --> 00:33:03,344 Sherry vinegar, - [Adam] Okay. 682 00:33:03,482 --> 00:33:06,275 to soy sauce, to Worcestershire sauce. 683 00:33:06,344 --> 00:33:10,000 Anything that's sort of liquid like a tablespoon or two 684 00:33:10,068 --> 00:33:12,137 of an ingredient that you might need for a recipe 685 00:33:12,206 --> 00:33:14,000 comes in through this bottling line. 686 00:33:15,482 --> 00:33:17,793 - Isn't that the cutest damn thing you've ever seen? 687 00:33:17,862 --> 00:33:19,689 It's a mini milk jug. 688 00:33:21,344 --> 00:33:25,827 So generally when you get one of these in a Blue Apron box, 689 00:33:25,896 --> 00:33:29,655 it's just the amount that you need for the recipe, right? 690 00:33:29,724 --> 00:33:31,758 - Exactly, 'cause we've all had that experience 691 00:33:31,827 --> 00:33:32,620 where you go to the grocery store 692 00:33:32,689 --> 00:33:35,344 and you buy a large bottle of 693 00:33:35,482 --> 00:33:37,724 you know, Sherry vinegar, for example. 694 00:33:37,827 --> 00:33:40,620 And if you don't use Sherry vinegar all the time. 695 00:33:40,689 --> 00:33:41,620 - At all. 696 00:33:43,000 --> 00:33:44,103 - Right. 697 00:33:44,172 --> 00:33:46,482 - With this, you're getting exactly what you need. 698 00:33:46,551 --> 00:33:47,965 - [Adam] Check out all the tasks 699 00:33:48,034 --> 00:33:50,034 this amazing machine performs. 700 00:33:50,137 --> 00:33:53,310 It fills those tiny bottles with exact right amount 701 00:33:53,379 --> 00:33:57,034 of Sherry vinegar, then it caps the bottles. 702 00:33:57,137 --> 00:34:00,344 Then another mechanism tests the caps to make sure 703 00:34:00,482 --> 00:34:03,275 they are tight enough so nothing leaks in the box, 704 00:34:03,379 --> 00:34:06,379 and after that's done, yet another mechanism 705 00:34:06,448 --> 00:34:08,103 labels the bottles. 706 00:34:08,206 --> 00:34:10,724 Just look at this machine in total, 707 00:34:10,793 --> 00:34:12,896 we're starting with this beautiful little bottle. 708 00:34:12,965 --> 00:34:16,724 This machine fills it, caps it, tightens it, 709 00:34:16,862 --> 00:34:18,931 tests it, labels it. 710 00:34:20,896 --> 00:34:24,551 This is a pure mechanized beauty. 711 00:34:24,620 --> 00:34:27,275 - It's amazing, it's also a lot of fun to watch. 712 00:34:27,379 --> 00:34:29,344 - It is ridiculously fun to watch. 713 00:34:29,413 --> 00:34:30,517 [both laugh] 714 00:34:34,241 --> 00:34:35,551 Just because things are done a certain way 715 00:34:35,620 --> 00:34:37,206 does not mean that it's the best way. 716 00:34:37,275 --> 00:34:39,034 From around the 1850s to the early 1900s, 717 00:34:39,103 --> 00:34:41,551 the grocery store remained unchanged. 718 00:34:41,620 --> 00:34:43,206 When you went to a grocery store, 719 00:34:43,275 --> 00:34:45,000 you would give your order to a clerk 720 00:34:45,068 --> 00:34:46,379 who would put it together for you. 721 00:34:46,448 --> 00:34:50,034 But Clarence Saunders thought this led to wasted time 722 00:34:50,103 --> 00:34:52,551 and to unnecessary expenses. 723 00:34:52,620 --> 00:34:56,379 So in 1916, he opened his own grocery store in Memphis, 724 00:34:56,448 --> 00:35:00,172 Tennessee where he let shoppers serve themselves. 725 00:35:00,241 --> 00:35:05,413 He gave it an unusual name, calling it Piggly Wiggly. 726 00:35:05,482 --> 00:35:07,586 His reason for the name remains a mystery, 727 00:35:07,655 --> 00:35:09,758 but its success was not. 728 00:35:09,827 --> 00:35:12,241 Saunders began to issue franchises, 729 00:35:12,310 --> 00:35:15,620 and soon other stores would adopt this same practice 730 00:35:15,689 --> 00:35:17,620 of letting the customer shop. 731 00:35:17,689 --> 00:35:21,137 Once customers had the freedom to choose their own groceries 732 00:35:21,206 --> 00:35:25,793 brands began to compete for consumers' attention and loyalty 733 00:35:25,862 --> 00:35:28,827 and shopping in America would forever be changed. 734 00:35:30,275 --> 00:35:34,275 Blue Apron is also innovating how Americans get their food. 735 00:35:34,344 --> 00:35:38,275 We've seen receiving, QC, all the amazing people 736 00:35:38,344 --> 00:35:42,620 and machines that prep your Blue Apron ingredients to a T. 737 00:35:42,689 --> 00:35:45,448 Now it's time to hit the packing line. 738 00:35:45,517 --> 00:35:47,793 Another part of the traditional factory process 739 00:35:47,862 --> 00:35:51,448 that Blue Apron has complete the re-imagined. 740 00:35:51,517 --> 00:35:54,793 Unlike a traditional factory, Blue Apron isn't making 741 00:35:54,862 --> 00:35:58,103 just one product that then goes into a box to be shipped. 742 00:35:58,172 --> 00:36:01,827 Instead, each individual Blue Apron box 743 00:36:01,896 --> 00:36:03,965 has multiple meal kits in it, 744 00:36:04,034 --> 00:36:07,827 each one fully customizable by the customer. 745 00:36:07,896 --> 00:36:11,137 So packing is a multi-step process. 746 00:36:11,206 --> 00:36:15,000 So each packing bay is stocked with the components 747 00:36:15,068 --> 00:36:16,965 for multiple recipes. 748 00:36:17,034 --> 00:36:20,137 - Yeah, this bay may have two recipes on it 749 00:36:20,206 --> 00:36:22,310 with a few ingredients from each of those recipes, 750 00:36:22,379 --> 00:36:23,482 - [Adam] Okay. 751 00:36:23,551 --> 00:36:24,344 and the rest of the recipe gets completed 752 00:36:24,413 --> 00:36:25,862 further down the line. 753 00:36:25,931 --> 00:36:27,689 - [Adam] How far down does it go alphabetically? 754 00:36:27,758 --> 00:36:28,827 - [Linda] We basically have up to 755 00:36:28,896 --> 00:36:31,344 12 to 14 lines in this room. 756 00:36:31,413 --> 00:36:33,862 - So 12 to 14 lines, each cranking out 757 00:36:33,931 --> 00:36:36,482 maybe three to five different recipes each. 758 00:36:36,551 --> 00:36:38,034 - Yeah. 759 00:36:38,103 --> 00:36:39,965 - So this is kind of where all the hard work that we've seen 760 00:36:40,034 --> 00:36:42,517 in the loading dock, the quality control, 761 00:36:42,586 --> 00:36:45,000 this is where it all comes together. 762 00:36:45,068 --> 00:36:47,862 - Absolutely, this is where the magic happens 763 00:36:47,931 --> 00:36:49,344 and then the box goes off to the customer 764 00:36:49,413 --> 00:36:51,482 and hopefully it makes their week. 765 00:36:51,551 --> 00:36:55,172 - [Adam] Blue Apron is reinventing the assembly line, 766 00:36:55,241 --> 00:36:58,172 and sometimes re-invention can be more impactful 767 00:36:58,241 --> 00:36:59,517 than the original invention. 768 00:36:59,586 --> 00:37:00,896 - [Announcer] The fruit cocktail gelatin ring 769 00:37:00,965 --> 00:37:02,379 like this neat little number. 770 00:37:02,448 --> 00:37:04,931 - [Adam] For example, by the early 1900s, 771 00:37:05,000 --> 00:37:07,758 gelatin dessert mix had already been around for years, 772 00:37:07,827 --> 00:37:11,241 but it wasn't until a New Yorker named Pearl Waite 773 00:37:11,310 --> 00:37:14,724 began experimenting with a mix of gelatin, 774 00:37:14,793 --> 00:37:18,068 food coloring and sugar that his wife dubbed jello 775 00:37:18,137 --> 00:37:20,068 that the idea took off. 776 00:37:20,137 --> 00:37:22,241 With the help of a smart ad campaign 777 00:37:22,310 --> 00:37:24,413 that focused on women's magazines, 778 00:37:24,482 --> 00:37:29,034 Jell-O sales skyrocketed to $250,000 779 00:37:29,103 --> 00:37:31,241 in only one year. 780 00:37:31,310 --> 00:37:34,206 That's more than $7 million today. 781 00:37:35,793 --> 00:37:37,586 And for many people immigrating, 782 00:37:37,655 --> 00:37:40,241 it was their first taste of America, 783 00:37:40,310 --> 00:37:42,206 as Jell-O's owners at the time, 784 00:37:42,275 --> 00:37:45,758 the Genesee Pure Food Company, gave out free samples 785 00:37:45,827 --> 00:37:48,379 at Ellis Island in an effort to convert 786 00:37:48,448 --> 00:37:51,413 the arriving immigrants to loyal customers 787 00:37:51,482 --> 00:37:53,724 of the treat Jell-O was advertising 788 00:37:53,793 --> 00:37:56,379 as America's most famous dessert. 789 00:37:57,827 --> 00:38:01,275 Back at Blue Apron, there is only one step left. 790 00:38:02,172 --> 00:38:03,620 This is crazy. 791 00:38:05,379 --> 00:38:06,965 How big is this room? 792 00:38:07,034 --> 00:38:08,137 - It's huge. 793 00:38:08,206 --> 00:38:10,482 This is the full length of the building. 794 00:38:10,551 --> 00:38:12,931 So you're really seeing end to end here, 795 00:38:13,000 --> 00:38:15,482 and the entire structure. 796 00:38:15,551 --> 00:38:17,482 - So what, what is this room? 797 00:38:17,551 --> 00:38:20,310 - So we were on the pack line before, 798 00:38:20,379 --> 00:38:23,137 and this track comes from the pack line. 799 00:38:23,206 --> 00:38:25,827 So basically the boxes feed up here, 800 00:38:25,896 --> 00:38:28,965 come through, and come down and go around. 801 00:38:29,034 --> 00:38:30,310 - [Adam] Uh-huh. 802 00:38:30,379 --> 00:38:31,827 - And this is the sorting room. 803 00:38:31,896 --> 00:38:34,620 So this is where everything starts to be sorted 804 00:38:34,689 --> 00:38:36,103 into pallets - [Adam] Okay. 805 00:38:36,172 --> 00:38:37,931 to be put on different line hauls 806 00:38:38,000 --> 00:38:39,620 to go to different parts of the country. 807 00:38:39,689 --> 00:38:40,793 - Oh, there it goes. 808 00:38:40,862 --> 00:38:41,931 - [Linda] Yeah, there it goes. 809 00:38:42,000 --> 00:38:43,103 - [Adam] This is crazy. 810 00:38:43,172 --> 00:38:45,137 - And there's a thermal liner in the box. 811 00:38:45,206 --> 00:38:48,137 So the temperature is coldest on the bottom of the box, 812 00:38:48,206 --> 00:38:49,827 getting warmer up on top of the box. 813 00:38:49,896 --> 00:38:52,965 We've designed these boxes to be able to sit 814 00:38:53,034 --> 00:38:55,620 on someone's front porch for 24 hours 815 00:38:55,689 --> 00:38:57,689 and stay at temperature. 816 00:38:58,862 --> 00:39:00,448 - Wow. 817 00:39:00,517 --> 00:39:03,034 It gives our customers a full day to bring it in their home, 818 00:39:03,103 --> 00:39:04,206 - [Linda] Yup. 819 00:39:04,275 --> 00:39:06,482 and a full week to make these recipes 820 00:39:06,551 --> 00:39:08,862 in the order they want. 821 00:39:08,931 --> 00:39:10,275 That is awesome. 822 00:39:10,379 --> 00:39:12,896 [upbeat music] 823 00:39:12,965 --> 00:39:14,862 - [Adam] Oh cool, that's the wrapping machine. 824 00:39:14,931 --> 00:39:15,689 - [Linda] Yeah, isn't it great? 825 00:39:15,758 --> 00:39:17,413 - [Adam] Oh, that is awesome. 826 00:39:19,275 --> 00:39:21,862 God forgive me, I want to ride on that so badly. 827 00:39:23,965 --> 00:39:27,034 I tip my cap to the marvelous inventors and innovators 828 00:39:27,103 --> 00:39:29,689 out there who never let the status quo stop them 829 00:39:29,758 --> 00:39:31,517 in their search for a better way. 830 00:39:31,586 --> 00:39:33,551 Whether it's a candy fit for a president, 831 00:39:33,620 --> 00:39:35,206 a dessert that's out of this world, 832 00:39:35,275 --> 00:39:36,379 or maybe just a better way 833 00:39:36,448 --> 00:39:38,551 to get fresh ingredients out to the masses. 834 00:39:38,620 --> 00:39:42,379 You have to appreciate all the inspiration and perspiration 835 00:39:42,448 --> 00:39:45,689 that go into elevating the delicious world around us. 836 00:39:45,758 --> 00:39:46,862 I know I do. 837 00:39:46,931 --> 00:39:48,206 I don't know where we're headed, 838 00:39:48,275 --> 00:39:50,172 but I can't wait to see what's next. 839 00:39:52,068 --> 00:39:53,172 Okay, beam me up. 840 00:39:57,758 --> 00:39:59,482 I guess we're not there yet. 841 00:39:59,551 --> 00:39:59,586 [upbeat music]