The BIG Question ........

....... well, it's not really hard to understand. It's overwhelmingly evident!

"Are Uncle Joe's Mint Balls as good as they used to be"?

Clearly not. But, the owners say "the ingredients are exactly the same", "same recipe".

But I think they aren't being truthful.

Take a look at the following photos and note the colour of the mixture, taken 3 or 4 decades apart .......

The Original Mixture, -

The Mixture Nowadays.

And there we have it. They're not as good as they used to be!

Could be that the mixture that the lady is handling is a lot cooler than the one coming from a boiling vat.
Possibly

No! That's not it. They've changed the treacle and made them pale and brittle!

Now, now Tonks. It was only a suggestion.
The lady couldn't have handled the mix at boiling point and when some mixes cool down they can change colour.
But I tend to agree, they are not the same as they once where. They are right about one thing though. The ingredients may not have changed but the quantities more than likely have. Treacle is not a cheap ingredients any longer, so maybe less of it.

I know it sounds daft but in the past when you bought them loose and they stuck together did this help hold the ingredient and keep the taste Now they are wrapped in plastic and sterile maybe the taste is lost

I'm still of the opinion that it's reduction in treacle that's the cause, air tight wrapping would preserve the flavour, in my opinion.

I loved them when they were sticky and buttery.

I have no idea if the ingredients have changed but when you bought them years ago the flavour could vary,some could be hot because the peppermint was not mixed in properly.I like them better now as they are all have the same flavour.

"Give some to your Granny and watch the bugger go...

I like Pear Drops better.

So have Santus confirmed that they have altered the recipe for their mintballs ?

I always have a packet of Uncle Joe’s in my bag and even though they are well in date they soon get a suggery coating and I don’t think they are as big as they were. Everything today, apart from me, shrinks! You got to keep smiling.