Did you know you can make your own gummy candies? It’s really not hard. They aren’t as sweet, or as colorful as the ones you buy at the store, but they are still fun to make. And I feel like they are a bit healthier anyway. To make the candies all you need is a little juice, a packet of gelatin, a spoonful of sugar and some basic kitchen equipment.
Spread waxed paper or parchment paper over a cookie sheet. Pour one quarter cup of apple or grape juice into a sauce pan. Bring it to a boil over medium heat. Once it’s boiling, turn off the heat and remove the pan from the stove. Cut a corner off the gelatin packet. Immediately sprinkle the gelatin over the boiling fruit juice. Stir the mixture with a long handled spoon until the gelatin dissolves into the juice.
Spoon the mixture onto the cookie sheet in drops, drips, and squiggles. After a minute or two, when the gummies have cooled slightly, you can sprinkle about a tablespoon of sugar over the candies. Let the gummies continue to cool for about ten more minutes. Then peel off the candies and enjoy. Kids can measure the juice, sprinkle the gelatin, and stir. As long as you are careful with the hot pan, kids can scoop up the gelatin mixture and drop it onto the waxed paper.
If you want to get really fancy you can make these in candy molds. Dust the candy molds with powdered sugar before you pour in the hot gelatin mixture. The powdered sugar will help the candies pop out once they are dry. Because these gummies will be thicker, they will need a few more minutes to dry than the cookie sheet kind. Also, pouring the mixture needs a steady hand, so it’s more of an adult job.
Have fun making candy!
Also See:
Experimenting With Ice Cream Sandwiches