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 step 2Making the Candy
To make gummies the only essential ingredient is unflavored gelatin.
For flavor I used flavored gelatin (Jello) plus a Vitamin C to bump up the pucker power.
I'm sure you can make them with fruit juices, but I didn't try that so I can't really tell you how to do it.
They can also be made by adding flavorings and sweetener to unflavored gelatin. I haven't tried that either.
To make really Sour Gummies you can add more Vitamin C powder or unsweetened Kool-Aid mix. See step 3 if you want to make Sour Gummies.
I've read that sugar free Jello works fine too. I can't think of any reason why it wouldn't work.
The amount of flavored gelatin you use is also up to you. I'm recommending a full package of flavored gelatin for each batch. It gives the candy a pretty intense flavor. Use a half a package and they are still very good just not as strongly flavored.
Use an extra packet of unflavored gelatin, and they will be even chewier (but harder to make). Use one less and they will be softer (and even easier to make).
HERE WE GO:
'You might look at all the writing below and think that this is way too much work. All you are going to be doing though, is mixing the powder in water, melting it and pouring it into molds. I've just written a ton, so you know a lot of the pitfalls and know exactly how I make them.'
If you don't really care how clear the candy is, just stir the powders in the water, put it in hot water on the stove and melt it, then pour it in the molds.
If you want them really clear then read the details below.
I use a little over 1/3 cup of water (you can use even more for softer candies).
Measure 1/3 - 1/2 cup of cold water into your measuring cup.
MIX IT UP
SPRINKLE the gelatin powders into the water, as you continuously stir it. Don't let the dry powder ever pile up. Sprinkle, stir, sprinkle, stir,... If you get a pile of gelatin and stir that in, it will make a lump and the lumps rarely ever dissolve once you've made one. Do this rather quickly. The gelatin will immediately start absorbing the water. If you move too slowly it will get pretty dry towards the end and it will be very difficult to avoid lumps.
It will get very thick as you work in the powders. It will end up like a lump of clay at the end. Scrape down the sides of your measuring cup and try to get all the gelatin into one solid lump. If you leave bits stuck on the side of the glass, they will dry and you won't be able to get them off, or if you do get them off, they won't dissolve.
Get all the clay you can off of your spatula and press that into the lump also. Those bits will dry also and be a problem.
LET IT REST
Now cover the pyrex cup with plastic wrap and let it rest for 10 minutes. The gelatin needs time to absorb the water before we heat it.
Rinse off your spatula.
I'M MELTING...
Put a pan of water on the stove and bring it up to a slow boil/fast simmer. Some people heat it right in a pan. I've tried this. You have to be very careful to not let it cook - just melt - and if it starts to boil, it will be cloudy. The foam that built up around the side of the pan turned brown also, so I had to be careful not to get that into my finished candy.
The candy won't boil if you heat it in a water bath.
After the resting time, remove the plastic wrap and put the measuring cup in the water. The lump of clay will melt but it does take several minutes. While it is melting you do want to stir it occasionally. Don't get too vigorous and mix a lot of air in it or you will have cloudy candy. (On the other hand, if you want white, or opaque candy, you can do that by mixing a lot of air into it). Just a gentle stirring is all it needs.
Once it melts, you will see that it has a layer of foam on top. Try to avoid mixing that foam back into the melted syrup. If you look at the side of the cup you will see there is a very thin layer of clear on the bottom, a layer that isn't as clear, then the layer of foam on top.
As that middle layer heats up, it will start to melt and the air bubbles will release. Keep stirring it gently (without mixing the foam into it). Pause every minute or so and let it sit for a minute. This will let the air bubbles rise. You have to keep stirring and pausing in order to get that middle layer hot enough to clarify. Once it looks like it is almost ready to go clear, I stir in my Vitamin C powder. Because we are sprinkling it on top of the foam some might not get into the candy. That's ok.
Now stop stirring and just let it sit in the water for about 2 minutes. We are letting bubbles rise at this point.
I've never gotten all the foam to melt, or even the entire middle layer to clarify, no matter how long I've stirred it. When I tried to stir it hard, I just put bubbles in it..
Some of the final bubbles will rise out after you have it in the molds so don't be concerned if it still looks a little cloudy. If it is foamy though, that won't go away.
FINALLY WE FILL THE MOLD
Now I put my syringe into the bottom of the cup and suck up all that clear syrup.
I use the syringe to squirt the candy into my mold.
(Step 4 is all about other ways of molding the candy).
If you are making a big batch then your layer of clear syrup will be much larger. That's why I think it would be easier to make a big batch than a small one. If your mold won't hold all the syrup you made, turn the heat off and let the cup sit in the water while your first batch of candy is setting up. When you pull the first batch out of the mold, just turn on the stove and melt the syrup that is still in the cup the same way we did it the first time.
You don't need to use any kind of release (no oil or cooking sprays) with gummies. They will peel off of anything that is smooth. If you get some on your stove, floor, or counter, don't bother to try to clean it up while it is wet and hot. It's much easier to just let it set up and peel it off. Same thing with the cup you used, and your spatula. Let it set up and you can just peel out the foam (and eat it!).
Most of the time when you make gummies you will not try to mold them in 360 degrees. The top side (which will be the bottom of the candies) is just left flat. I wanted to mold in little holes on the bottom of in my Legos so I could actually stack them.
The syrup contracts quite a lot as it cools. I had to fill the mold, then go back through and top them all off again as it would shrink way down. When I got them all full, I took the base plate (the same one I used when making the mold) and pressed it on the top of the mold, squeezing any extra goo out of the sides. Then I let it sit on the counter top for a couple of minutes. I do that, just so the stuff that leaked out the sides would set up and it wouldn't get all over my freezer when I put the mold in there.
I put the mold with the lid (base plate) into the freezer. You don't want to freeze the candy as that will mess it up. You only leave it in the freezer for 10 or 15 minutes. If you are going to leave it longer, or you think you might forget it, you can just stick it in the fridge. It will be fine there without any worries about leaving it too long.
These candies actually do not need to be cooled at all to set up. You can just leave your mold on the counter at room temperature and they will still set up. I use the freezer to get them done faster.
Once they are set up, take them out of the mold. Clean them up if they need it and you are done.
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