Make Gum Drops

Would you like to try your hand at making homemade gum drops? With just a few ingredients you can make gourmet, customized candies with a texture and taste reminiscent of old-fashioned dime store gumdrops. This article explains an easy technique for making your own gum drops.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons plain gelatin (about three envelopes)
• 1/2 cup cold water, plus 3/4 cup boiling water
• 2 cups sugar
• Food coloring in a variety of hues
• Flavored extracts
• Extra sugar
• Unflavored cooking spray

Steps

Preparing the Gelatin

1. Get the pans ready. To make square, sugar-cube shaped gumdrops, you can use a 9x5" bread pan. Line it with foil and spray with unflavored cooking spray, or give it a light coating of grape seed or peanut oil to prevent the candy from sticking. If you're making more than one gum drop flavor, prepare several small pans this way.
   • This recipe works as well with other types of pans; the only difference will be in the thickness of the finished candy. Use a larger pan for thinner gumdrops.
   • You can also use small molds to make gumdrops in different shapes.
2. Soften the gelatin. Place the gelatin in a pot with the 1/2 cup cold water. Stir it with a spoon, then let it sit and soften while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
3. Make a sugar syrup. In a separate pot, boil the 3/4 cup water. When it comes to a boil, add the sugar. Stir it in until the sugar dissolves. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes.
4. Combine the syrup and gelatin. Pour the hot sugar syrup into the pot with the gelatin. Place it over medium high heat and boil it for 15 minutes, stirring constantly.

Creating Gum Drop Flavors

1. Divide the gelatin mixture. Pour equal amounts of the gelatin into separate bowls. Use one bowl for each flavor/color combination you're making.
2. Add color and flavor. Each bowl requires only about 4 drops of food coloring and 1/2 teaspoon or less of flavoring. Add a little at a time until the liquid meets your desired taste. These combinations make for excellent gum drops; choose from among them, or design your own:
   • Cherry flavoring with red food coloring.
   • Lime flavoring with green food coloring.
   • Licorice flavoring with purple food coloring.
   • Blue raspberry flavoring with blue food coloring.
   • Peach flavoring with orange food coloring.
3. Pour the flavored gelatin into your prepared pans or molds. Each color should go in a separate mold. Place the pans in the refrigerator to chill overnight.
   • To make multi-layered gumdrops, with a different color and flavor in each layer, chill one layer at a time. When the first layer is set, after a few hours, pour a second layer on top and return it to the refrigerator.
   • Don't attempt to cut the gumdrops until they are completely chilled and set.

Finishing the Gum Drops

1. Lift the aluminum foil from the pans or molds. Take the edges of the aluminum foil and pull up to lift the entire layer of candy from each pan. Set the foil on a hard, flat surface, such a cutting board.
2. Cut the gum drops. Use a sharp knife, lightly oiled if necessary, to cut the candy into cubes. You can make the cubes even or cut the gum candy into fun shapes.
   • Try using a pizza cutter to make the job go faster.
   • Use a small cookie cutter to make interesting and festive gummy shapes. You may need to oil it first to keep the candy from sticking.
3. Roll the cubes in sugar. Pour sugar into a bowl and roll the cubes through it, one at a time, until they are completely coated. Set the coated cubes on a piece of wax paper to cure. Let them sit for 2 days at room temperature. The finished gum drops will be crunchy with sugar on the outside and smooth and gummy on the inside.

Tips

• Store gumdrops in a tightly covered container at room temperature.
• Food coloring is not necessary in this recipe.

Warnings

• Watch the mixtures very carefully; it doesn't take much for candy to burn.
• Do not let children near when you're making the gumdrops, as an accident is sure to happen.

Things You'll Need

• 1-1/2 quart saucepan
• 2-quart saucepan
• 9x5" bread pan (more for additional flavors)
• Sharp cutting knife
• Resealable container, to store gumdrops
• Wax paper
• Aluminum foil

Related Articles

• Be a Candy Lover
• Make Candy Apples
• Chew Gum
• Make Plain and Chocolate Dipped Parisian Sweets

Sources and Citations

See also

• Make Gummy Bears
• Make a Tub of Edible Wriggly Worms
• Make Candy Sushi
• Make Turkish Delight
• Celebrate National Jelly Bean Day

What links here

• Make Chocolate Shapes