5 replies to this topic

[CurlySue]

Some of my favorite candies are the jelly/gummy type like orange slices and spearmint leaves:
http://www.candyblog...pearmint_leaves

I have searched and searched for a recipe to make candies like these. I found and tried one that included sugar, corn syrup and pectin as the base ingredients. It was an epic fail as I ended up with two pans of slightly gelled goo. Every recipe I seem to find (and there aren't many) seem to include pectin and I don't want to try that again since I failed at it already and I know I followed the recipe exactly.

The website in the link says the candy ingredients show sugar, corn syrup and cornstarch for gelling.

Can anyone help me with a recipe for these candies that doesn't inlcude pectin as the gelling agent? I would be forever grateful. I'd like to add them to my candy gifts this year as an alternative to the overload of chocolate I usually make!

Thank you.

[Kerry Beal]

Large batch - 100 lbs of candy
water 12 qts
sugar 30 lbs
cornstarch 30 lbs - dissolved in another 12 quarts of water
tartaric acid solution - 1 ounce
cream of tartar - dissolved in water 3 tsp
oil of spearmint - 5 tsp

Water, sugar and corn syrup until dissolved. Bring to a boil, add starch slurry gradually. Stir in tartaric and cream of tartar. Cook to 226º F. Pour out into a copper pan. Add flavour.

Cast at 140º F in impressions (starch moulds). Leave 2 days in a 150º F room, brush free of starch, dampen and sugar.

[SylviaLovegren]

Where do you find the 150 degree room?

[Kerry Beal]

Where do you find the 150 degree room?

I think you make it - in your dehydrator or oven.

[CurlySue]

Thank you, Kerry. I can obviously scale this recipe to my little home kitchen. Do you think the starch molds are necessary? I know in some candies the starch reacts with the ingredients to form a shell of sorts. I'd like to keep this simple and maybe just pour the liquid into a pan. I could dry in a dehydrator, but not a whole pan. Hmmm. Maybe some experimenting is in order.

[Kerry Beal]

A pan or perhaps silicone moulds if you have them (ice cube makers?)