Hard Tack Lollipops

[Darienne]

I currently have a container of very sticky unwrapped hard tack lollipops in my life.

Story: Confectionery partner, Barb, and I made some lollipops a week ago for an upcoming charity event. We made them in the microwave, using the LorAnn recipe which calls for 1 part sugar and ½ part corn syrup. Now I see that this is a VERY high proportion of corn syrup, no doubt to accommodate the microwave method. I never got around to wrapping them…simply stuck them in a plastic container and last night I unveiled them. Oops. Sticky lollies. Some stuck to each other. Some just tacky. Quite tacky.

This is my first experience making lollipops in the Ontario summer. I will not use the LorAnn recipe again.

Kerry’s Class 101 now gives me the answer as to why these lollipops are sticky:

- too high a proportion of doctor to sugar

- too humid a temperature (summer in Ontario)

- not wrapped immediately in cello and/or airtight container

Questions:

- would the lollipops have remained viable if I had wrapped them immediately? or would they be sticky in their bags anyway?

- can you put hard tack in the fridge? (I seem to think no, but then what do I know?) Perhaps storing them in the cellar would have helped…cooler, dehumidifier going, etc. I keep my couverture in the cellar for those reason. We do not have A/C in our old farmhouse.

LorAnn’s recipe suggests dusting the pops in powdered sugar to keep them from sticking. I tried powdered sugar this morning on one…disastrous and unappealing results. Then I tried colored dusting sugars…a bit coarse in texture. Well, this was much better, except that the color in the sugar seems to have disappeared one hour later, although the sugar is still not dissolved. I also tried finely ground sugar…fruit sugar. Results also fine. I will sugar them and wrap them all this morning. 90% humidity today.

More questions(sorry):

- which would be better in an experienced maker’s estimation…colored sugar? colored sugar ground more finely? finely ground white sugar? ??

- in the winter or in low humidity (Moab, UT), you can make the lollipops way ahead of time. In our Ontario summer, should we have made them only days ahead of time instead?

All advice gratefully received.

[Lisa Shock]

The fridge may or may not have humidity controls, these are sometimes labeled as 'energy saving mode off' or condensation settings. That said, the minute you pull something out, condensation may form because of the humidity in your air, like a glass of ice water. So, I'd avoid the fridge.

Dessicant packets are a lifesaver here. If the pops had been wrapped as they were made, then sealed in a tub with dessicant, it may have saved the day. (assuming you use less corn syrup next time!) You can buy these packs, you can also save them whenever you get them in things, and refreshen them by baking on very low for about an hour to dry them out. (store in an airtight container) These are those little white packets that come with new shoes, luggage, etc.

With humidity that high, I don't think I'd trust making them in advance. Stores are only able to keep them because they have AC, and the accompanying low humidity.

As for dusting sugar, almost any is probably fine, but avoid the types with cornstarch like regular powdered sugar. Superfine should be good. You can make your own superfine, colored or not, in a blender or food processor, just run it for a while with the lid on very tightly.

Hope this helps! Good luck!

[Darienne]

The fridge may or may not have humidity controls, these are sometimes labeled as 'energy saving mode off' or condensation settings. That said, the minute you pull something out, condensation may form because of the humidity in your air, like a glass of ice water. So, I'd avoid the fridge.

Dessicant packets are a lifesaver here. If the pops had been wrapped as they were made, then sealed in a tub with dessicant, it may have saved the day. (assuming you use less corn syrup next time!) You can buy these packs, you can also save them whenever you get them in things, and refreshen them by baking on very low for about an hour to dry them out. (store in an airtight container) These are those little white packets that come with new shoes, luggage, etc.

With humidity that high, I don't think I'd trust making them in advance. Stores are only able to keep them because they have AC, and the accompanying low humidity.

As for dusting sugar, almost any is probably fine, but avoid the types with cornstarch like regular powdered sugar. Superfine should be good. You can make your own superfine, colored or not, in a blender or food processor, just run it for a while with the lid on very tightly.

Hope this helps! Good luck!

←

All good information. I loved the bit about the desiccant packages. I have never saved one, but now I will.

In the end, I simply sifted a couple of cups of fruit sugar into a bowl and dipped each pop into it and then immediately popped them into their little bags and tied them off. Then into an airtight container and into the cellar for storage. I'll poke around and see if I can fine a desiccant package....oh, vitamin bottles also have them.

Thanks again.

[Darienne]

Is there such a thing as food-safe desiccant? Or somewhere I could purchase a quantity of desiccant?

It's so humid in eastern Ontario the whole year around, it might be useful.

Thanks.

[Lisa Shock]

When I was in pastry school we got them from Shamrock, a distributor like Sysco.

I see that JB Prince has carried them, but is out of stock right now. You could try emailing them to see when they will restock.

I also found SilicaGelPackets.com but you'll have to contact them about shipping to Canada.

Remember that the silica inside the packs is not edible, but is GRAS (generally regarded as safe) according to the FDA. The packets made for food packaging are generally the ones with the tyvek outer bag. The cotton ones are ok, but not recommended because germs can eventually start feeding on the cotton. Try to avoid gel packets that have colored gel which acts as an indicator, as these colors may not be as safe.

You may wish to keep checking amazon.ca since I find small manufacturers selling things directly there quite often. If you can find someone selling plain silica in tyvek, whether or not it's marked for food, you should be ok.

Good luck!

[Darienne]

When I was in pastry school we got them from Shamrock, a distributor like Sysco.

I see that JB Prince has carried them, but is out of stock right now. You could try emailing them to see when they will restock.

I also found SilicaGelPackets.com but you'll have to contact them about shipping to Canada.

Remember that the silica inside the packs is not edible, but is GRAS (generally regarded as safe) according to the FDA. The packets made for food packaging are generally the ones with the tyvek outer bag. The cotton ones are ok, but not recommended because germs can eventually start feeding on the cotton. Try to avoid gel packets that have colored gel which acts as an indicator, as these colors may not be as safe.

You may wish to keep checking amazon.ca since I find small manufacturers selling things directly there quite often. If you can find someone selling plain silica in tyvek, whether or not it's marked for food, you should be ok.

Good luck!

←

Thank heavens for Wikipedia! I had never even heard of Tyvek before. I looked up both sites and may contact the second one on Monday for Canadian prices and S&H. There is also asking the local pharmacist if he uses the packets.

And what about those little terra cotta clay thingies which you put into brown sugar. Would they help? What about stacking the pops in rice...we put rice in the salt to keep it going.

I see in the Lee Valley catalog that you can buy 2 kilos of Silica Gel crystals to dry flowers, but I don't suppose it could be packaged and used? Not safe enough.

Thanks for all the information, Lisa.

Added: Dipped all the pops into fine sugar yesterday, bagged them all and put them in an airtight container in the cellar. They seem fine today.

Edited June 21, 2009 by Darienne (log)

[Lisa Shock]

The hard part about packaging it yourself is finding a packaging material that is porous enough to allow moisture in, but strong enough to not break open and not porous enough to allow bacterial growth. You can buy tyvek envelopes at an office supply store, but, I don't know if those have a different thickness or different porosity than the packets, and I have no idea if they are food safe.

Rice might help, but it isn't as absorbent as the silica. Terra cotta may work, I suggest baking it to dry it before trying to use it. The silica comes to you sealed in plastic, from a very low humidity factory. Any rice or terra cotta sitting around your home is already pretty full of water due to diffusion from the air.

Good luck!

[Darienne]

The hard part about packaging it yourself is finding a packaging material that is porous enough to allow moisture in, but strong enough to not break open and not porous enough to allow bacterial growth. You can buy tyvek envelopes at an office supply store, but, I don't know if those have a different thickness or different porosity than the packets, and I have no idea if they are food safe.

Rice might help, but it isn't as absorbent as the silica. Terra cotta may work, I suggest baking it to dry it before trying to use it. The silica comes to you sealed in plastic, from a very low humidity factory. Any rice or terra cotta sitting around your home is already pretty full of water due to diffusion from the air.

Good luck!

←

Thanks again for additional information. I'll just look to purchase some presealed desiccants when I can find what I need at a price that I can work with. Thanks so much.

[Darienne]

Was putting out the pills this morning...dogs and humans...and realized that two of the human supplements had little plastic canisters in them. 3/4" D x 1" Both contain desiccants, both say 'do not eat', but presumably both are GRAS. And, although the wording on each varies a bit, they are both manufactured in NM.

I wonder if they would be satisfactory to put in with wrapped lollies. I can't see why not if they were in with unwrapped caps which go straight into the mouth.

Any thoughts?

[Lisa Shock]

They should be fine. The only issue I can see is the extremely remote chance that a microscopic amount of the supplement gets on a lollipop and finds its way to a person with an allergy to that supplement.

[Darienne]

They should be fine. The only issue I can see is the extremely remote chance that a microscopic amount of the supplement gets on a lollipop and finds its way to a person with an allergy to that supplement.

←

Good point. I am not sure if they can be washed or not. The canister ends are tiny fine mesh...really tiny...and so perhaps the water would get in. I did not use them yet anyway.

However, as noted earlier, I did dunk each pop into fruit sugar and knocked the extra off...that means the edges are coated too...and packaged them immediately. It is now several days later. The humidity is still in the 90s...as it will be all summer...and they are fine. The sugar is still visible on them and they go for sale on July 4th (Canada, not a holiday). Another learning experience.

I think I'll make a sign with the ingredients listed on it. I had a phone call from our library the other day...I had donated butterscotch lollie there for their book sale...asking me if the pops had some ingredient in them that her child was allergic to. (Our laws in Canada are so lax compared to the various US regulations)