Gummy Candy Recipe - How To Make Gummy Bears | Skip To My Lou (2024)

FAQs

What are the ingredients in gummy bears? ›

The traditional gummy bear is made from a mixture of sugar, glucose syrup, starch, flavoring, food coloring, citric acid and gelatin. However, recipes vary, such as organic candy, those suitable for vegetarians or those following religious dietary laws. Production uses a specialized machine called a starch mogul.

In general, the ingredients in gummy bear candy include sugar, gelatin, con syrup, starches, flavorings, food colorings and citric acid. Beet sugar is sometimes used to sweeten gummy candy. A sugar-free gummy bear recipe would omit the sugar and include an artificial sweetener such as Aspartame.

Rather than being made with sugar, the gummy bears are made with Lycasin, a hydrogenated glucose and sugar replacement. Lycasin is a maltitol syrup with properties of taste and sweetness ideal for the preparation of sugar-free syrups, lozenges or jellies, according to manufacturer Roquette.com.

The major bottleneck in pectin-based gummy candy is to achieve a somewhat chewy texture as it is meant to be jelly-like. The tricks here are to maintain a precise pH of 3.5 during gel setting and not to heat up the pectin-sugar-water mixture beyond 220-240°F, otherwise, the candy may become sticky and caramelized.

Despite all the changes and developments in the gummy candy world, the basic recipe has remained largely the same: sugar, glucose syrup, starch, flavoring, food coloring, citric acid, and gelatin. The last ingredient, gelatin, is what gives gummy candy its signature chewy texture.

Gelatin comes from animal skin and bone

A very common ingredient in gummies and jellies is gelatin. It's extracted from the collagen in animal skin and bone, and gives gummy bears a delightfully bouncy texture.

Gelatin gummies can have a tendency to sweat or weep in the first few days after they are made. As the gummy dries the proteins will tighten, squeezing out any excess water. The first thing you can do when attempting to prevent weeping would be to get the perfect ratio of gelatin, water, and sugar.

Dry the gummies (I do this at room temp on a baking sheet covered with a silicone sheet, what they call a “silpat” in the biz) for a few days until they develop a thick “skin.” Roll them in a 3:1 mixture of confectioner's sugar and corn starch. Store in a sealed container at room temperature.

If the residence time of the gummies in the mogule starch is too short or the residual moisture in the mogule starch itself is too high, the gums and jellies may retain too much moisture for further treatment.

We conducted an osmosis with gummy bears experiment and discovered that sparkling water consistently made the gummy bear the largest, even more than distilled water.

What are the 3 main ingredients in gummy bears? ›

Gummy bears are typically made of gelatin, citric acid, sugar, fruit juice, corn syrup, flavoring and starch. These ingredients combine to give gummy bears their chewy texture and sweet taste.

Gelatin. Added to a variety of yogurts, Jell-O products and confections such as gummy bears, fruit snacks and jelly babies, gelatin is about 50 percent boiled pig skin and 25 percent cow bones.

What are the Benefits of Consuming Gummy Bears? There are useful proteins within gelatine-based gummy bears which are beneficial especially post workout. Gelatine also contains collagen which helps to strengthen your hair, skin, and nails. It also tightens loose skin.

A documentary from the German broadcaster ARD alleges that the vaulted candy-maker Haribo's gummy bears are made using ingredients farmed by near-slave laborers in Brazil and from abusive animal farms in which pigs wander amongst the rotting corpses of their own dead.