Recipe: Homemade Gum Drops, Candy Jellies, and Variations

Hi Sara,

I don't have a recipe for jelly beans but here are some recipes for you to experiment with. They won't have the waxy coating on them like jelly beans, but I've seen jelly/pectin candies shaped like jelly beans rolled in sanding sugar (coarse sugar for decorating) as a coating.

Happy Holidays!

Betsy
recipelink.com

Orange SureJell Candies with Variations
Source: Fruits of the Harvest, Beyond the Basics (booklet by SureJell)
Makes about 60 pieces

1 box SureJell Fruit Pectin
3/4 cup water
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
2 tsp orange extract
5 drops each red and yellow food coloring
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Granulated or powdered sugar
Baker's Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted (optional)

Mix pectin, water, and soda in a 2-quart saucepan. Mixture will be foamy. Mix sugar and corn syrup in another 2-quart saucepan. Place both pans on high heat at the same time.

Cook both mixtures, stirring simultaneously, about 4 minutes or until foam has thinned from pectin mixture and sugar mixture is boiling rapidly.

Pour pectin mixture in a slow steady stream into boiling sugar mixture, stirring constantly. Continue boiling 1 minute longer. Remove from
heat.

Stir in extract and food coloring. Add nuts, pour immediately into a
greased 9x5 loaf pan. Let stand at room temp 3 hours or overnight until candy is cool and firm.

Invert onto wax paper which has been sprinkled with sugar. Cut candy into 3/4 inch squares with knife which has been dipped in warm water. Roll in additional sugar to coat completely. Let stand on wire rack at room temperature overnight, uncovered, before packaging or storing. Dip or drizzle candies with melted chocolate, if desired.

Variations:

Mint Chocolate Chip: prepare candies as directed above, substituting 1/2 tsp mint extract, 10 drops green food coloring and 1 cup coarsely chopped chocolate chips for the orange extract, red & yellow color and nuts. Roll candies in mixture of 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup cocoa powder.

Spiced Lemon: Prepare as above, subbing 2 tsp lemon extract and 10 drops yellow food coloring for the orange extract and red & yellow color. Roll candies in mix of 1/3 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon and 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg.

Maple Nut: Prepare candies as above, subbing 1 tsp maple extract for the orange extract and omit the food coloring.

Gum Drops
rec.food.recipes/Sharon Gorman (1994)
Makes about 1 1/4 pounds

1 package (1 3/4 ounces) powdered fruit pectin
3/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
2 teaspoons imitation strawberry extract*
red food coloring*
sugar

Combine fruit pectin, water and baking soda in a medium-size pan. (Note, mixture will foam)

Combine sugar and corn syrup in large saucepan.
Place both saucepans over high heat. Cook, stirring alternately until
foam disappears from fruit pectin mixture and sugar mixture boils rapidly for 5 minutes.

Pour fruit pectin mixture into boiling sugar mixture in a thin stream until all pectin is added. Boil, stirring constantly 1 minute longer. Remove pan from heat. Stir in extract and a few drops of coloring. Immediately pour mixture into and 8x8x2 inch pan. For fancier shapes spoon mixture into tart or similar little pans. Allow to stand at room temperature (do NOT refrigerate) about 3 hours or until candy is cool and firm.

Cut gum drop mixture into fancy shapes with small cutters or into cubes with a knife dipped in warm water. Roll in granulated sugar.

Green Gum Drops - Substitute oil or anise for strawberry extract
and green food coloring for red.

Yellow Gum Drops - Substitute oil of lemon for strawberry extract and yellow food coloring for red.

Red Gum Drops - Substitute oil of clove (a drop or 2) for strawberry extract.

Gumdrops
Makes about 20 pieces

1 (1 3/4) ounce package powdered fruit pectin
3/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
3 to 4 drops peppermint oil (or other flavoring oil)
red or green food color

Lightly grease candy molds. In a small saucepan combine fruit pectin, water and baking soda; set aside. In a 2-quart saucepan combine sugar and corn syrup, mixing well. Cook both mixtures, stirring alternately until foam subsides in soda mixture, about 5 minutes. Pour pectin mixture in a slow steady stream into the boiling sugar mixture, stirring constantly. Boil and stir in flavoring and food color. Pour into prepared molds. Let set 24 hours. Take out of molds. Let stand at least a day before packaging.

And here links to recipes previously posted:

Fruit Jellies

Fruit Jellies with Cranberry Variation

Fruit Jellies and Orange Jellies