Is it a bad idea to boil black jelly beans?
When I last bought jelly beans, I ended up with one black jelly bean that I don't want to eat. I could just throw it out, but that seems like a waste. Also:
- My dad's recipe for chicken wings/drumsticks/thighs includes star anise
- Recipe: the chicken is braised till mostly cooked in water containing ginger, garlic, and star anise, then most of the water is poured out and soy sauce, oyster sauce, and brown sugar are added and it's simmered a bit longer till the liquid forms a thick sauce
- I have chicken wings (and the other ingredients above) but no star anise
- Google informs me that the black licorice in black jelly beans tastes like star anise
You can probably see where I'm going here. If I add the jelly bean to the braising liquid, a) will it contain any chemicals or something that shouldn't be boiled and b) will the result be similar to adding star anise?
(P.S. I can just cook the chicken without the star anise, it still tastes good. I just kind of want to see if this weird use for jelly beans is reasonable.)
Best Answer
a) Jelly beans are made of sugar, starch, flavorings, and pectin. As such, it's fine to boil, mash, roast, fry, steam, or really do anything you want with them. The worst possible consequence is them sticking to be bottom of the pot and being hard to remove.
b) First, black jelly beans are generally flavored with licorice and not anise, and star anise tastes different from anise seed. So this would definitely be a case of substituting a distinctly different, though similar-tasting, spice. Second, a single jelly bean is unlikely to have enough flavor to affect the flavor of the broth; you would probably need to add several.
So, my recommendation if you really want to try this is to use 6-10 black jelly beans, wrapped in cheesecloth or in an empty tea bag so that they don't stick to the bottom of the pot. And tell us how it works out!
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Quick Answer about "Is it a bad idea to boil black jelly beans?"
a) Jelly beans are made of sugar, starch, flavorings, and pectin. As such, it's fine to boil, mash, roast, fry, steam, or really do anything you want with them.Why are black jelly beans bad for you?
It contains glycyrrhizic acid, which can cause swelling and high blood pressure and deplete potassium and other electrolytes that may cause a cardiac arrhythmia or arrest.Is there bug poop in jelly beans?
Jellybeans are a tasty treat and come in many flavours, but did you realize their shiny coating is made from bug excrement? Shellac, also known as confectioner's glaze, is made from a resin excreted by the female lac beetle, indigenous to India and Thailand.Are black jelly beans bad for blood pressure?
Because it turns out that too many black jelly beans can lead to serious hypertension, (aka high blood pressure), which can cause a whole host of problems as unsavory as the snack itself if you're ingesting them in large enough quantities.Are black jelly beans the same as licorice?
Products that contain real licorice are usually labeled as such, and list licorice extract or glycyrrhizic acid among the ingredients. Be advised that some products, such as black jelly beans or Good & Plenty, are mixtures of different candies that contain both anise oil and licorice extract.Gumball | Darwin's Potato Diet | The Potato | Cartoon Network
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