What is the best gelling agent for gummies? [duplicate]

So, today I did my first attempt at home made gummies using 35g of gelatine with 1 cup water and 1/2 cup sugar. When it cooled though, all I had was really tough jello. Should I just add more gelatine, or is there another chemical I could use? I have looked at methylcellulose, carrageenan, agar, cornstarch, and pectin in addition to gelatine, but there doesn't seem to be a good comparison of these on the web. Additionally, if anyone has insight into special techniques I could use, it would be really helpful.

Thanks

candy gelling-agents

Best Answer

I believe the key element that you are missing would be corn syrup. The recipe I work with (in a link below) uses

1 box Jell-o gelatin
2 packages unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup of COLD water (the cold water is important to the consistency as well)

If you want to skip the packaged "Jell-o", in favor of more gelatin, your own flavoring and sugar, do use extra fine sugar (caster) as this will also improve the texture of your finished product.

When I first started trying to make gummies I found "The King of Random" with this video. I've made several batches since then and found them to be very good. (Even got the lego molds from Amazon, although he also shows you how to make the lego molds too...). Do watch the video as it contains several good tips beyond just the recipe.

Some of the tips include:

allow the syrup to rest to remove some impurities.
add ground up vitamin c to add a sour edge to your candies (and make them 'healthier')
use a condiment bottle (squeezable) to pour the syrup into your molds
allow the syrup to completely gel once and remelt (after cutting away the foam) for and even cleaner/clearer result

(note: as an added bonus this was how I discovered "The King of Random" and his collection of remarkable videos...only some of which are 'food related')

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Quick Answer about "What is the best gelling agent for gummies? [duplicate]"

Pectin is a plant-based thickening agent, making it the ideal choice for vegan gummy formulas.

How do you thicken gummy bears?

The best hack is to dip the gummies in ethanol, dry them and then coat them with citric acid before any sugar dusting. If the gummy appears to be too hard, soften them by re-hydrating in a bowl of hot or warm water (not cold water) until the desired consistency is achieved, usually around 20 minutes.

What ingredient keeps gummies from melting?

I just checked the ingredients on one of the Vitafusion bottles I have and I believe the secret ingredient to "non-melting-gummies" is WAX. They use either beeswax or carnauba wax.

What does cornstarch do to gummies?

In a small bowl, add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. Pop the gummy bears out of the molds and into the bowl. Lightly toss to coat the gummies. The cornstarch will prevent the gummy bears from sticking together.

What is a good preservative for gummies?

On the other hand, citric acid not only brings out the flavor you want to achieve, it also serves as a preservative, making the shelf life of your gummies longer. So basically, adding citric acid is the answer to the question of how to preserve homemade gummy bears.

Vegan Apple Gummies | Experimenting with gelling agents | Extended Cut

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