Are you looking for a way to satisfy that sweet tooth of your kids, grandkids or yourself but just do not like the junky ingredients in candies?
Considering the nutritional value in gummy candies, these store bought candies are basically empty calories containing high fructose corn syrup, additives, and artificial food flavors and colors. An internet search for homemade gummy candies will reveal several posts using boxes of jello. However, I do not think that making your own candies using jello, will be any more of a health advantage, than just purchasing manufactured gummy candies, since jello also contains many unrecognizable ingredients that should not be considered as food.
One day this past week I had an inquisitive and eager kitchen assistant, so I thought it would be a good time to make some homemade gummy candy without guilt of bodily destruction from ingestion.
Here's how it's done with only 4 ingredients and 7 easy steps:
Considering the nutritional value in gummy candies, these store bought candies are basically empty calories containing high fructose corn syrup, additives, and artificial food flavors and colors. An internet search for homemade gummy candies will reveal several posts using boxes of jello. However, I do not think that making your own candies using jello, will be any more of a health advantage, than just purchasing manufactured gummy candies, since jello also contains many unrecognizable ingredients that should not be considered as food.
One day this past week I had an inquisitive and eager kitchen assistant, so I thought it would be a good time to make some homemade gummy candy without guilt of bodily destruction from ingestion.
Here's how it's done with only 4 ingredients and 7 easy steps:
(See very bottom of this post for the abbreviated version of this recipe)
1. Empty 9 Tablespoons of honey or maple syrup into a small saucepan. You can use less, say about 3 or 6 Tablespoons, and substitute with several drops of liquid Stevia drops (see sources below). This works very well! No set amount - just according to your liking, so taste it before you fill the molds to see if you will like the sweetness. If not, add more.
2. Next add 6 Tablespoons of Great Lakes or Bernard Jensen's Gelatin (see sources below). Wisk it in slowly so it doesn't lump.
Read here about the benefits of good quality gelatin: http://www.thenutritioncoach.com.au/anti-ageing/get-in-some-gelatin/
These brands are made from grassfed beef and recommended by trusted health food bloogers. If you buy the Great Lakes brand then I recommend the bovine (beef) over the porcine (pork). The Bernard Jensen's brand is recommended as an ingredient in homemade baby formula. See this link if interested in homemade baby formula: http://www.westonaprice.org/childrens-health/recipes-for-homemade-baby-formula
Read here about the benefits of good quality gelatin: http://www.thenutritioncoach.com.au/anti-ageing/get-in-some-gelatin/
These brands are made from grassfed beef and recommended by trusted health food bloogers. If you buy the Great Lakes brand then I recommend the bovine (beef) over the porcine (pork). The Bernard Jensen's brand is recommended as an ingredient in homemade baby formula. See this link if interested in homemade baby formula: http://www.westonaprice.org/childrens-health/recipes-for-homemade-baby-formula
3. Next to the pot add 1 cup of filtered water. Then stir.
4. Then add about 10 drops of lemon essential oil. You can use any flavoring or extract but doTERRA essential oils have a very strong flavor - we love these!
Make sure it's the kind that you can ingest instead of just for aromatherapy or topical use. Most of the doTERRA oils are ingestible.
Make sure it's the kind that you can ingest instead of just for aromatherapy or topical use. Most of the doTERRA oils are ingestible.
5. Now wisk those 4 ingredients and heat just enough to make smooth (taste test).
6. Then fill some silicone ice cube trays for molding the gummy candy. If you do not have molds then you can use plain ice cube trays or just pour into a very small container and cut into squares after complete. One recipe will fill more than two trays shown in this picture, and will fill one tray of the Gingerbread molds in the sources shown below.
7. Then pop into the freezer for 15 minutes.
Gummy candies are easy to remove from the molds and will stay molded at room temperature. The molds clean up with a rinse of hot water.
Now enjoy! Feel good that you have made a popular candy that is fun and healthy!
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Here is a close up of the gummy candy. Lemon on the left, and we have made some grape on the right using organic grape juice in place of the water and essential oil. These were very good too, but our favorite was the lemon. If using juice instead of essential oils for flavoring then please keep them refrigerated.
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Update: For Christmas, we made these using the Cinnamon essential oil and we used the gingerbread mold. It's well into January now, and we are still making these. My husband is not kitchen guy, but has learned to make these, since he eats them all the time.
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Gummy Candy Recipe:
Into a small saucepan add:
9 Tablespoons Honey or Maple Syrup or less and sub. with Liquid Stevia drops
6 Tablespoons Gelatin
1 Cup filtered water or grape juice
10 Drops doTERRA Lemon Essential oil (omit if using grape juice)
Wisk and heat slightly to mix and make smooth enough to pour into molded trays.
Freeze for 15 minutes.
Source for recipe: http://www.mommypotamus.com/homemade-gummy-stars/
Into a small saucepan add:
9 Tablespoons Honey or Maple Syrup or less and sub. with Liquid Stevia drops
6 Tablespoons Gelatin
1 Cup filtered water or grape juice
10 Drops doTERRA Lemon Essential oil (omit if using grape juice)
Wisk and heat slightly to mix and make smooth enough to pour into molded trays.
Freeze for 15 minutes.
Source for recipe: http://www.mommypotamus.com/homemade-gummy-stars/
