By ALDONA BIRD
Newsroom@DominionPost.com
Impulse buying of candy might be harder when you do curbside grocery pickups, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have fruit snacks. While they might not have the chew of gummy bears, they are fun to make and eat — and a great way to get children involved in the kitchen.
To get a real rubbery chew like a commercial kitchen, use gelatin or experiment with tapioca and a syrup such as corn syrup.
For a vegetarian/vegan fruity option, use agar agar or pectin — they have a different mouth feel, but are a fun way for kids to eat juice. Add some vitamin powders, and turn them into extra healthy snacks.
Tools you’ll need to make vegan fruity snacks:
- silicon molds (available online from craft stores)
- a small sauce pan
- whisk
- measuring cups and spoon
Silicon molds come in a variety of shapes and sizes, such as butterflies, unicorns, flamingos, flowers and leaves, pineapples and more. Craft stores sell them at different price points, and they’re reusable. Pick shapes you and your kiddos will enjoy for fruit snacks and other projects — think DIY chocolates and caramels.
To make soft jelly fruit snacks:
- 2/3 cups lemon juice mixed with water
- lemon zest
- 1 ½ teaspoons pectin
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons corn syrup
Mix dry ingredients. Warm water and juice in small saucepan. Add dry ingredients, and whisk together, eliminating any lumps. Simmer for 3-5 minutes. The mixture will be foamy, due to the baking soda.
Add in corn syrup and simmer for another few minutes. While mixture is hot, pour into silicon molds. Allow to cool at room temperature, then transfer to the refrigerator to finish setting. After 20-40 minutes, candies will be set, and ready to remove from the molds.
Letting these sit overnight can help them dry a little. They will be solid and not sticky, and perfect for an on-the go treat.
You can make this with a variety of juices. Since it has a high sugar content, try 100% juice, to intensify the flavor and eliminate extra sugars added to most juice. Lower the amount of juice to 1/3 in this recipe and add a pinch of agar agar powder to make firmer and chewier candies.
Pectin, often used to thicken jams and jellies, is a starch made from fruits. It causes liquid (with sugar and acid) to gel.
For a healthier option, try solidifying juice with agar agar, so you don’t need to worry about the sugar or acid content. If you make these expecting gummy bears, you’ll be disappointed. If you make them expecting gel-ly fruit bites, you’ll be delighted.
Agar Agar is derived from a seaweed, and a little bit of it can turn any liquid into a solid. Another great trait of agar agar is that it can be remelted.
If you use it to make candies, and they are too soft and not setting, melt them down and add more agar agar. If they are too stiff, melt and add more juice.
Fruit juice bites:
- ½ cup fruit juice
- 1 ½ teaspoons agar agar powder
Agar agar is available in flakes or powder. Use powder for this recipe, rather than flakes. Mix ingredients in small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Continue simmering for about three minutes, until agar agar is completely dissolved.
Quickly pour into silicone molds, let cool at room temperature and then chill in the fridge.
If using 100% juice these snacks will be tart. Apple juice adds natural sweetness, or add a sweetener of your choice to the juice. Agar agar has almost no flavor, so you can mix a sweetener (honey, maple syrup, agave syrup, sugar, stevia, etc) into the juice and taste before you let the snacks solidify.
These have a firm, almost breakable texture. The fun part is that you can make them out of anything — puree fruits, and add pureed veggies to make different colors.
Use both agar agar and pectin for a softer, but still firm texture.
Use these recipes as a jumping off point, and play “test kitchen” with younger chefs. Making small batches lets you experiment without running out of ingredients. Once you find a recipe you love, make a bigger batch! Store in the fridge for a healthy snack that’ll satisfy your candy cravings.
