French fruit juice gummies
I never liked hard candy growing up, and my favorite treat was a crescent-shaped tangerine soft candy. But as a kid, my family had limited means, so I rarely got the chance to eat candy.
While these are labeled French fruit juice gummies, I have never actually tried authentic French fruit juice gummies myself; I simply kept the name from the original recipe, as I can’t remember where I first found this formula. I have made it several times and find it turns out very well.
This candy is not complicated to make, but you will need a baking thermometer: the temperature of the syrup is critical.
Ingredients
Granulated sugar A
130g
Fruit juice
215g
Apple pectin
6g
Granulated sugar B
20g
Maltose syrup
45g
Instructions
1
Step 1
Find a square mold (not too large; I used a pound cake mold) and line it with parchment paper or plastic wrap.
2
Step 2
Weigh out 130g of granulated sugar (A).
3
Step 3
Mix 6g of apple pectin with 20g of granulated sugar (B) until evenly combined.
4
Step 4
45g of maltose syrup. Maltose syrup is a colorless malt sugar.
5
Step 5
215g of fruit juice—freshly squeezed is best; I was lazy and used store-bought juice.
6
Step 6
Pour the juice into a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat to 40°C, add the pectin-sugar mixture, and stir until the pectin dissolves.
7
Step 7
Once the juice with pectin is just about to boil, add the granulated sugar A and maltose syrup. Stir only a couple of times when first adding; do not stir the syrup afterward, or it will recrystallize.
8
Step 8
Continue cooking the syrup until it reaches 107°C, then pour it into the mold, let it cool, and refrigerate overnight.
9
Step 9
Unmold and cut into pieces. To make cutting easier, dip the knife in hot water and wipe it dry between cuts. The soft candy will stick to the knife as you cut—wipe it off with a warm, damp cloth.
10
Step 10
Roll the cut candy pieces in granulated sugar (not included in the recipe), or in shredded coconut if you prefer.
11
Step 11
Chewy, bouncy fruit juice gummies—time to lure the kids!
