Homemade Peach Rings Gummies
These homemade peach rings are bursting with peach flavor made with real fruit and set with gelatin for a true bouncy, stretchy gummy texture.
Yield: 150 small or 60 large rings (about 420mL total)
Ingredients
- 12 ounces / 340 g fresh or frozen peaches, from 2 large or 3 small peaches, pureed (1 cup of puree)
- 1¼ cup / 250 g granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup / 100 g glucose syrup, or light corn syrup or golden syrup
- 2 tablespoons / 30 g lemon juice
- 10 sheets / 20 g platinum leaf gelatin, see notes for powdered gelatin*
- ½ teaspoon citric acid
Instructions
- Set silicone molds on a cookie sheet on a heat-proof surface (the candy will be very hot when it goes into the molds, you don't want to melt your countertops). Optionally, brush insides of molds with a very thin coating of vegetable oil (there should be no visible droplets, just a very thin film). I find a very light coating of oil helps the candies come out of the molds more cleanly, though this step is optional.
- In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine 1 cup of peach puree, sugar, glucose syrup, and lemon juice (if using powdered gelatin, the lemon juice goes in a separate bowl, see notes*). Stir to combine and set over medium heat.
- While the peach mixture is heating up, cut the gelatin sheets into 1-2" strips, then submerge in a bowl of cold water, separating the layers so they don't stick together. Allow to soften for at least 5 minutes. (If using powdered gelatin, sprinkle evenly over 1/4 cup of lemon juice in a wide, shallow bowl to bloom; there should be enough liquid to saturate all the gelatin, but if you see bits of dry powder still, you may need to stir it or add a little more water or lemon juice).
- Once the peach mixture starts to boil, attach a candy thermometer to the side of the saucepan. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring frequently to avoid burning, until the temperature reaches 230°F - 235ºF (**see notes for altitude adjustments); this will take about 10-20 minutes depending on the thickness of your pan and the intensity of your stove. The liquid candy will be noticeably thickened, falling off the edge of the spatula in thick sheets, but you really need to measure the temperature to know when it's done.
- Once the mixture hits the desired temperature, remove from heat and stir in citric acid. Wring out softened gelatin sheets, squeezing out as much water as possible, then add to the saucepan with the hot peach mixture and stir until completely melted. For powdered gelatin, you can melt it briefly in the microwave (4-5 seconds max), and then stir into the hot peach mixture.
- Let hot liquid candy cool for 5 minutes or so, until it comes down to about 150 degrees F (any hotter and it'll melt your plastic squeeze bottle). Transfer half of the mixture to one squeeze bottle and set aside. Add a few drops of red or pink food coloring to the remaining candy, stirring until evenly incorporated (see notes in post about using fruit puree or other methods for coloring), then transfer to a second squeeze bottle. Wrap the bottles with a paper towel or cloth or use potholders to handle them as the liquid candy is still very hot.
- Carefully squeeze liquid candy into prepared molds, squeezing both bottles into opposite sides of the molds at the same time to achieve the dual-color effect. (For reference, this recipe will make about 420 mL/14 fl.oz of liquid candy, if you need to calculate how many molds you'll need to fill.)
- Refrigerate until fully set, at least 4 hours or ideally overnight. Once set, you should be able to pop the candies cleanly out of the molds.
- Arrange demolded candies on parchment paper, then leave out to dry in a cool, dry place for 1 to 3 days until no longer sticky, flipping them once or twice to ensure even drying. If you live in a hot and humid climate, I'd recommend drying the candies overnight (uncovered) in the refrigerator or, even better, a wine fridge (50-60 degrees being the ideal temperature for curing the gummies).
- If you find that your candies are still sticky, you can opt to coat them in sugar or starch. Simply toss in your desired coating, shaking them in a large mesh sieve and then brushing off any excess start with a pastry brush. This will prevent the candies from sticking together, though it will give them a more opaque, powdery appearance.
- Store candies uncovered or lightly covered at cool room temperature for up to 1 week, or lightly covered in the refrigerator (separate with layers of parchment) for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
- To use powdered gelatin, measure out an equal amount of powdered gelatin (ideally 220-250 bloom) in grams. Sprinkle over 1/4 cup of lemon juice in a small bowl to bloom (you will omit the the 2T lemon juice in the peach mixture as well as the citric acid). Once the liquid candy mixture comes up to temperature, remove from heat and stir in bloomed gelatin until completely melted and smooth. Note your gummies will have a slightly softer set and will not be quite as crystal-like as mine, as powdered gelatin makes for a more opaque appearance.
- If you live above 1,000 ft in elevation, reduce the target temperature by 2ºF for every 1,000 ft of elevation. So if you live at 3,000 ft, reduce the target temperature by 6ºF (so 224-229ºF).