Sometimes when I buy (cheap) gummy candy, it's a little too hard to enjoy. Is there a way to soften them? Preferably something that lasts, as opposed to perhaps heating them and eating them while they're warm.
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Gummy candy is essentially just water, sugar, gelatin, and a few other additives like food colouring.
Gelatin's gel strength1 is partially dependent on its concentration. The more concentrated, the harder it gets. Gummy candies left sitting around will lose water due to evaporation, which makes the gelatin more concentrated and thus harder, and if you watch carefully you'll notice that the moisture loss also makes the gummies shrink.
To soften them, you need to rehydrate them. Toss them in a bowl of hot or warm water (don't use cold water - gelatin is only soluble in warmer water) until they reach the desired consistency - usually around 20 minutes or so. The longer you leave them in the water, the more water they'll absorb, the more they'll grow and the softer they'll get.
Aaronut
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Put the gummies in a microwave for 5 to 10 seconds, but since microwave ovens vary by manufacturer keep an eye on them.
Jimmy
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Put a piece of bread in the bag with the gummies, clip the bag, and put it somewhere warm. It will take a day, but will come back just like new.
Daniel Griscom
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curtis carrier
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Submerge them in vegetable glycerin and Seth them in top of your gaming PC while playing a demanding game for an hour. They become so soft that they nearly melt in your mouth. The vg also makes them slightly sweeter.
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Yes you can very easily soften gummy candy. I have to do this with Swedish Fish because lately regardless of where I purchase them, they are quite hard straight out of the bag. I would say every 4 out of 5 bags are dry and hard and that 1 good bag is getting harder to find. It may be a recipe change, or just bad luck. I’ve experimented with different methods of making them softer and most of the advice offered is spot on. There are many ways of making them softer. Basically you need the addition of a liquid. Water, vodka, juice, rum, any liquid will work. Next you need to increase the temperature of the gummy candy. The warmer they are, the faster they will start softening. My go to method is to place my gummies in an ziplock bag, add just enough water to coat the gummies (1 or 2 tbsp). Shake to coat and then place in microwave for 10 seconds. Take out, shake again. I do this for about 60 seconds. You can eat them at this point. To store for later, I put the gummies in a dish lined with parchment paper and let them dry up overnight before storing. You can experiment with different liquids and different ways to heat until you find your ideal method.
Su mann
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Put em in your pocket! They get warm and squishy after five minutes or so.
Cascabel
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ferris bueller
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I think it takes approximately three hours for chewy candy to become a soluble in water
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I put mine on the dash of my car on a warm sunny day. You have to keep an eye on them but they regain softness. I have even used the heat from my blow dryer!
Monica
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