DECEMBER 2020 103Kumquat-Riesling Gummies
ACTIVE 1 HR; TOTAL 5 HR, PLUS 1 DAY
STANDING
MAKES ABOUT 10 DOZEN CANDIES
To play up tart kumquats, a citric acid
coating gives these gummies a burst of
sour flavor and a craveable quality. Kung
Fu Girl Riesling has notes of white peach,
mandarin orange, and apricot that bal-
ance the sourness of the kumquats.
4 oz. fresh kumquats (about^3 / 4 cup),
quartered lengthwise and seeded
2 / 3 cup cold water, divided
3 / 4 cup (6 oz.) dry Riesling
1 cup granulated sugar, divided
1 / 3 cup light corn syrup
1 / 4 tsp. fine sea salt
1 tsp. citric acid, divided
3 (^1 / 4 -oz.) pkg. unflavored gelatin
Grapeseed oil, as needed
- Place kumquats and enough water to
cover by^1 / 2 inch in a small saucepan.
Bring to a boil over medium-high. Remove
from heat; drain. Repeat blanching pro-
cess; drain well. Process drained kum-
quats and^1 / 3 cup cold water in a blender
until smooth, about 30 seconds. Using
the back of a spoon, press mixture
through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a
bowl; discard solids. Set puree aside. - Combine Riesling,^3 / 4 cup sugar, corn
syrup, salt, and^1 / 4 teaspoon citric acid in
a small saucepan. Cook over medium,
swirling pan occasionally, until a candy
thermometer registers 260°F (hard-ball
stage), 15 to 25 minutes. Stir in kumquat
puree (temperature will drop). Cook, stir-
ring constantly, until thermometer regis-
ters 240°F, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from
heat, and let cool, stirring occasionally,
until temperature reaches 200°F, about
5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, stir together gelatin
and remaining^1 / 3 cup cold water in a
small bowl. Set aside to bloom, about 5
minutes.
4. Remove candy thermometer, and gen-
tly stir gelatin mixture into warm syrup
until gelatin is dissolved and mixture is
smooth. Let stand at room temperature
5 minutes. Skim off any foam that forms
on surface. Place a 140-cavity half-
sphere or semi-sphere (about^3 / 4 -inch
cavity) silicone candy mold on a large
rimmed baking sheet. Carefully spoon
(^1) / 4 to (^1) / 2 teaspoon mixture into each cav-
ity. Alternatively, pour mixture into a
9- x 5-inch loaf pan. Chill mold on baking
sheet, uncovered, until candies are set, at
least 4 hours or up to overnight.
- Remove gummies from mold, and place
on a wire rack. (If using a 9- x 5-inch loaf
pan, use a sharp knife to cut gummies
into uniform squares.) Let stand at room
temperature in a cool, dark place, uncov-
ered, until gummies are no longer sticky
and have dehydrated to desired degree of
chewiness, 1 to 3 days. If gummies reach
desired chewiness but are still slightly
sticky, toss batches of 6 gummies with a
few drops of grapeseed oil to coat. Store
in an airtight container up to 2 weeks. - Just before serving, stir together
remaining^1 / 4 cup sugar and remaining
(^3) / 4 teaspoon citric acid in a small bowl.
Dip bottom of each gummy in sugar mix-
ture. Sugared gummies can be held at
room temperature up to 4 hours. —PAIGE
GRANDJEAN
MAKE AHEAD Gummies can be stored in
an airtight container at room temperature
up to 2 weeks. Dip in the sugar–citric acid
mixture up to 4 hours before serving.
NOTE Find citric acid near the canning
supplies at your grocery store. This recipe
was tested using a 140-cavity mold by
Palksky, available at amazon.com.
VIBRANTLY HUED KUMQUATS GIVE THESE GORGEOUS GUMMIES THEIR
ALL-NATURAL SUNNY GLOW AND A PUCKERY, SWEET-AND-SOUR
FLAVOR; RIESLING BRINGS BALANCE WITH SWEET APRICOT NOTES.
So why do gummies
melt in your mouth,
but a lollipop will
shatter if dropped?
It’s all about water—or
the lack of it. Sugar and
water are the build-
ing blocks of candy;
the longer and hotter
they’re cooked, the
more evaporation
occurs. The less water,
the more concentrated
the sugar solution,
which allows the sugar
molecules to tightly
pack together into a
compact, hard candy,
like the Red Hot Lolli-
pops on p. 111. While a
candy thermometer is
the most reliable tool
for testing temperature
(see p. 104 for our favor-
ite model), veteran
candymakers swear
by the venerable cold-
water test. Literally
cooking by feel, this
method involves drop-
ping a small dollop of
the hot syrup into a
glass of very cold water,
letting it cool slightly,
then touching it to
determine the texture.
The resulting feel is
assigned to one of six
stages, the gospel of
candymaking.
THE SIX SUGAR STAGES
Thread Stage
(215°F TO 230°F)
Soft, loose, short
strands
Soft-Ball Stage
(234°F TO 240°F)
Soft, pliable, sticky ball
Firm-Ball Stage
(245°F TO 250°F)
Firm, malleable ball
Hard-Ball Stage
(252°F TO 266°F)
Solid ball that will flatten
if pressed
Soft-Crack Stage
(270°F TO 290°F)
Long strands that are
firm but flexible
Hard-Crack Stage
(295°F TO 310°F)
Stiff strands that are
firm and brittle