Thursday, February 13, 2014

Homemade Gummies

Sour patch kids, gummy bears, swedish fish, sour gummy worms. Sometimes I just need a little gummy love in my life. A few years ago I tried making homemade gummies, but that was before I liked to take pictures of my food and then share it with the internet world. And this is one that definitely needs to be shared!



It only takes about 5 minutes to prep and as little as 3 ingredients to whip up - then about within 20 minutes you have your very own gummies!

Homemade Gummies
If made according to my recipe, these treats are gluten-free, dairy-free, and paleo. Feel free to use a vegetarian friendly gelatin - and then let me know how it goes!

Gather these things:
    Dry
- 5 T of of Knox gelatin, or 6 packets
   Wet
- 1 cup lemon juice
- 1 cup of fruit - I used a frozen berry blend from Trader Joe's, but any raw or frozen fruit will do.

Directions:
- Combine fruit and lemon juice in a saucepan, turn heat to medium-high and simmer until fruit is soft and can be easily blended.
- Let cool for 5-10 minutes. Or don't today I was eager and skipped this step, but I know my Vitamix can handle it.
- Dump mixture in blender, turn on low.
- Add gelatin 1 Tbsp or 1 packet at a time. Allow it to blend until smooth before adding next one.
- Once all gelatin is added, blend until smooth.
- Immediately pour mixture into a pan to cool, you can speed up the process by sticking it in the fridge or freezer (if you haven't let the mixture cool and you stick it in the freezer, you could have condensation build up on top...it won't hurt it, it will just freeze your gummies and then you will have to let them thaw before cutting - all prolonging the process of eating them. Not a best practice in my book).
- Cut into shapes of your choice - I almost did hearts in the spirit of Valentine's Day, but didn't have the patience :).
- Eat!!



As I was making, I got to thinking - there are so many things you can add to this recipe to take it to a whole new level! I included a few things I would consider adding in my pictures, and here are some more:

1. Add a caffeine AND flavor kick with some Mio Energy, and with no added calories....which led me to number 2...
2. Add your favorite pre-workout powder to the mix and then you don't have to carry a big shaker bottle without - just bag of gummies that are easy to eat on the go/in the car
3. Add a flavor punch with some herbs - I added basil to one of my recipes today, but couldn't really taste it - I think I needed more than 4 leaves.
4. Crystal Light packets anyone? Aren't there alcoholic beverage flavored ones now? It could be like you're drinking a mojito at work! I wonder if I could add alcohol to these. Oh man back to the kitchen for me.

Anyone else have any suggestions? I love gummies enough that I would probably try them all :).


Combine your lemon juice and fruit of choice in a small saucepan.


Then blend away! Can you tell I didn't wait for it to cool? Still steaming!


Prep your gelatin for easy and continuous pouring - I dumped the 6 packets into a bowl that I could easily hold.


Then slowly pour.


Once you have poured - give it a little time to blend together. I'm not sure what a mouthful of Knox gelatin would taste like, but I would hate for you to find out the hard way.


Have that pan ready and waiting, the gelatin will start to congeal fairly quick.


Throw it in the fridge or freezer and then take it out when it feels stiff to the touch. I would say it probably feels like a fake boob, but I'm not sure what those feel like.


I sliced mine into 13 rows and 13 columns, but feel free to get creative with shapes and sizes!


Yum! Gummies make me happy - it feels like I'm indulging, but it's actually a pretty balanced snack when you look at the numbers - 45 calories, 8g protein, 7g carbs, 4g sugar for about 30 pieces.

Candy for those who don't want to cut out the candy :). Enjoy!


Homemade Gummies

Servings: about 6 - this is for 30 pieces per serving (about 170 pieces, mine were cut 13 x 13 )



Ingredients
Calories
Carbs
Fat
Protein
Sodium
Sugar
Knox Original - Gelatin, Unflavored, 6 Envelope
120
0
0
48
0
0
Trader Joe's - Very Cherry Berry Blend Frozen Fruit, 1 cup
90
22
0
1
5
16
Lemon juice - Raw, 1 cup
61
21
0
1
2
6







Total:
271
43
0
50
7
22
Per Serving:
45
7
0
8
1
4




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