My homemade gummy bears are going moldy at room temp. What can I do to get them shelf stable? AskCulinary

Hi AskCulinary,

I recently took it upon myself to make hash oil gummy bears for myself and friends (I am in a legal recreational state). I've put together a recipe based on all of the details I've been able to scrounge up on the internet. The recipe I've made has a decent flavor, and the consistency is nearing that of a standard Haribo. And there's no issue with the medical effects. They work. That's not what I'm here for.

The main issue that I'm having is that the gummies are not shelf stable. The bears last at least 3-4 weeks in the refrigerator; my test batch gummies that are over a month old are still good. But if the gummies are kept at room temperature they go bad in 5-8 days.

I wondered if anyone could look over my recipe and maybe make suggestions of what I might be able to do to get them to last longer at room temperature.

Ingredients (for 200 small bears, roughly 1/4 tsp each)

• 1 large box (6 oz/170g) of Jello
• 6 packets gelatin
• 3/4 cup cold water
• 1/4 cup corn syrup
• 1 tsp citric acid
• 1/4 tsp soy lecithin
• 2 grams BHO (decarbed in a toaster oven at 250 F for 20 min or until bubbling stops)

In a saucepan, add water and corn syrup, stir until fairly mixed. Add Jello and gelatin packets. Allow to bloom for 5 minutes. Heat saucepan on low until gelatin dissolved, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, allow to cool for approximately 5 minutes. Remove any foam layer on top to aid clarification. Return to heat, heat until fully melted. Repeat clarification step as needed. Add in citric acid and soy lecithin, gently stir until mixed. Add BHO. Stir until uniform.

Pour the gelatin into the molds using whatever manner is necessary. I use an eyedropper for the small bears. Allow to set at room temperature for 5-10 minutes, and then place in freezer for 15-20 minutes or until gummies have solidified.

Compared to the recipes I've found around the internet, I made a few changes. The lecithin was added as apparently it helps to mix in the BHO, and supposedly it aids in absorption of THC (this could be pseudoscience bullshit. I found the suggestion on a few weed forums). The citric acid was added to make the gummies more sour. The corn syrup was added to fix the consistency. Without corn syrup they just seem like stiff Jello.

My question is this: what can I adjust to help prevent mold forming on future batches? I'd love to get these gummies to be shelf stable and not require refrigeration. Do I need to add sugar, or maybe more corn syrup? Would more citric acid help? Should I consider a preservative such as potassium sorbate?

Thank you!

Submitted February 13, 2016 at 06:06AM by MisterFabulous http://ift.tt/1mxFcih AskCulinary