Use ordinary blueberries that you can find in any grocery store and turn them into some scrumptious gumdrops. This Tart Balsamic Blueberry Gumdrops Recipe is the perfect way to add some freshness to a holiday favorite.
Recently I got an e-mail from the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council inviting me to submit a recipe into their Blueberries Meet Their Match Blogger Recipe Contest.
I couldn’t resist.
The challenge they presented was to create a unique recipe using blueberries and either coconut, balsamic vinegar, rosemary, and bananas. I had ideas for all these ingredients and decided to start with some blueberry balsamic gumdrops.
I’ve been wanting to make gumdrops using real fruit, I love berries and balsamic vinegar, and this was the perfect opportunity to give this idea a try.
My blueberries were really sweet, and all the sugar in the recipe intensifies the sweetness, so the balsamic vinegar helps to balance that out and some citric acid inside and on the outside of the gumdrops adds a nice tart finish.
These are my favorite gumdrops to date. Using actual blueberries gives these candies a more natural flavor, and they have a lovely rich looking color.
They are so pretty in my candy dish.
Items used to create this project that are available on Amazon.com (commission earned for sales)
Use fresh or frozen blueberries to make these homemade blueberry gumdrops flavored with Balsamic vinegar.
- 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 1.75 ounce package powdered fruit pectin (original not low or no sugar pectin)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon citric acid
- butter to grease pan
- 1 cup corn syrup
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup blue-colored sugar
- 3/4 - 2 teaspoon citric acid use more if you prefer a stronger sour taste
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Place blueberries, brown sugar, and Balsamic vinegar in saucepan. Heat on medium-low for 10 minutes, stirring often.
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Remove from heat and pour into a food processor or blender. Puree. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve, twice, removing all the solids. Clean the saucepan, then pour in 3/4 cup of the puree.
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Add pectin and baking soda to the blueberry puree. It will bubble up. Bring to a boil over high heat. Turn off heat, stir in 1/2 teaspoon citric acid and set it aside.
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Grease a 1 1/2 to 2-quart stainless steel pot with butter. Pour corn syrup into the bottom. Sprinkle sugar in the center of the pan. Turn heat on medium-high and allow it to cook for one minute. Then stir gently to dissolve sugar. Be careful not to splash the sugar crystals onto the side of your saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. This took me just a few minutes, but it can take up to 10 minutes. Clip your candy thermometer onto the side of your pot. Cook, without stirring, until the thermometer registers 260 degrees Fahrenheit.
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You will continue to cook your sugar (ultimately you'll want it to reach 280 degrees which is the soft crack stage,) but at this point, you need to set your pan of blueberry mixture back on the stove and heat it over high heat until it comes to a boil.
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Once your pot of boiling corn syrup/sugar reaches 280 degrees remove it from the heat or turn off your gas. Slowly and VERY CAREFULLY drizzle in the hot pectin, stirring slowly yet constantly. You DO NOT want to splash any of this hot boiling sugar on your hands. The mixture will really bubble up. Once all the pectin has been poured into the saucepan, return it to medium-high heat and cook it for one more minute, then remove from heat and pour into a glass bowl, with a spout, preferably. This stops it from continuing to cook.
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Carefully pour the hot mixture into silicone molds. Allow the candy to cool at room temperature for up to 8 hours. Press the backside of the silicone mold and pop the candy out.
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Pour colored sanding sugar into a dish or bowl. Stir in 3/4 teaspoon of citric acid. Taste the sugar or even coat one of the candies. If you'd like it more tart, add more citric acid.
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Drop your gum drops into the sugar and toss to coat.
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Allow the candies to dry for an hour before packaging or stacking in a candy dish. Store in an airtight container for about a week.
How to make Tart Blueberry Balsamic Gumdrops
Supplies:
2 stainless steel pots (1 1/2 -2 quart-size, preferably a good quality stainless steel pan)
candy thermometer
glass bowl with spout
silicone molds*
*I used 2 Easy Push Out Ice Cube Trays with Flexible Rubber Bottoms because I loved the simple gumdrop shape. I dusted the molds with corn starch, but still had a hard time getting them to come out. I had to freeze the candies in order to get them to pop out. In the past I’ve always used silicone molds and have not had to add corn starch and they pop right out, so I suggest using soft flexible molds.
Instructions:
Place blueberries, brown sugar, and balsamic vinegar in a saucepan.
Heat on medium-low for 10 minutes, stirring often.
Remove from heat and pour into a food processor or blender. Puree.
Pour through a fine-mesh sieve, twice, removing all the solids.
Clean the saucepan, then pour in 3/4 cup of the puree (save any extra for another use or add water if you don’t have enough.)
Add pectin and baking soda to the blueberry puree. It will bubble up.
Bring to a boil over high heat.
Turn off heat, stir in 1/2 teaspoon citric acid and set it aside.
Grease a 1 1/2 to 2-quart stainless steel pot with butter.
Pour corn syrup into the bottom. Sprinkle sugar in the center of the pan.
Turn heat on medium-high and allow it to cook for one minute. Then stir gently to dissolve sugar. Be careful not to splash the sugar crystals onto the side of your saucepan.
Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. This took me just a few minutes, but it can take up to 10 minutes.
Clip your candy thermometer onto the side of your pot. Cook, without stirring, until the thermometer registers 260 degrees Fahrenheit.
You will continue to cook your sugar (ultimately you’ll want it to reach 280 degrees which is the soft crack stage,) but at this point, you need to set your pan of blueberry mixture back on the stove and heat it over high heat until it comes to a boil.
Once your pot of boiling corn syrup/sugar reaches 280 degrees remove it from the heat or turn off your gas.
Slowly and VERY CAREFULLY drizzle in the hot pectin, stirring slowly yet constantly.
You DO NOT want to splash any of this hot boiling sugar on your hands. The mixture will really bubble up.
Once all the pectin has been poured into the saucepan, return it to medium-high heat and cook it for one more minute, then remove from heat and pour into a glass bowl, with a spout, preferably. This stops it from continuing to cook.
Carefully pour the hot mixture into silicone molds.
Allow the candy to cool at room temperature for up to 8 hours. Press the backside of the silicone mold and pop the candy out.
As I mentioned above, I used a plastic ice cube tray with a rubber push button bottom. I dusted it with corn starch then poured in the candy. It was challenging to get them out. I had to freeze them first. If you use a nice flexible silicone mold, there is no need to coat it first.
Pour colored sanding sugar into a dish or bowl.
Stir in 3/4 teaspoon of citric acid. Taste the sugar or even coat one of the candies. If you’d like it more tart, add more citric acid.
Drop your gum drops into the sugar and toss to coat. Being my candies had corn starch on them, I had to wipe them off with wet fingers before coating them in the sugar, then the sugar stuck nicely.
Allow the candies to dry for an hour before packaging or stacking in a candy dish. Store in an airtight container for about a week.
Disclosure: I was not compensated for this recipe post and all the opinions are my own. I am entering it into the Blueberries Meet Their Match Blogger Contest sponsored by the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council and I could possibly win a prize (fingers crossed.) http://www.blueberrycouncil.org/
Be sure to check out all my fun Christmas Recipes!
More Gumdrops
from Hungry Happenings
Seriously Beth these are so original and creative they deserve to win
Thanks so much. That would be amazing! I will use fresh fruit to make gumdrops from now on. I love them:)
LOVE the dark blue color!!!!
Thank, Hannah. Me too!
What pretty blue candies..but you are are the gumdrop queen! I can't wait to hear more about your trip..how exciting! Good luck in the contest. :o)
Thank you, Karen. I am so excited about my trip. I can't wait to share all my adventures. I have to take lots of pictures and write articles about my experience. It's a first, and it should be amazing.
I hope you win! I love how you used real blueberries!! You are amazing. The color alone should get a "Blue-berry Ribbon!"
Wow, these really are original. The bright blue is so pretty. I've never seen such vibrant looking gumdrops before. I can't wait to try the recipe.
Cheryl
these look amazing, and I bet taste the same! Good luck in the contest!!
Thank, Michelle. Fingers crossed!
Wow! I have been scrolling through you Pinterest board first then I just HAD to see your blog. Very impressive. so much so, I hope you don't mind I am promoting you blog on one of my Skinny Scoop lists.
good luck. I ate all of the blueberries last night or I would be in the kitchen right now making these.
Thank you Malika. I am happy you stopped by and am always appreciative of you sharing. I can't wait to make more gumdrops with real fruit. These are wonderful.
Wow! These are so pretty! My father loves blueberries and I bet he would love these! I will have to give them a try:)
These look amazing! There are some recipes I'm just to afraid to even try, and this would be one of those had you not provided an amazing tutorial! Thanks for sharing. Will be trying!
I love making gumdrops. They can be a bit intimidating at first, but once you get the hang of it, it's pretty easy. I tried making some using boxes of gelatin, and these with the pectin are so much better. I hope you give them a try.
Did you mean to write that you live in 't-shits'?? :p
OMG, thanks so much for pointing out that typo! I totally missed it. Oops.
Oh my gosh, fabulous pictures and tutorial! Thank you for sharing.
Thanks, that's so nice to hear. I've been working on my photography and it's nice to know I'm getting better:)
Love the colour, bet the taste will be fabulous! Cant wait to try it out!
They are a really gorgeous deep blue. I hope you do try them!
These look lovely! Do you think spraying the molds with pan spray would help to release the candies? I can't find any silicone molds that have that perfect shape!
I've found that if you use a soft silicone mold you don't need to add anything to the mold. If you use a hard silicone mold, like an ice cube tray, then using some oil on the mold is advisable, you will however taste it a bit. With the mold I used to make these gumdrops, part of it was plastic and only the tip was silicone, so brushing it with oil would have been a good idea!