February 15, 2012 is National Gumdrop Day
(Info. from various web sources.)
Itâ??s National Gumdrop Day! Gumdrops are a tasty, chewy candy made with gelatin and coated with sugar. Gumdrops can come in fruity flavors like grape, cherry, orange, and lemon or spiced flavors like cinnamon, clove, mint, and anise.
Nowadays, the "Gummi" candies which are the same gelatin base, are the most popular gumdrop type of sweet.
Many people believe that a man named Percy Trusdale invented the gumdrop in 1801, but there is very little evidence to support this claim. What we do know is that gumdrops have been a popular confection for at least two hundred years. The board game Candy Land features both a Gumdrop Pass and a Gumdrop Mountain!
Origin of National Gumdrop Day:
Our rsearch did not find the creator, or the origin of this day. It was most likely started by a candy maker.
This is referred to as a "National" day. However, we did not find any congressional records or presidential proclamations for this day.
To celebrate National Gumdrop Day, use colorful gumdrops to decorate a cake or buy a bag of them to share with your friends!
Gumdrops are not difficult to make at home, and these popular candies begin with real orange juice, not artificial flavorings. Instructions are also given for other flavors.
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Ingredients:
Vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
3/4 cup orange juice
1 package (1-3/4 ounces) powdered fruit pectin
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 drops red food coloring, if desired
Sugar
Preparation:
Line loaf pan, 9 x 5 x 3 inches, with aluminum foil. Brush with oil.
Heat sugar and corn syrup to boiling in 1-1/2 quart saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved. Cook, without stirring, to 280 degrees F. on candy thermometer or until small amount of mixture dropped into very cold water separates into hard but not brittle threads.
While cooking sugar mixture, heat orange juice, pectin and baking soda to boiling (mixture will be foamy) in 2-quart saucepan over high heat, stirring constantly; reduce heat.
Slowly pour hot sugar mixture in a thin stream into orange juice mixture, stirring constantly (this should take 1 to 2 minutes); remove from heat. Stir in food color. Let stand 2 minutes. Skim off foam.
Pour mixture into pan. Let stand, uncovered, at room temperature 24 hours. Lift foil from pan and remove foil from sides. Cut into 3/4-inch squares with knife dipped into sugar. Roll squares in sugar. Let stand uncovered at room temperature 1 hour. Store gumdrops in airtight container.
Yield: About 72 gumdrops, 28 calories per gumdrop
Grape Gumdrops: Substitute grape juice for the orange juice and blue food color for the red. 28 calories per gumdrop.
Apple-Cherry Gumdrops: Substitute apple-cherry drink for the orange juice and use red food color. 28 calories per gumdrop.
Recipe Source: Betty Crocker's 40th Anniversary Edition Cookbook (MacMillan)
It's National Gumdrop Day!
Moderator: Gillespie