Small gummi bears are great, but for that extra special party snack make a ginormous sized gummi creation. I call mine the Gooey Duck. Essentially the strategy is to buy many pounds of cheap gummi bears and melt them into a mold of some sort (i used a cake mold) and then cool in refrigerator or freezer.
If you search online for World's Largest Gummi Bear, you get a link to Vat19.com offering a measly 1/2 lb gummi and their 'World's Largest' at 5 lbs. They also claim "there is no candy more magnificent or more powerful". Well unfortunately for them I made an even bigger gummi sculpture (at 6lbs though not a bear) 7 years ago!
Gummi=Gummy. Haribo calls them Gold Bears. Black forest calls them Gummy Bears. Whichever you prefer. Original German was gummibär, so that probably originated the gummi bears.
I did this experiment in my youth. So don't blame the current me for the brash and questionable nature of this idea. You've been warned!
If you search online for World's Largest Gummi Bear, you get a link to Vat19.com offering a measly 1/2 lb gummi and their 'World's Largest' at 5 lbs. They also claim "there is no candy more magnificent or more powerful". Well unfortunately for them I made an even bigger gummi sculpture (at 6lbs though not a bear) 7 years ago!
Gummi=Gummy. Haribo calls them Gold Bears. Black forest calls them Gummy Bears. Whichever you prefer. Original German was gummibär, so that probably originated the gummi bears.
I did this experiment in my youth. So don't blame the current me for the brash and questionable nature of this idea. You've been warned!
Step 1: Procure Gummis and cake mold
6lb bags of Brach's Gummi bears used to be available from costco. I can't confirm anymore whether this is the case, but let's admit it Amazon is probably the best place to go. A brief cursory search revealed:
The cheapest 5lb or 6lb bag was from Brach's at 6lbs for $11.50.
http://amzn.to/cBsPCg
The lowest $/lb ratio for gummi bears was from Albanese at $1.70/lb (10lb for $17) :
http://amzn.to/aPgICd
And going for only top quality from Haribo reveals this gem of a deal 12 lbs for $34.
http://amzn.to/cBsPCg
This should provide plenty. For the Brach's there were 5 colors and for the Haribo and Albanese there appear to many more. So if you want a solid colored gummi monster look for places where you can either buy a bunch of one color or you'll have to buy many many pounds of this stuff.
How I came into 6 lbs of gummi bears was a funny story. After finding they sold such a delightful item at costco, I off-handedly mentioned they should be the token prize at a prize raffle for our highschool band end-of-the-year party. Because of my fortunate luck, I actually won said raffle.
Be creative when choosing a mold. I just got a cheap cake mold from the 99¢ store or something like that. I wanted to do both sides, but it turns out that would've required twice as much and I didn't want liquid gummi seeping through the seems of the mold.
The cheapest 5lb or 6lb bag was from Brach's at 6lbs for $11.50.
http://amzn.to/cBsPCg
The lowest $/lb ratio for gummi bears was from Albanese at $1.70/lb (10lb for $17) :
http://amzn.to/aPgICd
And going for only top quality from Haribo reveals this gem of a deal 12 lbs for $34.
http://amzn.to/cBsPCg
This should provide plenty. For the Brach's there were 5 colors and for the Haribo and Albanese there appear to many more. So if you want a solid colored gummi monster look for places where you can either buy a bunch of one color or you'll have to buy many many pounds of this stuff.
How I came into 6 lbs of gummi bears was a funny story. After finding they sold such a delightful item at costco, I off-handedly mentioned they should be the token prize at a prize raffle for our highschool band end-of-the-year party. Because of my fortunate luck, I actually won said raffle.
Be creative when choosing a mold. I just got a cheap cake mold from the 99¢ store or something like that. I wanted to do both sides, but it turns out that would've required twice as much and I didn't want liquid gummi seeping through the seems of the mold.
Step 2: Separate gummi bears
If you want the color not to come out solid brown, separate the colors. Eat any mutant gummi bears in your bag. They own't be mutant formed once they are melted.
For me, I wanted a full-sized gummi creation, so I just separated in order to add them in separately once melted. It created a rainbow effect.
Also you're serving this, please use a much more sanitary location than what I chose. Yes I know your heating these up, but just have some self-respect man.
For me, I wanted a full-sized gummi creation, so I just separated in order to add them in separately once melted. It created a rainbow effect.
Also you're serving this, please use a much more sanitary location than what I chose. Yes I know your heating these up, but just have some self-respect man.
Step 3: Melt Gummy Bears
Without too many problems, you can just melt them in a pot over the stove until they are the consistency of syrup and the bears lose any actual shape. If you're worried about burning them, try a medium heat.
The devil about this step concerns heat. Melted gummi bears are extremely burny and extremely sticky. This is a combination for disaster. If you happen to get some on your skin, you can't wipe it off without smearing over more skin and burning more area. Running it under water of course will cool it down, but you might have burns. Therefore, don't let any animals or little kids get near this. If you're very worried about it, wear oven mits when holding the pot.
The devil about this step concerns heat. Melted gummi bears are extremely burny and extremely sticky. This is a combination for disaster. If you happen to get some on your skin, you can't wipe it off without smearing over more skin and burning more area. Running it under water of course will cool it down, but you might have burns. Therefore, don't let any animals or little kids get near this. If you're very worried about it, wear oven mits when holding the pot.
Step 4: Line mold and pour
If your mold is silicone, don't worry about it sticking. It should be alright. However, if your mold is metal, it probably will work out if you spray it with non-stick vegetable spray, butter or WD-40 (ok, not the WD-40).
Depending on the color effect you want, mixed, separated or something else pour the colors at the same time and mix them with a utensil (don't touch the melted gummi!). Or if you're limited on pots and don't care about interesting effects you can heat up a pot and pour, then go to the next color. This gives a rainbow effect of whatever colors you have.
If you actually do this instructable, I want to see pictures of the finished creations. I have no doubt this community will able to come up with tantalizing better ideas than Vat19's single color bears.
Depending on the color effect you want, mixed, separated or something else pour the colors at the same time and mix them with a utensil (don't touch the melted gummi!). Or if you're limited on pots and don't care about interesting effects you can heat up a pot and pour, then go to the next color. This gives a rainbow effect of whatever colors you have.
If you actually do this instructable, I want to see pictures of the finished creations. I have no doubt this community will able to come up with tantalizing better ideas than Vat19's single color bears.
Step 5: Refrigerate (or freeze) and serve when cool
Cool down your creation in the fridge or freezer or arctic tundra, whichever is more convenient. I can't imagine that correct solidification of gummi requires any difficult processes like tempering or quenching. If you want to experiment with different crystalline structures please inform the community of your results!
When you serve this beast, it will need a knife to cut. Slice it into 1/4" pieces or so and it should be easy enough to chew from there. A single ounce of gummi contains roughly 100 calories, which means there are approximately 10,000 calories for a 6lb gummy monstrosity. So this is a calorie dense snack. Don't let your little brother run off with this thing or he'll be hyper for weeks!
When you serve this beast, it will need a knife to cut. Slice it into 1/4" pieces or so and it should be easy enough to chew from there. A single ounce of gummi contains roughly 100 calories, which means there are approximately 10,000 calories for a 6lb gummy monstrosity. So this is a calorie dense snack. Don't let your little brother run off with this thing or he'll be hyper for weeks!
Step 6: Gummy Bear Links
As it stands right now, the world's largest gummi bear for sale (my Gooey Duck was bigger).
http://www.vat19.com/dvds/worlds-largest-gummy-bear.cfm
Update: ARRRGGGH Vat19 touts the World's Largest Gummy Worm at 3lbs! They aren't even trying!!
http://www.vat19.com/dvds/worlds-largest-gummy-worm.cfm
The obligatory wikipedia article
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gummi_bear
Middle of the page, this guy made sculptures out of individual gummi bears
http://www.yayachou.com/sculpture.htm
The gummibär song. Definitely listen to the german version, but there is also an english version.
http://www.gummibar.de/
http://www.vat19.com/dvds/worlds-largest-gummy-bear.cfm
Update: ARRRGGGH Vat19 touts the World's Largest Gummy Worm at 3lbs! They aren't even trying!!
http://www.vat19.com/dvds/worlds-largest-gummy-worm.cfm
The obligatory wikipedia article
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gummi_bear
Middle of the page, this guy made sculptures out of individual gummi bears
http://www.yayachou.com/sculpture.htm
The gummibär song. Definitely listen to the german version, but there is also an english version.
http://www.gummibar.de/
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I What I've learned is that you just can't use plastic chocolate molds. Not small ones anyway. Next time, I'll find silicone molds. Unfortunately, I was doing these for a camping trip this weekend. Guess it'll have to be chocolate instead.
Already, planning space invader ones next time I try though!
1. I sprayed the pot I was using. I think the oil changed the consistency just enough to keep it from totally setting. Didn't make much difference for the pot, it stuck to the pot anyway...
2. The molds I was using were on the smaller side.
3. They had smaller, rougher textures to the designs. So the gummy probably stuck into that a bit more. The plastic is probably porous too, making them stick worse.
Definitely stick with silicone or rubber, something non-porous or stretchy enough that you can freeze the gummy, then you can peel the mold off of it if you need to.
I tested this with cheap dollar store gummy bears and peach rings. Both melted very easily and at a very low temp. The cost was considerably cheaper too, you can get a 9oz bag of gummy bears for $1 at most Dollar Trees. So that's a little over 5.6 lbs for $10. Really cost effective if you've got a dollar store nearby.
Or, you could coat it in corn starch. I don't personally like the color the corn starch gives it, but it's a better anti-stick agent since it's dry. The oil makes it a bit slippery, but you keep the color of the gummy better.
Still, great i'ble - I might have to try this!