Zotz.......ON A STICK!

I love those zotz. If you have never had one, it is a hard candy with a powder inside that reacts to saliva and produces carbon dioxide bubbles, thus forming lots of sour foam. I found out that the three ingredients are an acid, a base and a sweetner. The acid is citric acid and the base is baking soda. (And the sweetner is sugar)

So I found out how to make the powder, but then I thought, why don't I make imitation zotz.....ON A STICK! My mother makes hard candy suckers so I thought, why don't I just put some of that powder in the suckers?


PlEASE VOTE!



Please submit your pictures of the zotz on a stick because I need a good first picture.  I don't have a high quality camera so PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR PICTURES!

Step 1: Step one.... ingredients

You can use this recipie or use your own hard candy recipe.  I did two batches (one to be the first layer of the sucker and another to be the top) so you might have to do two of these measurements.

-1 cup sugar
-1/3 cup white corn syrup (I used light corn syrup)
-1/2 cup water
-1 tsp. flavoring (you could use 1/2 tsp. but it wouldn't taste good)
-food coloring
-1/4 citric acid (optional for sucker mix)

Things you do need: (For the fizz powder)

-1 tsp. citric acid (not optional for fizz)
-1 tsp. baking soda
-2 tsp. powdered sugar

Other non-food stuff:

-Sucker sticks
-Sucker molds
-awesomeness (optional)

Read the image notes!
 

Comments

[kitzelover]

I just tried making Zotz (not on a stick) based on your recipe, and these are my questions:

1. I bought the "sugar free" hard candy package from Loran and it was way too sweet. I have already bought a bag of Truvia to make my second batch, but need to reduce the sweetness of these sugar free products. What can I add to increase bulk without increasing sweetness?

2. I used a hard candy mold, filled halfway up, and let harden a bit, then made an impression and added the powder. Unfortunately, the powder starting fizzing when I added the second layer of melted candy. Anyway to keep the baking soda from fizzing when you "top it off" with more hot candy?

[building king]

Hmm. I have only tried this with sugar and corn syrup. I'm not sure about the first question. But the sugar substitute might set off the citric acid, so you might be out of luck.

[ETfonehome]

Where did you get all that citric acid??

[Dreistein]

jalapeno........on a stick

[puppiesrock]

is there a way to do this without using molds?

[QueenQuill]

Just buy some molds...they're super cheap...maybe $1 each? At most. Usually you can buy them in sets for a few bucks. Go to your local craft store or baking/restaurant/cooking supply store and pick some up!

[makalove]

@puppiesrock, check out scoochmaroo's cough drops instructable. she made her own molds using a pan of powdered sugar. perhaps you could modify that idea. @building king, thanks!! i miss zots!

[puppiesrock]

oh that looks interesting. ill try it! thanks :)

[ETfonehome]

Did you and did it work?

[building king]

You can actually make your own mold if you want to. I made one of the molds I have. Just get aluminum strips and bend it to the shape that you want to. I deleted the reply before this but all it said was you have to use a mold.

[puppiesrock]

oh ok thanks alot!! :p

[building king]

(removed by author or community request)

[Scurvymcdiggle]

i think puppiesrock didn't want to buy a mold which makes perfect sense because buying things is for suckers....yeah...that just happened..you love it. but you could use just about anything for a mold don't buy one purpose crap. might be interesting to see if you could make it out of air dry clay and line it with foil or something then break the clay...because you can just add water and reuse it....i have never made candy myself so i don't know for sure if it would work.

[building king]

The molds are cheap though. They are only aluminum strips. I make suckers a bunch so it pays off to just buy them instead of making a million molds just for one batch. (One batch makes a bunch of suckers) You could buy or make them, but if you make suckers alot, buy them.

[puppiesrock]

yea i hadn't made suckers ever so i was gonna try it with home made molds then if i dicide to make them more often i'd buy the molds. i think i will make them more often now though. i liked them. do you know where i could buy some molds? and the clay molds that Scurvymcdiggle mentiond i dont know how well they would work. i think theyd be ok but the foil would make them not as clear and clean. but if its just for family and not for impressing people or anything it would work.

[building king]

I got the molds from the Gygi store, but I bet you can buy them online. I don't know where you live so I think your best chance is to find the molds online.

[QueenQuill]

Orson Gygi? Do you live in Utah?

[building king]

Yes!

[QueenQuill]

lol that's awesome! I knew you must, because as far as I know, Orson Gygi is only in Utah. So if I come trick-or-treating at your house on Halloween, will you be giving out zot suckers? lol

[puppiesrock]

ok thank you :)

[danm95]

Where do u get citric acid?

[QueenQuill]

You can get it at grocery stores...either in the baking needs section, or if they have stuff for canning (a lot of stores have big canning supplies displays this time of year). If you can't find it at a local grocery store (I've even seen it at Wal-Mart), then try a baking/cooking/restaurant supply store. Also, craft stores that sell things like cake baking supplies also carry citric acid. Good luck in your search!

[ktana]

You can buy it fairly inexpensively at winemaking supply places, even some beer making supply places have it. Or, if you're willing to wait for delivery, you can usually find the lowest prices on ebay. It is used in the manufacture of cheese, specifically mozzarella, so some rural dairy suppliers carry it. It is also used to make fizzy bath bombs so you can often find it in craft stores too, just make sure it is food grade.

[building king]

I get the citric acid from a canning supply-place. They use it for keeping fruit and such fresh.

[indiegoober]

you can maybe use ascorbic acid instead and get it at walmart... it is sold to keep fruit from browning right near the pectin

[Orn310]

At your Friendly Local neighborhood drug store!

[danm95]

Oh, ok, thanks. I was thinking chemestry kit when i saw citric acid, and i didn't think of canning supplys! thanks.

[tireswing]

I found Zots again at World Market in Richmond VA in the vintage candy section. OK, I'm now officially old. Where were the lavender pastilles? They did have clove and teaberry gum though. I only wish I had thought of this! I have all the ingredients in my cabinet..... Hmm....perhaps an unexpected "pop" in some gelatin.....Another mad scientist dad fail in the making! Thanks!

[QueenQuill]

Lavender Pastilles? I've never heard of them...what are they? Sounds interesting!

[scoochmaroo]

How is it I've never heard of zots? I love fizzy sour things and I love candy. This one wins a vote from me!

[QueenQuill]

You're probably too young to remember Zots!

[building king]

I am waiting for the approval of the contest(s). I am in the stuff on a stick and dadcando contest. Please vote for me on both!

[tireswing]

Uh, I was going to vote for your entry to "on a stick" contest but I didn't see the entry. You may want to check that..........

[building king]

I am waiting for it to be moderated. I published it about two days ago so it should be on the contest pretty soon today. The only rules are that it has to be food.... on a stick. I think mine are food..... on a stick. Also voting hasn't started yet but it will in about two weeks.

[yeolddingdong]

ill buy one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[building king]

I would sell them, but I don't know how I would get it to you. If I mailed it, there is a possibility of it getting broken, or moldy, etc. If you find a way I will be happy to sell them to you.

[spenfisher12]

for the mold plastic wrap for the breaking thing bubble wrap

[riku-riku-chan]

I can't wait to try this! You have my vote.

[DrBlind]

Fantastic thanks for sharing, I know suckers can be easy to make but I haven't yet made them. I look forward to making them fizzy! You're Awesome, thanks for taking the time to put this together.

[marvay]

I also recently found Zotz and Razzles at a local store. Razzles were fun, is it candy or is it gum??? Who knows. But Zotz were the best. I never could wait to get to the middle, so I always crunched it to get that fizz. And for some reason I loved how they came in the strip of 5. I wondered how I could make these at home. This is great! Thanks.