Rum Bubble Surprise

Step 3 Making the Spheres

Take your prepared rum sphere solution and use the turkey baster to transfer it into the candy molds. Freeze the filled mold overnight.

The next day, prepare the spheres by popping them out of the molds straight into the alginate bath. Gently ensure that the spheres are not touching each other or sticking to the bottom of the alginate bath container. Gently is the operative word here - when the surface begins to form it is prone to fusing to other spheres and forming ugly "tails."

Let the spheres thaw in the bath for between 5-8 minutes. Remove them from the alginate (again, gently!) using a slotted spoon and trasfer to a small container. Rinse them well with water, and they're done!

If you're storing the spheres for a while, cover them up with leftover rum solution. If they're covered with water, all the flavor will diffuse out, and you don't want them to dry.

Comments

[Scwounch]

Those are the tastiest looking liquor balls I've ever seen. Pause.

[scree]

I've done this a couple times now and I think it's awesome. I was just wondering if anyone felt like doing the math out and figuring out the proof of the resulting solution. Also does anyone know the highest proof you could freeze in a conventional above-your-fridge-freezer? I'd love to get a full shot out of these but the -80C blast freezer in the lab doesn't like it when we put food in him.

[Mongpoovian]

Glad to hear you like it! I'll have to do the math on the spheres, Now I'm sort of curious about the proof...

I'm pretty sure around 30% is the highest you could go in a conventional refrigerator, according to the Engineering Toolbox. Mine hovers around -15 to -20 C, and I assume that's a typical temperature. Do you have access to liquid nitrogen? I'm guilty of occasionally borrowing the dewar for a night to make ice cream. :)

Also, at very high proofs, the alcohol might start interfering with the gel formation - at what point, though, I couldn't pretend to know.

[SpinWard]

I love the last picture where you can see the tiny bubbles under the surface of the gel! Great instructable!! I definitely want to try this!