How to Make Jelly Sweets

Jelly sweets are some of the most popular confectionery forms around, and both adults and children enjoy them. There are so many brands everywhere and flavours available that people are spoilt for choice. But many confectioners wonder how to make jelly sweets. 

In this guide, we’ll look at the benefits of jelly sweets and reveal how you can make them. 

What Are Jelly Sweets?

Jelly sweets are gummy candies that usually contain gelatin. They come in a range of shapes and have a chewy texture. While gummy sweets are especially popular with children, adults often enjoy them too. 

One of the reasons they’re so popular is because they pack a host of benefits. Let’s take a look at them. 

• Jelly sweets have a pleasant texture, and they’re not as dangerous for young children. 
• There is a lot of flexibility to create lots of shapes, and companies can use jelly sweets as branding materials. 
• You can add multivitamins to your jelly mixes.
• There are lots of vegan options available. 
• People enjoy the flavours. 

 

All jelly sweets have a base ingredient, and the type you use depends on the audience you’re manufacturing candy for. The three main base ingredients are gelatin, pectin and carrageenan. 

Gelatine 

Derived from animals, gelatine is a popular base ingredient for sweets and puddings. It’s created from animal skin or bones that contain collagen. Manufacturers remove the collagen which is hard when dry but forms a thick liquid when it’s moist. 

While gelatine contains an abundance of amino acids, vegetarians and vegans don’t consume any sweets or treats containing animal-derived products. Most companies use gelatine to make gummy sweets, but it’s not always practical. 

Pectin 

Pectin is a naturally occurring starch that you can find in the cell walls of vegetables and fruits. It’s an essential ingredient for Jams and preserves because it has natural gelling properties. 

There are two types of pectin and manufacturers choose which is best depending on their recipe. While pectin is a versatile ingredient, it’s particularly beneficial for fruit-based jellies. 

Carrageenan 

Carrageenan is a controversial substance because it’s known to trigger digestive disorders when consumed in excess. It’s derived from red seaweed and occurs in yoghurts and meat products. 

The main reason manufacturers use carrageenan is because it thickens and emulsifies foods. As it’s a plant-based substance, manufacturers use it as an alternative to animal-derived gelatine. 

Other Ingredients 

While the base ingredients of jelly sweets are changeable, specific components depend on the flavours manufacturers produce. 

Sugar 

Sugar is an essential ingredient in jelly sweets because it creates an appealing taste. The carbohydrate is found in sugar beets, sugarcane and plants. There are a lot of issues associated with sugar because it can result in long-term obesity, diabetes and other health conditions. 

Purified Water 

Purified water is the most crucial ingredient for jelly sweets because it mixes and binds all of the other ingredients. It also adds lubrication to your base mixture, which makes the gummy candies softer. 

Glucose Syrup 

Glucose syrup is popular with confectioners because of its smooth texture and sweet taste. It creates the translucent appearance of jellies and also prevents other sugars from crystallising. 

Flavours & Colours 

Unique flavours and colours set each jelly sweet apart, including orange, lemon, cherry, strawberry and raspberry. But there are more exotic blends such as cola and bubblegum. 

Sodium Citrate 

Each jelly product that manufacturers produce must maintain its purity and uniformity. The best way to achieve this is by using sodium citrate. 

Citric Acid 

The flavours in each jelly sweet can be somewhat dull, but citric acid brings them to life and enhances the shelf-life of each gummy product. 

The Manufacturing Process 

Commercial sweet manufacturing requires a lot of equipment, and the process is quite intricate. The machines include a cooking unit, depositor and cooling tunnel. Each of these devices is central to the confectionary production process, which is why sweets are best made in manufacturing plants that have space, a workforce and equipment. 

Here’s the necessary process most companies follow: 

1. Place the gelatin in the water at around 80-90℃ and wait until it becomes a liquid. 
2. Pour the sugar glucose water into the cooker and heat until it reaches 120℃. Once it creates a syrup, move it to the cooling tank and mix with the gelatin. 
3. Add the syrup into the mixer and mix in your colouring and flavours. Then move the mixture to the depositor. 
4. Add the jelly mixture to the moulds to create the shape of each sweet. 
5. Transfer to the cooling tunnel and leave for around 8-12 minutes, depending on which base ingredient is used. 
6. Coat the sweets in sugar if needed. 
7. Leave the candies to dry in a specialised room for a minimum of eight hours. 
8. Pack the jelly sweets and prepare them for shipping. 

Important Points to Consider 

There are a few significant points you need to know about the sweet making process. 

Drying the Sweets: Only gelatine based sweets need to go through the drying process, so if you use pectin or carrageenan, you won’t need to dry the jellies.

The Machinery: Jelly machines should have a range of features, and should last a minimum of 15 years. Only buy from a reputable supplier to make sure your machine produces high-quality sweets. 

Storage: When jelly sweets are in humid conditions, they can spoil quickly. Make sure you store them in a dark place and package them correctly. Doing this ensures your sweets will last longer. 

Final Thoughts 

Whether you’re making your jelly sweets or using a wholesale confectioner, think about the types of sweets you want to sell before you commit. Confectionery makes the perfect gift, and while other products go in and out of fashion, sweets are here to stay.