Goody Goody Gumdrops!

February 15th is National Gumdrop Day!  Seriously, I wouldn't kid about such a sweet thing!  When you hear the word 'gumdrops' what image comes to mind?  Is it the box of sweet confections that you bought at the Saturday matinee when you were a kid?  Is it the trimmings on a gingerbread house you constructed with a child or grandchild?  Or is it Gumdrop Mountain on the board game CandyLand?   For me, it is any   -  or all   -  of these.

After much investigation, I still cannot be certain how long these sugary sweet things have been around.  Some reports say since the 1800's.  Others dispute that.  One thing's for sure - since Milton Bradley introduced its CandyLand game in the 1940's they've been around for at least that long.

Does all this reminiscing about gumdrops have you craving them?  Well.... now you can make your own!

They really aren't difficult at all to make!  This particular recipe starts with real OJ - not artificial flavoring.   And by altering the juice, you can make a variety of flavors right in your own kitchen.

Homemade Gumdrops 

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.

Apple-Cherry Gumdrops: Substitute apple-cherry drink for the orange juice and use red food color.

Recipe Source: Betty Crocker's 40th Anniversary Edition Cookbook (MacMillan)