Tart Balsamic Blueberry Gumdrops Recipe | Hungry Happenings (2024)

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Recently I got an e-mail from the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council inviting me to submit a recipe to their Blueberries Meet Their Match Blogger Recipe Contest. I couldn't resist.

The challenge they presented was to create a unique recipe using blueberries and either coconut, balsamic vinegar, rosemary, and bananas.

I loved the idea of pairing balsamic vinegar with blueberries and was anxious to make homemade gumdrops using real fruit.

I've been wanting to make gumdrops using real fruit, I love berries and balsamic vinegar, and this was the perfect opportunity to give this idea a try.

My blueberries were really sweet, and all the sugar in the recipe intensifies the sweetness, so the balsamic vinegar helps to balance that out, and some citric acid inside and on the outside of the gumdrops adds a nice tart finish.

These are my favorite gumdrops to date. Using actual blueberries gives these candies a more natural flavor, and they have a lovely rich rich-looking color.

Ingredients

fresh or frozen blueberries - Either will work fine. Just be sure to use bright-tasting berries to give your gumdrops the best flavor.
brown sugar
balsamic vinegar
powdered fruit pectin (original not low or no sugar pectin) - Some Pectin will have a darker color like Ball Pectin. I like using Sure Gel Pectin because it is clear.
baking soda
citric acid - This will add a nice sour flavor to your candies.
corn syrup
granulated sugar
Blue-colored sugar - Use blue sugar to give your gumdrops a bright blue color.

optional cornstarch to dust your molds

Supplies

2 stainless steel pots (1 ½ -2 quart-size, preferably a good quality stainless steel pan)

candy thermometer
glass bowl with spout

silicone molds - I recommend using soft silicone molds to make your blueberry gumdrops. I used 2Easy Push Out Ice Cube Trays with Flexible Rubber Bottomsbecause I loved the simple gumdrop shape but I had a hard time unmolding the candies even after dusting the molds with cornstarch.

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Puree and sieve the blueberries.

Remove from heat and pour into a food processor or blender. Puree.

Pour through a fine-mesh sieve, twice, removing all the solids.

Clean the saucepan, then pour in ¾ cup of the puree (save any extra for another use or add water if you don't have enough.)

Cook the blueberries and pectin.

Add pectin and baking soda to the blueberry puree. It will bubble up.

Bring to a boil over high heat.

Turn off the heat, stir in ½ teaspoon citric acid, and set it aside.

Heat sugar and corn syrup.

Grease a 1 ½ to 2-quart stainless steel pot with butter.

Pour corn syrup into the bottom. Sprinkle sugar in the center of the pan.

Turn the heat on medium-high and allow it to cook for one minute. Then stir gently to dissolve sugar. Be careful not to splash the sugar crystals onto the side of your saucepan.

Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. This took me just a few minutes, but it can take up to 10 minutes.

Clip your candy thermometer onto the side of your pot. Cook, without stirring, until the thermometer registers 260 degrees Fahrenheit.

You will continue to cook your sugar (ultimately you'll want it to reach 280 degrees which is the soft crack stage,) but at this point, you need to set your pan of blueberry mixture back on the stove and heat it over high heat until it comes to a boil.

Combine the blueberry pectin and sugar syrup.

Once your pot of boiling corn syrup/sugar reaches 280 degrees remove it from the heat or turn off your gas.

Slowly and VERY CAREFULLY drizzle in the hot pectin, stirring slowly yet constantly.

You DO NOT want to splash any of this hot boiling sugar on your hands. The mixture will really bubble up.

Once all the pectin has been poured into the saucepan, return it to medium-high heat and cook it for one more minute, then remove from heat and pour into a glass bowl, with a spout, preferably. This stops it from continuing to cook.

Pour blueberry gumdrop syrup into molds.

Carefully pour the hot mixture into silicone molds.

Allow the candy to cool at room temperature for up to 8 hours. Press the backside of the silicone mold and pop the candy out.

As I mentioned above, I used a plastic ice cube tray with a rubber push button bottom. I dusted it with cornstarch and then poured in the candy. It was challenging to get them out. I had to freeze them first. If you use a nice flexible silicone mold, there is no need to coat it first.

Coat gumdrops in blue sugar.

Pour colored sanding sugar into a dish or bowl.

Stir in ¾ teaspoon of citric acid. Taste the sugar or even coat one of the candies. If you'd like it more tart, add more citric acid.

Drop your gum drops into the sugar and toss to coat. Being my candies had cornstarch on them, I had to wipe them off with wet fingers before coating them in the sugar, and then the sugar stuck nicely.

Allow the candies to dry for an hour before packaging or stacking in a candy dish. Store in an airtight container for about a week.

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