You can make all kinds of candy at home, so why not try making your own gum? People have used chewing gum for medical purposes and to freshen the mouth for at least 5,000 years. Read on to learn how to make gum in three different ways: using gum base, beeswax (a natural wax obtained from beehives), and sweet gum sap.
Ingredients
Classic Bubble Gum
- 1/3 cup gum base
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon glycerin
- 1/2 teaspoon citric acid
- 5 drops of flavoring
Natural Chewing Gum from Beeswax
- 1/2 cup beeswax (make sure it is suitable for making food)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons honey
- Peppermint or cinnamon extract
Simple Chewing Gum from Sweet Gum
Sweet sap for chewing gum
Step
Method 1 of 3: Classic Chewing Gum
Step 1. Heat the raw material
Place the gum base, corn syrup, glycerin, citric acid and gum flavoring in the top of the double boiler (a saucepan placed on top of the other, where the pot below contains water that will boil when cooked, the pot on the top is smaller than the pot on the bottom). is under). Put the double boiler on the stove and turn it on to medium heat. Stirring as needed with a spoon, heat the mixture until it is warm and sticky.
- You can find gum base, glycerin and citric acid at candy stores or online retailers. Choose a flavor to give your chewing gum a taste or look for a unique flavor, like lime flavor.
- You can also add a few drops of food coloring to your gum mix to give your gum some color.
- Make a double boiler if you don't have one by finding two pans, one large and one small. Fill a larger pot with a few inches of water and place it on the stove. Place the smaller pot in the larger one so that the smaller one floats on top of the water. Place all ingredients except powdered sugar in a small saucepan and turn on the heat. Heat the gum mixture to a sufficient temperature, stirring thoroughly.
Step 2. Make powdered sugar well
Set aside about a teaspoon of powdered sugar and sprinkle it onto a clean cutting board or surface. Use your finger to make an indentation in the pile of powdered sugar.
Step 3. Pour the gum base into the powdered sugar
Carefully pour the melted gum base from the double boiler into the powdered sugar. Be careful not to get any water into the gum mixture.
Step 4. Make chewing gum dough
Sprinkle your fingers with powdered sugar and start kneading the gum and powdered sugar mixture together. Work by mixing powdered sugar into the gum base until it becomes sticky, then add powdered sugar and keep kneading. Knead for about 15 minutes, until the dough is soft and stretchy and no longer sticky.
- If you don't knead enough dough, the resulting gum will crumble easily, so don't skip this step.
- The dough should be soft and stiff when you knead it.
Step 5. Roll out the dough
Place the dough in front of you, and place your palms on the dough. Roll the dough with your hands so that the dough is long and thin. Try to roll the dough so that the dough is as wide as the rope. Use a knife to cut the rope into small pieces.
- You can roll the dough using a rolling pin and cut it into squares if you like.
- Roll the dough into a ball as an alternative.
Step 6. Finish making the gum
Sprinkle the pieces of gum with powdered sugar to keep the gum from sticking to each other. Make small gum wrappers by cutting out parchment paper, then wrapping the gum pieces.
Method 2 of 3: Natural Chewing Gum from Beeswax
Step 1. Melt the wax
Put the candles in the double boiler. Place the double boiler on the stove and turn it on to medium heat. Melt the wax until it becomes soft and sticky.
Step 2. Add honey
Place the honey in a saucepan and stir the honey into the melted wax. You can replace honey with corn syrup if you want.
Step 3. Add flavorings
Beeswax gum is great when paired with peppermint flavours. You can also try cinnamon, lemon or liquorice flavors. Drop about 5 drops of flavoring into a saucepan with melted wax and honey, and mix well.
- You can also add chopped herbs, such as rosemary or mint leaves, to the gum mixture.
- For chewing gum for medicinal purposes, add extra peppermint oil and a few drops of lemon juice.
Step 4. Add sugar
Stir the powdered sugar into the melted gum mixture. The gum mixture will start to thicken little by little. Taste the gum mixture and add flavoring or powdered sugar if you want to add flavor or sweetness.
Step 5. Pour the gum mixture into the mould
Use a candy mold, ice cube mold, or other small mold for chewing gum. Pour the gum into the mold evenly. Place the mold in the refrigerator to give the gum time to harden, then remove the piece of gum from the mold if you want to chew it.
Method 3 of 3: Chewing Gum from Sweet Gum
Step 1. Find a sweet tree for chewing gum
The sap from the sweet tree for chewing gum has been used for medicinal purposes and the manufacture of chewing gum from ancient times. Chewing gum from this sweet tree is often found in North America.
Step 2. Find the location where the sap leaves the tree
The sap of the sweet gum tree runs under the bark of the tree. You may be able to find a place where the bark has been eroded and the sap can be extracted. If not, use a pocket knife to remove a small part of the tree's bark. You will see the sap coming down.
- Don't strip too much of the bark, or you'll injure the tree.
- Choose a place high enough from the ground so that the area cannot be touched by animals.
Step 3. Wait for the sap to harden
After a few days, the sap will begin to harden to form gum. Come back to the previous spot after 3 days to check it. If the sap is still wet, wait a few more days. When the sap is hard, the sap is ready to be made into chewing gum.
Step 4. Scrape the tough sap off the tree
A pocket knife is a great tool for doing this. Take a few pieces of the tough sap with your hands or put them in a small storage area.
Step 5. Chew the hardened sap
Put a few pieces in your mouth and enjoy your simple chewing gum.
