A Sticky History: Gummy Making Before Modern Machinery
A century ago, a small candy workshop rarely had a steam-jacketed kettle or a cooling tunnel. Confectioners relied on manual skill, patience, and careful heat control. Gummy candies were not a staple 100 years ago; Hans Riegel Sr. founded Haribo in Bonn in 1920 and introduced the first gummy bear, the Dancing Bear, in 1922. Even then, manufacturing was a hands-on, labor-intensive craft.
How They Were Made 100 Years Ago
In the 1910s and 1920s, a small candy workshop making gelatin-based gums would have used the following manual methods:
- Direct-Fire Cooking in Copper Kettles: The sugar, glucose syrup, and water were heated in open copper kettles over a gas or coal flame. The confectioner had to stir constantly and watch the temperature carefully, often using a thermometer but also relying on experience (e.g., the “soft ball” or “hard ball” test in cold water) to know when the syrup was ready.
- Hydration by Hand: Gelatin (usually sheet or powdered form) was soaked in cold water and then gently warmed over a water bath to melt. This was added to the hot sugar syrup. Stirring was manual with a large wooden paddle.
- Molding in Starch Trays: This was the critical manual method. Cornstarch was sifted into shallow wooden trays. An imprint mold (a board with rows of shaped knobs) was pressed into the starch to create cavities. The warm liquid gum was poured into these cavities by hand using a small pitcher or funnel. The starch also drew moisture from the candy surface, helping each piece set and dry. This starch-casting work was done entirely by hand; the Mogul machine that mechanized the same steps appeared around 1899, and larger factories adopted it within two decades.
- Setting at Room Temperature: There were no cooling tunnels. Filled starch trays were stacked and left on racks in a cool, dry room for a day or two, allowing the candies to set slowly and evenly. Air circulation was controlled by opening windows or using simple fans.
- Finishing by Hand: Once set, the candies were brushed free of starch using soft brushes, then polished with a light coating of oil or wax (applied manually) and sometimes tumbled in a cloth bag with sugar or citric acid.
Adaptable Manual Methods for Today's Small-Batch Artisans
Modern small-batch makers can adapt these historical techniques without industrial-scale equipment. Here are the key manual methods that translate well:
- Double Boiler for Temperature Control: Instead of a steam-jacketed kettle, cook the sugar, glucose syrup, and water in a heavy-bottomed pot over a gas flame, and melt the bloomed gelatin in a separate bowl set over a pot of simmering water. A good candy thermometer is essential. Stir with a heat-resistant silicone spatula. Add citric acid and flavoring last, after the batch comes off the heat; acid breaks down gelatin, so stirring it in while the syrup is still hot weakens the set.
- Pouring into Molds by Hand: Skip the starch tray. Today, silicone candy molds (bear, fruit, or custom shapes) are widely available. Pour the hot gum mixture carefully using a small ladle or a heatproof squeeze bottle. This gives excellent control and requires no special machinery.
- Setting in a Refrigerator or Cool Room: A commercial fridge or a dedicated cool room replaces the cooling tunnel. Place filled molds on trays and refrigerate for 1-2 hours (or until firm). For larger batches, a simple air-conditioned room works; keep temperature and airflow consistent.
- Hand Finishing and Tumbling: The old methods of brushing off starch and polishing or coating candies are still used by artisan makers today. A small tumbling drum or coating pan, or even a sealed plastic bag, can be used to tumble gummies with sugar, citric acid, or a light oil for shine. No tunnel needed.
- Small-Batch Starch Molding (Optional): For the most authentic texture and old-school look, you can still use a starch tray system. Build a shallow wooden tray, fill with food-grade cornstarch, and press a wooden imprint board to make cavities. This is ideal for very small, artisanal runs and produces a unique, slightly dusty finish. Dry the starch before reuse so it keeps drawing moisture.
Why the Industry Mechanized These Steps
Hand methods cost you consistency. A cook who judges syrup by the cold-water test will not hit the same temperature every batch, and a direct flame on a copper kettle heats unevenly, so one batch sets softer than the next. Starch-cast candies dried in an open room gain or lose moisture with the weather, which changes setting time, final texture, and shelf life. Hand pouring also varies piece weight, and that matters when a gummy carries a measured dose of an active ingredient.
Factories adopted jacketed kettles, mogul machines, and cooling tunnels because they remove that variation. A jacketed kettle holds one temperature across the whole cooking surface, and a cooling tunnel controls air temperature and airflow so the cooling rate stops depending on the season. For a brand founder, the trade-off is simple. Hand methods make small, characterful batches; mechanized lines make every batch the same. Makers who want both keep hand molding for limited runs and move volume production to a contract manufacturer.
The core principle remains: precise heat control, gentle cooling, and careful handling. By mastering these manual methods, today's small-batch makers can create gummy candies that honor the craft of a century ago, without needing industrial equipment.