Mojito gummy bears

Here’s a fun fact about rum – the Royal New Zealand Navy was the last naval service in the world to do away with daily rum rations, and it wasn’t that long ago – 1990.

I love rum but I’ve always avoided mojitos because of the mint factor. I always assumed the mint was really strong (and maybe it is in some versions, but when I googled ‘the best mojito’, Esquire’s version had dialled back the mint.) Anyway, what a mojito does have is a lot of rum, and a good dash of lime juice which is fantastic as I think limes are maybe my favourite fruit, definitely my favourite citrus.

When it came time to test this recipe I came to a realisation – to understand a mojito, I must first drink a mojito. And whammo, I think I’ve found my summer drink!

These do not pull any punches – they are strong little dudes. As with the other gummy bears I’ve made, these are quick and easy to make. This recipe made around 250 gummy bears so I’d recommend having 4 or 5 molds to work with. You’ll also need a candy thermometer if you want to keep the booze factor (see notes). Cheers!

Ingredients

1/2c caster sugar
42g powdered gelatin
5oz Bacardi
1.5oz fresh lime juice
5-6 mint leaves, really finely chopped
Green food colouring (optional, see notes)
candy thermometer

Method

Place your molds on a baking sheet (make sure it can fit in your fridge!)
In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and gelatin and set aside.
Put the Bacardi, lime juice and mint in a small saucepan and heat on a medium-low heat.
Add your candy thermometer and keep an eye on it – you don’t want the temperature going too far above 100°F (see notes).
Once the mixture is hot (which will happen fairly quickly), pour in the sugar & gelatin and mix well. Keep stirring until they are completely dissolved. The mixture will froth up a bit, that’s ok, it will settle again. Add the teeniest drop of food colouring (if you’re using it) and whisk it in.
Quickly transfer the liquid to a small pouring vessel with a spout and leave it for a minute. This will allow any froth to settle so the gummies aren’t cloudy. Pour into the molds. (You can also leave it in the pot and use a pipette.)  Use an offset spatula to wipe off any excess mixture.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes, or until firm.
Pop the gummy bears out of the mold and transfer to an airtight zip lock bag. Store in the fridge.

Notes

• Recipe makes about 250 gummy bears.
• It really is the teeniest amount of food colouring – a dot on the end of a toothpick will be enough.
• If you want to retain the booziness in your gummy bears, the temperature of the mixture must not boil or rise above 100°F.
• If you don’t mind losing some of the alcohol you can let the mixture boil as this will help the sugar and gelatin melt more quickly and evenly.
• I found my molds on trademe.
• It’s best to keep them covered in the fridge or else they will dry out. No one likes a warm mojito anyway.

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