Q&A for How to Make Jolly Ranchers

It can take up to 3 hours to do the whole process.

Yes, you need the corn syrup.

When it is almost hardened, you can mold them into whatever shape you'd like them to be.

If you use a 9" x 13" pan and cut them into 1" x ½" pieces, you would have 234 pieces.

If you don't use a candy thermometer your jolly ranchers may not have the correct texture.

About the firmness of a gummy bear.

As long as you make sure the mold can handle the heat and won't stick, you can put the mixture in a mold. You should be aware that it might take a bit longer to harden, but it should work fine.

You can buy one at Walmart, Kmart, Sears, Target, or online (e.g., Amazon).

Yes. Without one, the recipe will probably not work. The temperature has to be just right for proper results. You could try not using one, but it will probably yield disappointing results.

No, red is all you need. The official watermelon Jolly Ranchers also have a little bit of yellow added to them, but there's no need to be that precise.

About the toughness of a gummy bear should work for cutting, but then it needs to sit until it is hard.

Strawberry extract is available at most stores, if you look in the baking aisle. You could also use strawberry juice, puréed strawberries, or strawberry syrup.

The recipe doesn’t use oil, so using an oil might change the texture.

Corn syrup is necessary for hard candies. It won't have the correct texture without it.

Of course, about three packs should work or you can use a bit more of less depending on flavor preference.

It might, so use non stick surfaces. It should easy to separate if crystals do form.

It should boil until it reaches 310 degrees Fahrenheit (154 Celsius).

About four hours to completely cool and harden, although that time could be cut drastically if you put them in a freezer.

You can find grape flavoring at a grocery shop that you could add to the recipe above. Or, you can check out the wikiHow: How to Make Gummy Bears .

While you can, it will not taste as good as using an extract because it is far more concentrated, to ensure the flavor is heightened. You can buy lemon extract from the grocery store.

You can buy a candy thermometer usually at a Walmart or cooking store. And you can cut it to desired size.

As long as you did it right the first time, you can remelt it and repeat the process.

Yes, it should still be the same consistency without the food coloring. You can also add natural food coloring if you would like.

Meat thermometers work differently. You cannot use a meat thermometer as a substitute for a real thermometer that you check candy temperature with because it will be off by a few degrees. This will make your consistency different. It is to best to get a candy thermometer.

It should take about 2-3 hours total, bringing the sugar up to 310ºF can take up to 40 minutes. Then, the cooling time takes a bit.

You can try to use the old fashioned water drop test (check out a video tutorial and pay attention to the "hard crack stage" results). It's much easier, less frustrating, and 100% worth it to buy a candy thermometer.