Tips & tricks to get shelf stable CBD gummies
Making gummies involves a balancing act with water. Water is necessary to dissolve and hydrate your ingredients and create a good network with your gelling agent. However, to produce shelf-stable gummies that don't become sticky or develop mold, you need to limit the water content in your final product. Brix is an easy-to-use analysis that provides an indication of the dry solid content of your candy mass at the time of depositing. A depositing brix of 79-81 brix is often recommended for starchless deposited gummies.
Measuring the water activity
To ensure consistent texture and stability throughout the shelf life, you can measure the water activity of your gummies. This analytical tool measures the 'free' water available. By consistently controlling the water activity when making gummies, you will achieve consistent texture and better shelf life.
If you want firmer gummies or a lower water activity to improve your candy quality during shelf life, you can consider additional drying. Placing your gummies in a room with a relative humidity of 40% will cause them to release moisture to the air and dry.
Coating
To prevent stickiness, you can apply a coating to your gummies. A mixture of fine sugar and acid coating can be applied as acid sanding to create free-flowing gummies ready for your packaging line, providing a pleasant crunch and fresh acidic flavor. Alternatively, dusting your candies with citrus fiber can be a natural solution to prevent stickiness.
