Zucchini Gummy Candy? Oh yes. Don’t be afraid…. and be sure to not let anyone know what you made them out of, till after they have tried them.
I figured if I could score a free bloated zucchini, even the better. And being late summer, my chances were high. After trolling my neighborhood Facebook page, I was gifted a huge baseball bat size zucchini. Score! Thanks to my neighbor, now I could try it out.
A fantastic way to use up the zucchini no one wants – the big bloated ones are usually very bland, so this is what you need. While the original recipe used 8 cups, the cooking liquid could have handled up to 12 cups of zucchini.
As for the juice concentrate? Use what you like! I used orange juice concentrate. Pink lemonade, lemonade, fruit punch, grape, cranberry, all would equally good. The different flavors will dye the finished gummies unique colors. If you can find canned or bottled concentrate, which some grocery stores carry in the juice aisle, you can use that as well, use an equal amount water.
Zucchini Gummy Candy
Ingredients:
- 1 11 to 12 ounce container frozen juice concentrate, thawed
- 1 juice can water
- 8-12 cups chopped zucchini (see below)
Directions:
Wash zucchini, dry off. Trim ends and peel. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise, scoop out seeds with a spoon, discard. Cut zucchini in long strips, then chop across, into ½” cubes. Measure out how much you have.
Combine fruit juice concentrate and water in a large non-reactive pot (such as stainless steel or non-stick). Bring to a gentle boil, lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes, until cubes are fork tender and translucent.
Drain in a colander, spread on mesh lined dehydrator trays (we use a L’Equip Food Dehydrator
Dry for 8 to 12 hours at 135°, until no longer moist but still flexible (mine did not feel tacky or sticky, yet could be flexed, they took about 12 hours).
Let cool on trays for a few hours, then pack up into a mason jar for storage. If you will be doing long-term storage, the freezer is your friend. Otherwise, eat within a few days.
~Sarah