A good batch of homemade cannabis gummies can quickly be ruined by mold . Karen Lloyd offers some handy tips for easily preventing your gummies from getting spoiled .
There ’ s only one kind of mold your gummies should ever come into contact with , and that is a squeaky-clean mold made of silicone . Mold — the fungus — can grow just about anywhere but it thrives on organic materials stored in warm , moist environments . In other words , if you don ’ t take special measures when preparing , producing , and packing up your gummies , they could be a magnet for mold . Fortunately , it ’ s easy to make gummies at home that won ’ t go moldy and you don ’ t even need those fancy dehumidified rooms with dehydrators . However , understanding mold and how it works can go a long way to help you stop it from growing on your gummies . A few preservatives , found in the baking aisle at your local grocer , will certainly help , too .
Mold and Why it Likes Cannabis Gummies
Black , white , orange , green , or purple , and visible to the naked eye , mold flourishes in damp , dark spaces with temperatures between 55-70 ° F . If you look closely in your bathroom , there ’ s probably a good chance you ’ ll find mold growing between the tiles of your shower . Perhaps it ’ s just getting started behind your kitchen sink faucet , a place that ’ s almost impossible to keep dry . Since a traveling mold spore requires water , food , air , and a comfortable temperature to develop , your homemade gummies could potentially become a very generous host .
Acid — The lower the pH content , the longer the shelf life . These are words to live by if your goal is to make weed gummies at home that won ’ t moldy . By increasing the acidity of your recipe with ingredients like sorbic acid and citric acid , you ’ ll not only create a less viable habitat for mold , but your gummies will have that iconic Sour Patch Kid flavor . For best results , citric acid should be added to your gummy gel immediately after you remove it from the stove and right before you pour it into the molds .
Sugar — Sugar binds up the water , like potassium , and will make your gummies unlivable for mold . When it comes to shelf life and mold prevention in food , the more sugar , the better . Try using powdered sugar on your gummies as both a safeguard and a savory coating .
“ Understanding mold and how it works can go a long way to help you stop it from growing on your gummies .”
Preventing Mold from Developing on Gummies
If you ’ re hoping to make a large batch of gummies that won ’ t eventually go moldy , you must keep your gummymaking station clean . Before you pull out any ingredients , give your counters a thorough wipe down with a reliable antibacterial solution like bleach and water . Then , wash and sanitize all your cooking equipment , including your gummy molds , and don ’ t forget to wash your hands , too . You might not realize this , but you can also reduce the risk of mold developing on your gummies simply by maintaining a mold-free cannabis crop . Powdery mildew is a type of mold that affects many fruits and vegetables , but has a particular fondness for cannabis plants . The best way to prevent mold from developing on your gummies is to prevent powdery mildew from infecting your marijuana plants . Certainly , avoid using contaminated cannabis in your gummy recipe . The most common way to reduce mold and increase the shelf life of your gummies is by using preservatives . With a splash here and a dash there , these safe-to-consume chemical ingredients can deter mold in a variety of ways , and potentially shield your gummies for months .
Potassium — Consider adding one percent potassium sorbate to your cannabis gummies recipe . Nothing compares to a preservative and mold inhibitor like potassium when it comes to binding free water . This can help to extend the shelf life of your gummies considerably . One cannabis gummy maker reported no signs of mold after leaving their gummies in a Tupperware container at room temperature for nine months .
A Word on Water
Generally speaking , hard , dense foods , like candy , aren ’ t easily penetrated by mold . That said , reducing the amount of water slightly from what your gummy recipe calls for may help to restrict , or at least delay , the onset of mold growth . By decreasing the water content to 20 percent of the total gummy recipe , you can still produce chewy gummies , but they won ’ t be very attractive to mold . After all that ( not so hard ) work it ’ s equally important to ensure your gummies are properly stored in a moistureproof package and then vacuum sealed . If there is no oxygen present around your gummies , mold won ’ t grow . You can easily find a home vacuum packager on Amazon that will suction all the air out of your gummy packet and then heat-seal the opening . An air-tight Tupperware container also works .
Mold is generally harmless in small amounts but if you do find some furry fungus developing on your gummies , be sure to toss them out immediately .
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