Friday, December 22, 2006

How to Make Bubble Gum?

How To Make Your Own Bubble Gum

Most of us chew gum, but have you tried making your own chewing gum? Well here's your chance! The bubble gum made on the Heartland Science Lab contains a specially formulated starch-polymer gum base, sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and artificial flavoring. These ingredients can be found in the Bubble Gum Kit .

Ingredients

Gum Base Pellets
Mixing Tool
Waxed Paper
Mixing Container
Corn Syrup
Powdered Sugar
Bubble Gum Flavor

Instructions

STEP 1: Unfold a piece of waxed paper. Use it to cover a cutting board, dinner plate, or a part of the kitchen table. Dump about half of the powdered sugar on to the waxed paper. Create a well in the pile of sugar to relieve the melted gum and syrup.

STEP 2: Empty the gum pellets into a mixing container, then the corn syrup, and finally the bubble gum flavoring. The pellets need to be melted in order to mix the sugar.

MICROWAVE METHOD
Place the gum pellets and corn syrup mixture into a microwave oven set on high for 10 seconds. If not melted try another 10 seconds and a third 10 seconds interval. By the third interval it should be melted. If not try a fourth 10 second interval. BE CAREFUL IT IS HOT! HANDLE ONLY WITH AN OVEN MITT!

STEP 3: Slowly add the hot mixture to the powdered sugar using the mixing tool. Work the gum into the sugar until it is all absorbed. Add more sugar as needed. When it is cool enough to handle you can knead it like bread dough. Keep adding sugar until it doesn't absorb anymore.

Source: Steve Spangler Science