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Monday, January 24, 2011

Dried Agar-Agar Candy II


I made this candy this year again.
But I improvised on the recipe.

The first batch that I did, I used 25gm agar strips with 1L water, and the second time around I used 25gm agar strips with only750ml water. The result was........ one less day of sunning. Great news, isn't it?

With 10 days left to CNY, and with this current super sunny weather, you can make it in time. Usually my wet bathroom takes half a day to dry, but these 2 weeks, it dried up after 2 hours of usage.

If you lined the pan with paper, it takes 4-5 days under direct sunlight, but if you didn't line the pan, it'll take 7 days. Like me this time, stupid, idiot, forgot to line the pan. Last year, mine were done in 4 days. Well, you see, the paper is an evaporation tool. It absorbs extra water and moisture from the jelly pieces and helps disperse it into the hot air when the sun hits it.  When I find, how come this year, it took so long to get it done, then only I remembered that I didn't line the drying pan. Luckily I did it early this year.







Dried Agar-Agar Candy II
Fills 3-4 jars of those medium sized red cap cookie containers

100gm agar-agar strips
3L water (12 cups)
800gm rock sugar
600gm sugar
2 tsp of rose flavouring+few drop of pink colouring
2 tsp lemon flavour+few drops of yellow colouring
2 tsp strawberry flavouring+few drops of red colouring
2 tsp pandan emulco

Do not think of reducing the sugar. It is needed for the candy structure to form. And I've never heard of a candy that is not sweet. And this is the mildest in terms of sweetness for dried agar candy that I've ever eaten. It is not meant for you to chow down, but savour slowly piece by piece.
If you just want to try try, cut the recipe by 75%---  25gm agar, 200gm rock sugar, 150gm sugar and 750ml water.


1. Put water and  agar strips into a heavy based pot.
2. Bring to a boil and cover with lid. With low heat, boil until all agar strips have dissolved.
3. Meanwhile prepare 4 baking pans/or any heat proof container. Put flavourings and colour into each pan/container.
4. Put in rock sugar and sugar, cook until everything dissolves. It feels thick, almost like cooked can soup.
5. Divide agar mixture evenly between the four pans.
6. Cut with serrated knife when it has solidified.
7. Arrange cut pieces, serrated side down on a large tray lined with non stick baking paper.
8. Sun dry until a whitish crunchy crust appears. Turn jelly pieces every other day for proper exposure to the sun. Bring into your air-cond room at night for further drying at night.


* Bugs love the lemon flavoured one, just don't know why.
The rose flavoured one lost its colour, dunno why. I used Wilton's pink colouring.


64 comments:

  1. Loved your blog reminds so much of good old childhood days where the food is real and authentic. Would u ever consider selling your goodies please esp. this dry agar agar? Can't find such quality in shops. Also hv u considered making coconut candy? Loved them , tried a few times and half the time didn't turn out right. Commercial ones are just too sweet.

    cina

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wendy, I so wanted to try this when I saw your posting previously but didn't get to do it. I love love the look of this candy. It reminds me of the chewy candy (like gummy bears) that we used to eat when we were young. I don't think I can make it now as it probably will freeze up rather than dries up when I put it outside to dry :)

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  3. Wow very impressive homemade candy!

    ReplyDelete
  4. i had made this before.
    the syrup dried candy but it had a weird taste==

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wow! lovely lovely candies. Wendy, is it possible to make these using agar-agar powder? If yes, what is the quantity? TIA

    Mel

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  6. cinafong,
    If I sell, how can you collect from me?
    Frankly, how will coconut candy not taste sweet? They are made of so much sugar. I plan to make the coconut candy next year, that's when I get my marble table, now I don't have the space to do it yet.



    Swee San,
    Duh, wanted to give u neh, but ur office move liao.



    Jess Kitchen,
    Nice leh, LOL.




    Gert,
    This is not chewy one woh, but crunchy.
    Eh, what if you put it near ur radiator?



    Wen,
    Thanks



    Jess Bakericious,
    Thank you



    hasegawa,
    What flavouring did you use?
    Star brand pandan flavour give a super weird taste, so don't ever use that. It depends on the flavouring used. So far Star's rose is my favourite.



    Mel,
    I haven't tried using agar powder.
    But you can just use the same amount in weight, but the procedure will need to change.
    Let's say,
    If you use 25gm agar powder, then mix the powder with 250ml water. Set aside.
    The boil 200gm rock sugar and 150gm sugar with 500ml water until dissolved, then pour in the agar mixture, bring back to a boil and let it boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and mix with flavouring of choice.
    Just remember when you use powder, you have to reverse the procedure.

    ReplyDelete
  7. WoW! What an array of colours and all so pretty! Wendy, you are indeed an inspiration to all food bloggers, always making unconventional things! Keep on going. Enjoy your blog! :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Busygran
    When you say I prefer making unconventional things, I was laughing. The other day when the tiling man asked me why I chose this grey tile and not the popular clay coloured ones, I told him, I don't want to be conventional. He then asked me, why did you marry a man then, why don't u marry a woman? Smack my head. LOL.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Wendy, the commercial and Indian coconut candies are terribly sweet,hard and dry. When you take a bite, you can immediately get a toothache that's how sweet it is :P

    Yea, I would have like a many jars plus some of your other cookies, all your cookies are to die for. We are very deprived here,

    cina

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  10. Hi Wendy,

    Thanks for post again is me Jo. i have been reading your blog everyday.
    So tempting to do it. Want to ask
    800gm rock sugar
    600gm sugar
    is this too sweet ? the pandan flavor is it from your own made pandan juice ?

    candy crunchy ?? can give an example ? cannot visualize lah.
    Thanks
    Jo

    ReplyDelete
  11. Mmmm, I wonder how would durian flavours one turn our....he he he!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Wendy, thks for the speedy reply. Really appreciate it ^^

    Wishing you & your family a very happy CNY.

    Mel

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  13. Wow! I wish I have the time and the space in my kitchen to make this!

    ReplyDelete
  14. hey, maybe i havent eaten this before..the ones that i'm thinking of now is the chewy type that is normally coated with sugar, so i think it's different from this since you mentioned it's crunchy. save some for me for our future meet up..if this can lasts, hehe!

    ReplyDelete
  15. These look so much like those colourful chewy candies bought to be offerings during CNY. Neh, those with a coat of fine sugar outside ar... But when you say crunchy...???...a bit hard to imagine...

    ReplyDelete
  16. You must like it that you make this again. Looks beautiful...

    ReplyDelete
  17. 鲸鱼蓝蓝蓝,
    Thanks



    Deliah,
    Thank you



    cinafong,
    Oh that type of coconut candy, made with grated coconut one. I tot the Chinese type.
    That one is definately sweet, it uses condensed milk to bind and it's not something that you should eat with mouthfuls but rather savour it slowly.
    If you are willing to drive 300km to collect ur cookies, you can place your order. See which type I have extra.



    Cathy,
    Thanks



    Jo,
    It's a candy. It is sweet but not as sweet as many that I have eaten before made by my Malay friends. You're making 3 jars of this, so that amount is not too much.
    Unfortunately, this is one thing that nothing natural can be used. It is dried in sunlight, therefore, any real pandan juice will evaporate and any natural colouring will turn brown. And no fruit juices can be used as it will prevent the crust from forming.



    Pete,
    I don't want, u want durian flavoured ones here ah? I think it'll be so weird lor.



    Mel,
    Thanks, same to u too



    nel,
    You need direct sunlight more than time and space. LOL.



    lena,
    No, not that "yun tong".
    This is popular among the Malays for raya.



    Meldy,
    Just take it as crusty agar-agar


    Home Kreation,
    Hahaha, best time of the year to make it I find. So, must take opportunity.
    Other times of the year are more humid and sunlight is less intense.

    ReplyDelete
  18. W O W, I am amazed. What a gorgeous treat. I just love all of your posts.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Oh Wendy, you are tempting me but my husband will kill me cuz he will end up having to drive L:)

    I wish I knew of your blog earlier, in fact I only found u a few days ago. Well, at least I you now and u have been bookmarked :)

    I have ordered from Melaka and Setiawan but usually arrangements made much in advance though.
    cina

    ReplyDelete
  20. Jennifurla,
    Thanks



    Cinafong,
    Then maybe next time, hahaha.
    I don't really sell my stuff cos I don't want to commit anything with 2 small girls in the house always trying to steal my dough. Yes dough, LOL.

    ReplyDelete
  21. cantiknyerrr.... bagus ar kan jemur tutup cenggitu.. baru terjamin ke`lalat`annya xde... bersih, cekap dan amanah! nih slogan apa er?? lupa sudaa... hahaha

    ReplyDelete
  22. Jenn@ChasingFoodDreamsJanuary 25, 2011 at 11:31 AM

    I feel like a kid again looking at yr candies! Definately bookmarking this when I can stayh home a few days to dry the candies... right now, its raining almost everyday in the afternoon in KL..

    ReplyDelete
  23. I've been your silent reader for sometimes now until I saw this agar2. Remind me of childhood. My aunty used to make this without fail for hari raya. I might try to make this now that I have your recipe. I hope I can lah since hari raya in Perth this year will fall in winter again. Perth winter is very very wet....

    ReplyDelete
  24. Jenn,
    Oh raining everyday? Here it's been so hot that my poor rosemary is hanging on to its life. But last 2 nights, there were heavy rain.
    Hope you can make this on time.



    Flower,
    Thanks for reading my blog. Make these during autumn then. I hope they will sooth ur homesickness for Raya in Malaysia.

    ReplyDelete
  25. I've never seen or had dried agar candy before. They look so pretty!

    ReplyDelete
  26. hana,
    Adui, ada pulak slogan untuk buat agar kering. Tak salah, tu slogan tuk polis.



    Kirbie,
    It's a local Malay treat :)

    ReplyDelete
  27. hi there

    this sounds so interesting - I am in South Africa and rock sugar isn't really available here in our supermarkets,,, so could i just use regular sugar? or? any suggestions. also I will be using agar powder and will use the directions in your comment section above

    Many thanks for a great blog

    Betty Bake x

    ReplyDelete
  28. Betty,
    U can use all regular sugar, but the crust will be thicker and it'll be sweeter. But please simmer it for at least 30 minutes if you're using regular sugar, not just until it dissolves. It is to prevent it from crystalizing again when dried

    Thankyou and don't forget to let me know how it turns out.

    ReplyDelete
  29. thanks for the help Wendy :)
    I made with regular sugar and water and agar agar powder as per you instructions and all seems great :)
    the candies are busy drying :)
    and BIG THANK YOU

    Betty Bake :)

    ReplyDelete
  30. Betty,
    I hope to know the outcome.
    Thanks for trying this.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Wendy thanks for bringing these colorful and tasty candies with you for our gathering last Saturday. This makes a lovely gift.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Quay Po,
    Did you like them?
    I loved the food that you brought too :)

    ReplyDelete
  33. yay it worked!!!! :)
    I used regular granulated sugar, agar agar powder, water and essence plus colouring bought from the shop. After boiling it how you told me to I placed in molds popped them out when hard and placed on trays outside to try out covered with a net to stop bugs. After a day or two the weather wasn't great so I placed them on a very low heat in my thermo fan (fan forced) oven and dried them out in 3o min bursts of drying anf then turned off the oven and let them cool. I did this every 3 or so hours for a few days and they came out great for my daughters birthday party :) THANK YOU WENDY!!!

    hugs
    Betty Bake blog xx

    ReplyDelete
  34. Betty Bake,
    Oh glad it worked for you.
    Hope your girls love this!

    ReplyDelete
  35. hi wendy..

    would like to ask u? How u shape the agar2 shape like that?is it a special knife/container u used so it came out like that?If yes where can it get that stuff.

    Thanks...

    ReplyDelete
  36. Anonymous,
    I used a jelly knife with a zigzag pattern bought from Daiso.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Hi Wendy,
    This is my first time reading your blog. It is interesting!
    I would like to try this recipe. May I know if I can replace the 600gm sugar with other type of sugar, like molasses sugar or gula melaka?
    Thanks.

    Lan

    ReplyDelete
  38. Lan,
    I don't think that can be done.
    Molasses sugar and authentic gula melaka is acidic in nature and will produce a wet candy. It will not give u a dry surface.
    When you look at your molasses sugar it is moist and clumpy unlike white sugar which is dry and flowing right? Same goes to authentic gula melaka which is even moister. Non authentic ones could be a possible subtitute, just make sure the sugar looks dry, and your end product will be dry.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Hi Wendy,
    Thanks for the detail explanations given. As I said, your blog is interesting! I learnt something new!
    I think I will stick to your recipe.

    Cheers,
    Lan

    ReplyDelete
  40. I found your blog by accident and had start making these candy. My family loves them very much. I use the powder form of agar follow your instruction. It works great! Thank you. Now my daughter is also helping me making for the coming CNY.

    ReplyDelete
  41. Will the candy break when you try to cut them? How long does it take for them to be solidified?

    ReplyDelete
  42. anonymous,
    It's jelly and it won't break. Unless you cut them after they have thoroughly dried. It's not hard and brittle like a sugar candy, but just firm.
    When it cools down, it solidifies, just like any agar-agar.

    ReplyDelete
  43. isha

    Hi i am from mubai , recipe is awsumn no doubt in this but some ingredients i am not able to understand.

    1. Agar agar ??? Wht exact meaning of it ? If possible thn tel me th meaning in Hindi :P Or else a picture of the same will do :)

    2. Pandan emulco :P Even i m not able to identify this ingredient :)

    Try to solve ma query :) And even upload a vedio if possible thn :P

    And how much time it takes for drayin ??

    Regards, ISha
    Can send me email : cnthakkar42@yahoo.co.in

    ReplyDelete
  44. isha,
    1. the answer is in google. Sorry, I don't speak Hindi. Google has lots of pictures.
    2. Artificial pandan flavouring + colouring.
    Try to solve ya query. A VIDEO of something Ai did 2 years bak? If only Ai could travel back in taim. :p
    What is drayin? Even I cannot identify the meaning of this word.
    If you are wanting to know the answer, you will be back.

    ReplyDelete
  45. gosh, hari raya reminds me of this jelly....and i found your blog because of my craving. i am going to make some for myself now since it is quite impossible to find them nowadays.
    hope you dun mind i took one photo from your blog. your blog is credited under the picture.

    ReplyDelete
  46. I didn't believe you made this. I read the recipe somewhere and I thought the process is too time consuming. I think you are really Pandai!!!

    ReplyDelete
  47. Hi Wendy,
    Thanks for sharing, like it so much..

    ReplyDelete
  48. ya reminded me of a malay colleaque's mother made this agar agar candy for Raya.. but she rolled out in a form of swiss roll and cut into pieces.....

    ReplyDelete
  49. GracelymMay 24, 2013 at 10:03 AM

    Hi Wendy, I wonder possible to speed up the drying process by using the oven setting at low temperature (maybe 35 - 40C)? Will the product turn brown or dark?

    ReplyDelete
  50. Gracelym,
    If it's 35-40C, it's not much different from the strong sun outside, the heat on the pan is intensified under the sun.
    Take note that agar will melt if the oven is too hot.
    I'm not sure of your oven, but mine goes with a minimum 50C

    ReplyDelete
  51. hellow wendy
    it's so creative n thanks for sharing your recipe :D

    ReplyDelete
  52. can it be done with agar agar powder instead of strips?

    ReplyDelete
  53. metallic kitty,
    Yes, you can refer to my answer to a similar question above dated 5th Feb 2011

    ReplyDelete
  54. could i use oven to dried it??

    ReplyDelete
  55. Herra,
    Please refer to my comment in 23 May 2013, thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  56. Hi, how should I store the candies for longer time? I did make these candies before with low sugar, after sun-dried and kept in an air tight container, the candies became soft within a week and lost it crispiness.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. as i mentioned in the post in red, the sugar provides structure to the candy. I have no idea on how to keep a low sugar version.

      Delete

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