recipe: updated kohakutou edible gummy crystals

Kohakutou edible jelly crystals have been one of my most popular and asked about recipes! This doesn’t surprise me at all because there is so much that you can do with them. I think a people like these Asian treats because when dry they become crunchy on the outside and stay soft gummy on the inside. These guys are so delicious because they’re mild, sweet and great textures.

I’m bringing my update recipe here to make it easier to access and make. I’ve learned a lot since I launched it a couple years back and I’m sharing the new recipe now.

See my video for a demonstration of how to cook the crystals and LATEST recipe and TIPS- if you'd like!

UPDATED RECIPE VIDEO you can ignore the agate step by step : https://youtu.be/pfOamh-woIw

HOW TO SHAPE GEODES: https://youtu.be/UMK2Se2Dt04

HOW TO SHAPE AGATES: https://youtu.be/pfOamh-woIw

RoxStarBakes edible jelly crystal geodes

Projects that use edible jelly crystal kohakutou!

• Bursting with rainbow crystals cake blog tutorial

• Steven Universe crystal gem cake YouTube video

Fun facts!

· Kohakutou means amber sugar in Japanese

· Also called Kanom Woon Grop in Thai

· My mother used to make when I was growing up but only once a year because they’re so special!

What makes these awesome?

· Three ingredients

· Easy and quick to make

· Gluten-free

· Vegan

· Easily flavored with unsweetened sparkling water! And there are a bazillion out there

· No isomalt which I find difficult to eat

Equipment:

· Pot

· Mixing bowls

· Spatulas (avoid wood)

· Foil

· Measuring containers are helpful when needing to work quickly

· Parchment

Ingredients:

· 6 teaspoons agar agar

· 1 ½ cup unsweetened water (12 ounce can of sparkling water)

· 2 cups sugar (400 grams)

Total preparation time:

Mold preparation time is about 10 minutes while cooking time is 10 - 14 minutes, refrigeration time is 30 minutes and drying time (2 to 7 days depending on your location.)

Instructions

How to make the crystal jelly!

Step 1 – Grab 1 ½ cups sparkling water or liquid. You can use flat or fizzy water that’s sweetener free because different types of sweetener can affect the firmness of the candy. This is about one classic can of soda. I like using flavored water because it gives the agate crystals a nice scent and flavor.

Step 2 – In a bowl, take 6 TBS of the liquid from that 1 1/2 cups of water and add to a bowl. Mix this with the agar agar. Again, this brand of agar agar is a must (not sponsored). Not only does it ‘gummy’ without being cloudy—if properly made it always gels beautiful. Other brands I’ve tested can end up as mush! And besides, it’s the brand my mother used when I was growing up! Stir this up. Let sit for 10 minutes.

Step 3 – Add remaining liquid to a saucepan and boil.

Step 4 – Add dissolved agar agar. Cook on medium heat and keep stirring constantly for 5 minutes, making sure that it doesn’t burn.

Step 5 – When it starts to bubble, add sugar. Once it boils again, it’s done. Take it off the heat to prepare for coloring. Work fast!

How to color the crystal jelly!

Step 6 – Add color and/ or edible glitter to your crystal mixture. I don’t add the color in advance because it dries and sticks to the bottom of the container. The mixture cools really quickly so I just work very quickly.

How to do with these edible crystals!

What can I make with edible jelly crystals (AND more how to videos)?

· Agates (we’ll tackle these here)

· Geode crystals or kryptonite (https://youtu.be/UMK2Se2Dt04)

· Ring pops (https://youtu.be/BEvx3Rhq4yc)

· You can use molds and form anything

What can I do with edible jelly crystals?

· Decorate cakes (Steven Universe Cake https://youtu.be/GrMHaLalLOM or Rainbow crystal cake https://youtu.be/JtMlVFKauoY)

· Decorate cupcakes (Rainbow crystal cupcakes https://youtu.be/Gm8TRKbYUnc)

· Decorate cake pops, and more

· Share these as gifts (birthday, anniversary, wedding gifts, just for fun)

Other ideas:

· Geode crystals or kryptonite (https://youtu.be/UMK2Se2Dt04)

· Ring pops (https://youtu.be/BEvx3Rhq4yc)

· Rainbow geode crystal cakes

o Steven Universe Crystal Cake (https://youtu.be/GrMHaLalLOM)

o Rainbow crystal cake (https://youtu.be/JtMlVFKauoY)

· Rainbow geode crystal cupcakes (https://youtu.be/Gm8TRKbYUnc)

Edible Japanese Kohakutou jelly crystal success!

Rox