9/15/2012

Gummy Vitamins!

Gummy Vitamins

Once I was told to start putting my daughter on vitamins [age 9months], I purchased the gummy vitamins. I started her on Disney vitamins for kids. Mind you she had already been finger feeding herself for a few months by this point, so I refused to purchase vitamin drops. She loves to look at the different shapes and colors prior to eating them. In the brand I give my daughter she is to get two and only two a day, prior to being 12 months old I would only give her one due to her age. As much as I love them we also much remember that they are gummy and do melt to prolonged exposure to heat, such as going on a trip in a hot car. That's what happened to me recently, instead of throwing them away I solved my problem and want to let you know how encase this happens for you.


Items Needed:

  • metal pot
  • wisk
  • Pam, or Shortening 
  • candy mold 
  • timer of some kind [i'm using my microwave]
  • napkin
  • butter knife [not pictured]
  • extra container [not pictured]


What to do:

Take the container that you have the melted vitamins in and cut it open, remove vitamins. Place vitamins in metal pot on Medium heat. Make sure during the time of the next step to stir with a wisk from time to time.

Now take your candy mold, Shortening [or spray pam], and napkin. Take the napkin and get a little shortening on it [if your not using spray pam]Now rub the shortening inside the candy mold, very lightly. then run a clean one over it to make sure its thin. [If using spray pam, after spraying it take the  napkin and wipe it down to make sure there is a very thin layer.]

Once the vitamins are melted down to a syrup like substance. pour over the candy mold, take a butter knife and swipe it over the mold to make sure they don't all stick together. Set a timer for 30 minutes and place the mold into the refrigerator. 
Once the timer sounds, take the mold out of the fridge and check to see if it is cool enough to take out of the mold and cut without being gooey. If it's not place it back in the fridge. If it's cool enough the take it out and remove them from the mold. mine where not cool enough yet after 30 minutes due to me using a big ABC mold. Yes the size of the mold effects the outcome. To large of a mold can not only make you wait time longer, but you will also have to cut the vitamins once you take them out of the mold, or you will overdose yourself or child [who ever will be taking the vitamins] on vitamins. Also  DO NOT consume the heated substance until it has cooled down. Make sure during the heating process no child or animal is in the kitchen encase the melted vitamins happen to pop, this will burn the child,animal, or whomever is near it at the time. If you feel you are at risk of being burned then you can wear oven mitts as you heat the vitamins to a syrup. Once Vitamins are cool, and out of the mold you are complete and can put them in a new container for your child. If the mold was bigger them most you will need to cut them into 1/2" pieces [mine will end up all different shapes with impressions in them from the objects in the letters]. Mine of course will not be appealing by any means compared to someone who uses a small heart, flower, truck or any other small object mold. You can also try to do this same thing another way. All you do is after heating the vitamins to a syrup take a dropper [medicine dropper] and ice cold water and make large drops into the water when they will cool down and be little pea shapes. After that you place them in the freezer for 15 minutes and your done. 

2 comments:

  1. Do you realize that by heating the vitamins you probably "cooked" out all the vitamin that was in the syrup? Most vitamins are destroyed by heat. You are most likely giving your child mostly sugar drops. I would suggest you throw them away and buy a new jar. Then store them in a cool dry place.

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