Mint makes a good flavoring for the gum you make at home.
The ancient Greeks chewed gum made from the Mastic tree's resin. North American Indians chewed the sap from the spruce tree (something you can buy from L.L. Bean today). It wasn't until the 19th century that a substitute for spruce sap in the form of edible or paraffin wax was created. The gum of today is made from a base made of tropical tree resin, as well as, less appealingly, rubber byproducts, wax or polyvinyl acetate. You can make your own gum at home with your children, creating something that adults and children can enjoy.
Instructions
1. Place all the ingredients in a microwave safe dish.
2. Set the dish in the microwave. Set the microwave on high and heat the contents of the dish for 30 seconds.
3. Check the contents of the bowl. If they are melted, then continue on to the next step. If not, put the bowl back in the microwave for 10 more seconds.
4. Put five leaves of fresh mint in a food processor and chop them up. Add them to the ingredients in the microwave dish with 7 drops of spearmint oil and stir well.
5. Reserve 1 tbsp. of confectioner's sugar, then pour 1/4 cup of sugar on the work table in a large pile. Make a hollow in the center of the pile.
6. Pour the contents of the bowl into the middle of the confectioner's sugar pile and begin kneading the gum and sugar together. Continue adding sugar as you knead until you get a stiff, smoothly textured gum.
7. Roll the gum into a 1-inch diameter rope. Cut the rope into 1/2-inch pieces. Dust all of the gum pieces with the remaining confectioner's sugar.
Tags: confectioner sugar, contents bowl, ingredients microwave, made from, tree resin