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Li Hing Mui Lemon Peel Gummy Bears

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Li hing mui lemon peel gummy bears have been the snack craze of Hawai’i recently. Slightly sweet yet sour. Bet you can’t have just one.

li hing mui lemon peel gummy bears in a bowl

With everyone staying at home more than ever, we are all starting to miss our favorite foods. This has led me to recreate some of my favorite treats. First being li hing mui lemon peel gummy bears.

When I think of li hing mui and lemon peel I automatically think of our local mom and pop crack seed stores in Hawai’i. That pungent smell is unmistakable.

My dad and I would always go to the crack seed stores and pick out all my favorite treats. The large glass bottles with heavy lids filled with all kinds of goodness. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Another great crack seed store snack is coconut candy and you can make this at home too.

li hing mui lemon peel gummy bears in a bowl

One of my favorite things to get was li hing mui anything really. Red, white, sweet, anything. 

Ingredients for li hing mui lemon peel gummy bears

li hing mui lemon peel gummy bears ingredients

The sauce for this recipe can really be used on any type of gummy snack that you wish. You can also use it on fruits.

What is li hing mui?

Li hing mui (lee he moo ee) is a Chinese salty dried plum. It is made by pickling plum, licorice, red food coloring, sugar, and salt. You can find it in seed form or powder. The literal Chinese translation is “traveling plum”. 

li hing mui powder

One bite will often cause you to pucker your lips as it’s pretty sour. 

In Hawai’i, we like to sprinkle the powder on fruits and treats, add it to drinks like lemonade, or just eat the outer salty layer of seed all by itself.

And you can bet the distinct staining of your index finger and thumb with the classic red-orange color will be a dead give away of what you just ate.

What is lemon peel?

Lemon peel is another popular Chinese preserved snack. Just as the name implies, the skin of the lemon is pickled with various flavors. You can find these in whole form or cut down into strips.

lemon peel

How to store li hing mui lemon peel gummy bears?

This snack is best stored in an airtight container at room temperature. It will last about a week, if it even lasts that long in your house. You can also put this in the freezer for a cool treat.

How to make li hing mui lemon peel gummy bears?

Add lemon peel strips to the bowl of a food processor. Blend until finely chopped up and set aside.

To a medium sized bowl add lemon juice, granulated sugar, and li hing mui powder. Mix until well combined.

Add gummy bears to the li hing mui mixture. Stir until gummy bears are well coated.

Add lemon peel to gummy bears and stir to coat. ENJOY!

li hing mui lemon peel gummy bears in a bowl

Li Hing Mui Lemon Peel Gummy Bears

Relle Lum
Li hing mui lemon peel gummy bears have been the snack craze of Hawai’i recently. Slightly sweet yet sour. Bet you can’t have just one.
4.55 from 110 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Course Treats
Cuisine Local
Servings 7 servings
Calories 235 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1.5 ounce lemon peel strips
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon li hing mui powder
  • 14 ounce gummy bears

Instructions
 

  • Add lemon peel strips to the bowl of a food processor. Blend until finely chopped up and set aside.
  • To a medium sized bowl add lemon juice, granulated sugar, and li hing mui powder. Mix until well combined.
  • Add gummy bears to the li hing mui mixture. Stir until gummy bears are well coated.
  • Add lemon peel to gummy bears and stir to coat. ENJOY!

Notes

* You can use any gummy snack that you wish. Popular options are gushers, strawberry belts, peach rings, etc.
*You can add more sugar if you find this too sour.
*Store this in the freezer for a cool treat.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 235kcalCarbohydrates: 59gSodium: 26mgFiber: 1gSugar: 36g
Keyword chinese snack, crack seed, gummy bears, hawaii, Hawaii food, keeping it relle, lemon peel, li hing mui, li hing mui lemon peel gummy bears, local, local food, snacks
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li hing mui lemon peel gummy bears

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By on May 3rd, 2020

About Relle

Aloha, my name is Relle and welcome to my little home on the internet where I like to share all my favorite Hawaiian recipes (and local ones too).

I am a wife, mom of two, and nurse practitioner here in the beautiful state of Hawai’i. I was born and raised in Hawai’i and I am of native Hawaiian descent. In my spare time I love to cook and bake and I have compiled many of my favorite recipes here for you to enjoy.

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12 thoughts on “Li Hing Mui Lemon Peel Gummy Bears”

  1. Can you please tell me what brand and where you buy your lemon peel? I cannot find it in large chunks like you pictured. We’ve found that not all lemon peel tastes the same! Yours looks good enough to try! Haha
    Monique
    (Hau’ula, Oahu)

    Reply
    • I don’t have a particular favorite. You can find lemon peel at most Hawai’i grocery stores. Obachans, Enjoy, gosh there’s a bunch I use. I don’t recall what brand this particular batch was I apologize.

      Reply
  2. Thank you so much for posting this! I wouldn’t have known where to begin with this if I made it completely on my own. Made this yesterday and it was so ono! In your YouTube video, it seems like you added more li hing mui powder (1 tbsp instead of 1 tsp?). The color of mine was more white than red so I doubled the amount and it still didn’t quite look like yours. It also seemed much more runny than yours was in the video so next time I think I’ll only add 1 tsp of lemon juice.

    Reply
    • Aloha Lauren. The color will really vary depending on the brand you get. Some are much more red than others. The flavor also depends on the brand as well. You’ll have to play with it a little and find the brand that you like. Thanks for stopping by.

      Reply
  3. I can’t seem to make mine come out dry. It stays moist. How can you fix that? I would love to know! I am hooked on these! It’s hard to get in not being from Hawaii. Thanks so much!

    Reply

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