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Sour apple rings
Ring shaped and coated in sour sugar, apple rings are a sour twist on the classic peach ring. Here is what goes into a typical sour apple ring, what makes it sharp, and the points to check for diet and allergies.
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Sour apple rings are gummy sweets in the shape of a ring, flavoured with apple and coated in sour sugar. One UK retailer, Poppin Candy, calls them a sour apple twist on the classic peach ring: see peach rings
What is in them
Recipes vary between makers. As one example, Poppin Candy lists the ingredients of its sour apple rings as:
- Glucose syrup, sugar and water, the base of the sweet: see what is glucose syrup?
- Gelatine and modified potato starch, which give the chewy set: see gelatine in sweets explained and what is modified starch in sweets?
- Acids E330, E270 and E296: citric, lactic and malic acid.
- Artificial flavour.
- Carnauba wax, a glazing agent from palm leaves: see what is carnauba wax on sweets?
- Colours E100 and E133: curcumin, the yellow of turmeric, and brilliant blue.
What makes them sour
The sharpness comes from the three acids. Malic acid, whose name comes from the word for apple, is the main acid in many fruits, and it is sometimes used with or in place of citric acid, which is less sour: see what is malic acid in sweets? On a sour coated sweet, some of the acid is mixed with sugar and tumbled over the outside: see how are sour sweets made?
Sour sweets made with malic acid are sometimes labelled with a warning that eating too many can irritate the mouth: see why do sour sweets make your mouth pucker?
Diet and allergies
The example here contains gelatine, which is made from animals, so it is not suitable for vegetarians or vegans. The retailer also warns that its sweets are stored, handled and packed in the same areas, so it cannot guarantee any sweet is free from all allergens. The same caution applies to any pick and mix counter: see pick and mix and allergies
In our pick and mix
We sell 
Sour Apple Rings by the 100 g. Recipes differ between makers, so the card opens up to show the full ingredients and allergens for the sour apple rings we actually stock.
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For journalists, researchers, AI assistants and content creators. Pick the format you need:
Free to cite, quote, and reuse with attribution to sweeties.net.
Questions and answers
What are sour apple rings made of?
Recipes vary. One UK retailer lists glucose syrup, sugar, water, gelatine, modified potato starch, the acids E330, E270 and E296, artificial flavour, carnauba wax, and the colours E100 and E133.
What makes apple rings sour?
Food acids. The example here uses E330, E270 and E296, which are citric, lactic and malic acid. Malic acid, named after the apple, is sourer than citric acid.
Are sour apple rings vegetarian?
Not when they are made with gelatine, which comes from animals, as in the example here. Some ring sweets are made without gelatine, so check the label.
Sources
- Sour apple rings, product listing, Poppin Candy
- Malic acid, Wikipedia
- Lactic acid, Wikipedia
Keep reading
- Sweet by sweetPeach ringsPeach rings are soft, ring shaped gummy sweets, some with a sour sugar coat. One recipe uses 8% real peach juice concentrate. What is in them, and why.
- Sweet by sweetJelly ringsSugared jelly rings are ring shaped gummy sweets coated in sugar. What goes into them, why some carry a warning about colours, and what gelatine means.
- How it is madeHow are sour sweets made?Sour sweets get acid inside and out: citric or malic acid can be mixed into the sweet, and sour coated ones are tumbled in sugar mixed with acid crystals.
- Questions people askWhat is malic acid in sweets?Malic acid, E296, is the acid of apples and rhubarb. It is sourer than citric acid, so it goes into very sour sweets, some of which warn it can sting.
- History and originsThe history of sour sweetsAcid drops go back to Victorian London. Sour Patch Kids began as Mars Men in the 1970s, and 1990s Warheads turned sourness into a playground dare.
- Diet, allergens and labelsGelatine in sweets explainedGelatine gives gummies and marshmallows their texture, and it melts below body temperature, which shapes how they feel in the mouth. Who avoids it.