# Homemade salty licorice **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [February 3, 2021, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homemade-salty-licorice/932103 "2021-02-03T06:09:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2021, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homemade-salty-licorice/932103/1 "2021-02-03T06:09:26Z")
Since reading about salty licorice (aka _salmiak_, _Salzlakritz_, _Süßlakritz_, _salmiakki_, etc.) here years ago, I’ve enjoyed many of the varieties that are available for purchase online. Recently I’ve been interested in making my own. However, I’ve had a lot of trouble finding a supplier for food-grade sal ammoniac (ammonium chloride crystals). It’s easy to find products that are marketed for industrial uses, such as cleaning soldering irons, but I don’t know if they contain impurities that might be unsafe to eat. Does anyone know where to purchase a reasonable amount (i.e. less than five pounds) that would be good for candymaking? ---
**Author:** ![Uniqueorn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uniqueorn/32/2807_2.png) [@Uniqueorn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uniqueorn)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2021, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homemade-salty-licorice/932103/2 "2021-02-03T08:32:40Z")
Can’t help you with sal ammoniac, but wanted to mention that when we were kids, we thought that licorice was made from ox blood. Also, the best salty licorice in my opinion is Swedish Djungelvräl. Also fond of German Katjes. ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2021, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homemade-salty-licorice/932103/3 "2021-02-03T11:50:08Z")
I’m a lifelong salmiak fan, live in salmiak land, and have probably downed my bodyweight of the stuff over the years. Always the store-bought varieties, though. So, I checked around for the OP. It seems pure sal ammoniac is so expensive to buy it is cheaper to buy the candy. Also, sal ammoniac cooking fumes are dangerous. Also, some type of explosives are possible to make out of the stuff, so availability is spotty. But I’m biased in that I can walk to a neighborhood grocery store and choose from maybe 20 different types of salmiak candy, for pocket change. Buying online, I assume the OP has a very different situation. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2021, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homemade-salty-licorice/932103/4 "2021-02-03T12:53:47Z")
> **[Ammonium Chloride, Granular, FCC](https://www.spectrumchemical.com/ammonium-chloride-granular-fcc-a1167?section=22378)** > > Ammonium Chloride, Granular, FCC 500 g for $143. Whether they’ll ship directly to random home-users, I don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2021, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homemade-salty-licorice/932103/5 "2021-02-03T13:14:56Z")
$143? Yowza. Um…how much for the ox blood option? Or, seriously, is there some other halfway-acceptable substitute? Any good recipes with ammonium carbonate? Of the online premade options, I’ve found Haribo Piratos to be the best deal, and Katjes are pretty good, though I like Tyrkisk Peber and Dracula Piller better from time to time. The one time I tried Djungelvräl, the salt content was good, but the consistency was akin to rubber erasers. Maybe I got a bad batch. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2021, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homemade-salty-licorice/932103/6 "2021-02-03T18:54:29Z")
These two sites offer food-grade ammonium chloride in reasonable quantities and prices: [https://foodsofnations.com/product/ammonium-chloride-e-510/](https://foodsofnations.com/product/ammonium-chloride-e-510/) > **[Ammonium Chloride Treated FCC/TCP Food Grade Crystals Bulk](https://www.myworldhut.com/products/Ammonium-Chloride-Treated-FCC%7B47%7DTCP-Food-Grade-Crystals-Bulk.html)** > > myworldhut presents Ammonium Chloride Treated FCC/TCP Food Grade Crystals Tricalcium Phosphate, Disinfectant Bulk. benefits and uses fertilizer I can’t vouch for either company, since I’ve never bought from them. ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2021, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homemade-salty-licorice/932103/7 "2021-02-03T23:49:36Z")
Awesome finds, and it looks like Kalustyan’s also has fenugreek powder, which Penzey’s has been sold out of for a long time. Ok, I’m putting in an order. We’ll see how legit the site is. ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2021, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homemade-salty-licorice/932103/8 "2021-02-04T16:26:50Z")
Mmmmmm [Ga-jol.](https://www.allthingsliquorice.co.uk/products/danish/gajol-sugar-free-salty-liquorice-2x23g.html) ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2021, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homemade-salty-licorice/932103/9 "2021-02-18T03:43:38Z")
Well, my first attempt was a qualified success. Kalustyan’s delivered a pound of food-grade ammonium chloride crystals as promised, along with some other items I picked out. They seem to be a solid operation and I’d order from them again. Thanks to **Jeff\_Lichtman** for the find. I synthesized a licorice recipe from a few online sources, such as [Dessert For Two](https://www.dessertfortwo.com/homemade-black-licorice/) and the YouTuber [Todd’s Kitchen](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwyrSyzbM-Q). (I’m pretty sure his way of pronouncing “[anise extract](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwyrSyzbM-Q&t=57)” isn’t typical for Aussies, but from now on I’m totally going to pretend that it is.) I was surprised to see the recommended cooking temperature vary widely among recipes. I thought that was a pretty important aspect of candymaking. I intended to go with 245° F, but was only able to get it to 235°, as I used too small of a saucepan and it was threatening to boil over. After taking it off the heat, I stirred in a conservative ammount of ammonium chloride. I poured some of the mixture into a muffin pan, adding measured amounts of ammonium chloride to the main pot between cups. The rest went into a parchment-lined 8x8" pan, and it all got refrigerated overnight. I’m really happy with the flavor - it’s heavy on butter and molasses, with pleasing notes of anise (teehee) and salty funk. I like the samples with the highest concentration of ammonium chloride the best. Unfortunately the consistency is much too soft. It stuck to the parchment, and while I was able to peel it off after putting it in the freezer for a couple of hours, it’s still much too loose and sticky to cut into easily handleable pieces. I’m sure cooking temperature is the main culprit. I tried dusting some with a 2:1 mixture of confectioner’s sugar and ammonium chloride, but the consistency is such that the pieces just fell apart. It also didn’t contribute much to the taste. Overall, I think this was a pretty decent piece of mad science. The results are tasty, though messy. I plan to try again at some point, with a higher temperature and maybe a little more salt. ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2021, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homemade-salty-licorice/932103/10 "2021-02-18T03:46:31Z")
Salty Licorice, Mark 1 1 cup (2 sticks) butter 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 1 cup dark corn syrup 1/2 cup molasses 14 oz. can (10 fl. oz.) sweetened condensed milk 1/4 tsp kosher salt 2 Tbsp sal ammoniac (food-grade ammonium chloride crystals) 2 1/2 Tbsp anise extract 1 tsp black food coloring Line an 8x8" baking pan with greased parchment paper. In a large saucepan, bring butter, sugar, corn syrup, condensed milk, molasses, and kosher salt to a boil over medium heat. Once the temperature reaches 245° F on a candy thermometer, remove from heat and stir in sal ammoniac, anise extract, and food coloring. Pour into prepared pan. Let stand for 30 minutes, then chill in refrigerator for 6-8 hours. Invert pan onto a cutting board and cut into desired pieces. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. To soften, let sit at room temperature before serving. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2021, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homemade-salty-licorice/932103/11 "2021-02-18T03:56:33Z")
> [@Number](#): > > Kalustyan’s delivered a pound of food-grade ammonium chloride crystals as promised, along with some other items I picked out. They seem to be a solid operation and I’d order from them again. Thanks to **Jeff\_Lichtman** for the find. I think I know that store. I vaguely remember my parents shopping there in the 1970s. ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2021, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homemade-salty-licorice/932103/12 "2021-02-18T07:56:15Z")
**Number** , way cool! Your surprisingly succesful first attempt is giving me an itch to start experimenting myself. Have you worked out the material costs per, say ounce, of finished product? ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2021, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homemade-salty-licorice/932103/13 "2021-02-18T21:44:08Z")
If my math is right, it comes out to $0.42/oz. Piratos are $1.17/oz. on Amazon, so that’s a pretty good deal. ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2021, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homemade-salty-licorice/932103/14 "2021-04-11T17:33:14Z")
Update: I made a second batch in a larger saucepan and got it to 245° F. This made it _much_ easier to cut up and handle. Some people might want to dial down the molasses, as it overpowers the anise flavor a bit. It’s good though.