How to Make Gum Base

Most small gum manufacturers do not make their own gum base. Instead, they purchase it from a third party. However, if all you are making is a very small quantity of gum, then it is possible to make your own gum base, although you will still need to purchase the primary elastic ingredient, Chicle, a rubber-like substance produced from the chicle tree of South America. There are other elasticizers you can use for a gum base, but the easiest base to make starts with good, old-fashioned chicle. Purchase chicle over the Internet.

Put six ounces of chicle in a shallow pan and heat to 350 degrees (F) in an oven and at the same time warm 1 ounce of beeswax in a separate pan. Warm both pans for approximately 10 minutes.

Remove the warmed chicle from oven and immediately make an indentation in the chicle with the spoon, and, into this indentation, add the ounce of warmed beeswax, plus one teaspoon of vegetable oil.

Mix thoroughly with the spoon. Work quickly before the chicle becomes too stiff to stir. This is your gum base.

Rewarm the gum base in your pan to 350 degrees (F) for ten minutes. Remove from oven, and immediately stir two teaspoons of powdered sugar into the softened base.

Rewarm yet again in the oven at 350 degrees (F) for ten minutes. Remove from oven and immediately remove from pan and place gum base on a sheet of waxed paper. Flatten to 1/4 inch with the back of your spoon, and use a knife that has been warmed by holding under running hot water to cut the gum base into 1/2 squares. Dust with confectioner's sugar and allow to cool. Makes approximately 10 - 12 pieces of gum.