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Find innovative production technology for making licorice and connect directly with world-leading specialists.

Making licorice

Licorice is a glossy candy with firm consistency that can have different flavors, like chocolate, cherry and strawberry. With the right licorice making equipment, start by making a paste from the licorice roots, mixing them with sugar, flour and sweeteners. Extrude it with a nuzzle, allowing to cool, then cut and package it.

Which licorice technology do you need?

Licorice cooker

Licorice cooker

When producing liquorice and other sticky or viscous food products, during the cooling or heating process, comp…

Licorice cooling tunnel

Licorice cooling tunnel

Licorice and other extruded food products like vegan meats can be tricky to cool in the production pro…

Guillotine cutter for confectionery

Guillotine cutter for confectionery

Confectionery products such as marshmallows, licorice candies, and fudges come out of ex…

Industrial guillotine machine for extruded foods

Industrial guillotine machine for extruded foods

Textured vegetable proteins made from soy, wheat, and oats are extruded in…

Cake ultrasonic cutter

Cake ultrasonic cutter

Some cake items you may wish to cut can feature substantial amounts of cream. But that cream could smea…

Inline ultrasonic food cutting machine

Inline ultrasonic food cutting machine

Cutting sticky products in the food sector is not always an easy process. Small scale…

Automatic bread dough sheeter

Automatic bread dough sheeter

Dough for speciality breads must first be rolled into sheets of varying thickness, to facilitat…

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Small sugar mill for entry level production

Small sugar mill for entry level production

Sugar powder is a key ingredient in a wide range of bakery, confectionery, and …

Small scale dragee coating machine

Small scale dragee coating machine

Coated dragée products such as Jordan Almonds or hard-coated candies are very popular, bu…

Mini sugar coating machine

Mini sugar coating machine

The coating of grains or nuts with sugar is a popular process in the manufacture of many bakery pr…

Economical Pouch Packaging Machine

Economical Pouch Packaging Machine

The side gusset pouch is a popular packaging solution for medium formats, particularly fo…

Horizontal dough mixer

Horizontal dough mixer

The mixing of hard doughs or highly viscous product like chewing gum requires specialist equipment to a…

Cooling drum for soft and caramel mixtures

Cooling drum for soft and caramel mixtures

Cool your product to the temperature required for further processing. This is a …

Whipping machine for soft candy

Whipping machine for soft candy

Prepare your ingredients for any whipped or aerated product component. This is a pressurized …

Hygienic vertical bagging machine

Hygienic vertical bagging machine

Hygienic bagging with a compact packing machine that can withstand the harshest wash down …

Bagger with rotary jaw drive actuation

Bagger with rotary jaw drive actuation

If you are looking for a compact packing machine that fits into tight space and tight…

Mixer and kneader for sugar based recipes

Mixer and kneader for sugar based recipes

For the production of chocolate paste based on refined or icing sugar, the decisi…

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Importance of quality assurance checks in licorice production


One of the methods of making licorice is cooking the sugar and licorice extract together and pouring it into molds full of cornstarch. There is also the licorice extrusion process, in which licorice root extract boils at 220-270 °C. After that, you add the colors and flavors. The mixture then cooks slowly until it is thick like a dough. Finally, you cut it into pieces.


Apart from these general steps, you need to carry quality checks on the licorice to guarantee that it fits the established standards. The quality assessment starts with testing the raw materials you will use for production. Lab technicians evaluate the ingredients and see whether they comply with the specifications. The tests must ensure that viscosity, pH levels and appearance of the licorice are adequate. Also, the color or texture of a sample licorice stick is compared to the standard licorice, to see if the quality matches.

Additionally, check the sensory characteristics, like the odor and flavor of the licorice. You can also examine other characteristics such as moisture content, size of solids and quantity of liquids.

What to consider when cooking and cutting licorice


Licorice is a sticky product, so, to cut it, use machines with stainless steel scraper blades and a heat exchange surface. These blades continuously remove any licorice that sticks to the machine. The non-sticky machine makes the process easier and more efficient. The licorice is pumped to the heat exchange surface for cooking; there, the blades continuously scrape the surface and mixes the licorice. The blades keep turning the licorice to ensure that there is even transfer of heat before moving it to the extruder and the cutting machine. A cutting machine helps you cut the roots into tiny pieces before extracting the paste.


Differences between sweet and salty licorice

Licorice can be salty or sweetened, and it’s in the mixing process that you define your product characteristic. Choosing ingredients carefully helps ensure some licorice’s characteristics, such as appearance and taste. The ingredients include sweeteners like sugar and corn syrup, as well as flour, that binds all the ingredients together. You need to add colorants, flavorings and preservatives, and can also use other natural flavors obtained from fruits, honey and berries.

Salty licorice contains both sugar and salt in its composition. The salty versions are more popular in Finland and Swedish while the sweet version is mostly consumed in the United States and Canada.

Processing steps involved in licorice making

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