Other types of gum
Amazingly, gum balls make up only three percent of chewing gum sales, yet their unique merchandising makes them intriguing. Gumballs are made by scoring a cylinder of gum twice to form balls, which are then stored several hours at 55-60 degrees Fahrenheit (13-16 degrees Celsius) to harden. The balls are put into huge kettles to be coated with a flavored and colored sucrose solution. After seven hours, the coated balls are dried with hot air, then rolled in beeswax or other wax to make them shiny. The nature of gumball machines determined the next step. An enclosed plastic globe is subject to interior condensation. The water collected ruins untreated gumballs, so they are usually coated with a plastic, water-repellent glaze to protect them. Candy-coated gums are made in essentially the same way, their final destination being boxes, not gum-ball machines.