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Fresh summer fruit gelations NOT Jello


Krys Stanley

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Last year I learned to make fruit gelatins using Knox gelatin. The are super easy and usually contain no sugar or artificial sweeteners, just 2 cups of juice, fresh fruit and gelatin.

The watermelon I made with watermelon juice was amazing and different from all the rest with a wonderful smooth mouthfeel, almost a a sherbert like consistancy.

Here's a few of the best I've had. All use 1 pack of Knox

Watermelon: 2 cups watermelon juice, sugar to taste, juice of 1/2 lime

Blackberry merlot: 1 cup merlot, 1 cup apple juice, 1 pint whole blackberries

Strawberry champagne: 1 cup apple juice, 1 cup champagne, 1 pint quartered strawberries

Strawberry banana: 2 cups Juicy Juice strawberry banana juice, 1 sliced banana added as gelatin starts to set

Peach Melba: 2 cups of Juicy Juice berry juice, 2 cups sliced peaches

Fresh lemonade, red, white and blueberry: 2 cups of home-made lemonade, blueberries, strawberries and raspberries. This is the only one where the fruit wasn't cooked. The fruit was added as the gelatin started to set.

Here's how easy it is

1. Put 1 cup of juice or wine and fruit in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes if using fresh fruit. If using juice only without fresh fruit, simmering is not necessary

2. Put 1 cup of juice in a bowl and sprinkle with 1 packet of Knox. Soften at least 1 minute.

3. Add hot liquid with fruit to gelatin mixture

4. When slightly cooler put in serving cups and chill until set (2-3 hours)

Sugar or honey can be included, but isn't necessary usually. After hot and cold liquids are combine, mix in sweetener to your own taste. What this tastes like warm is what it will taste like cold.

Edited by Krys Stanley (log)
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How about

Pina Colada?

Buko Pandan?

Peach Iced Tea?

Dragonfruit?

Lychee?

Apple Cider Cinnamon?

Coffee?

Hawaiian Punch w/Mango?

Aloe?

Blueberry Juice?

Blenheims Ginger Ale?

Fresca w/Grapefruit?

Shirley Temple w/ Club Soda and a jar of Maraschinos?

I can go on and on...

My fave is lime jello w/ cucumber with onion, dill and sour cream

Of course I make most Jellies with Konnyaku or Alsa Gulaman. But Knox is just as good.

Edited by GlorifiedRice (log)

Wawa Sizzli FTW!

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Wonderful suggestions. Thanks so much, GlorifiedRice

That is the point. The list is endless and you don't need the chemical, sugar-laden stuff in the box.

What is Konnyaku or Alsa Gulaman? Where would I buy it?

I'm thinking of trying agar-agar, but haven't worked up the nerve yet.

Knox is surprisingly expensive. The least expense I've found is at Target which sells a 4 pack for $1. Usually it is $2 or more.

I tried coffee ... a number of ways. Just didn't like it. However, I'm looking forward to using tea.

Love ... LOVE ... that apple cider cinnamon idea. Will try that next. Also the ginger ale sounds fantastic. I wonder if adding fresh ginger would be a good thing?

Can you tell me a little more aobut the jello w/ cucumber with onion, dill and sour cream? Do you just mix all of the above in it?

Edited by Krys Stanley (log)
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That sounds like an amazing combo. Oooh, I'm going to have to try a strawberry rhubarb jello.

Is that muscat wine, grape juice or grapes.

The blackberry cabernet was the first I tried which I found on Martha Stewart's site. If anything it intensified the juciness of the blackberries.

Martha was overly fussy though. She had lots of unnesesary steps. The big thing is the gelatin to liquid ratio ... 2 cups liquid to 1 packet of gelatin. Nothing else matters.

One experiment had too much liquid and didn't gel, so I froze it and it made a lovely little sorbet.

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I tried coffee ... a number of ways. Just didn't like it. However, I'm looking forward to using tea.

When my sister was in college in Boston many years ago, she used to make us a coffee gelatin with vanilla custard sauce that was terrific! I think the custard sauce was a powdered mix.

These are great ideas!

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Knox is surprisingly expensive. The least expense I've found is at Target which sells a 4 pack for $1. Usually it is $2 or more.

If there's a Smart & Final near you, they should sell 1 pound canisters of Knox gelatin. I don't remember how much I got mine for, but it was less than normal for that amount. I've made plenty of gelations and marshmallows with it, and still have lots left!

So far this summer, I've made strawberry and champagne (alternating layers; in the French Laundry Cookbook) and this red currant gelee recipe topped with diced peaches, whipped cream, and ollalieberries (http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/red-currant-gelee-with-blackberries).

At other times of the year, I like segmenting grapefruit and gelating it in its juices, and steeping mint in tangerine/orange juice is also good for it.

The watermelon sounds fantastic -- can't wait to try it!

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Konnyaku is the dried powder of the "root" (actually corm) of the Konjac plant. It is virtually calorie free/carb free with tons of fiber. It makes all kinds of food including a firmer (imo better) jello. The actual konnyaku jelly mixes are very hard to find as they are illegal.

Alsa Gulaman is a jello substitute made of carrageenan (seaweed, Irish Moss)

you can get it online at Filipino stores. Alsa Gulaman comes in COLORS, not flavors, you add your own juice or extracts...

BTW I have Buko Pandan Konnyaku in my fridge right now with Nata De Coco made with a bit of milk. Yummy.

Wawa Sizzli FTW!

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Konnyaku is the dried powder of the "root" (actually corm) of the Konjac plant. It is virtually calorie free/carb free with tons of fiber. It makes all kinds of food including a firmer (imo better) jello. The actual konnyaku jelly mixes are very hard to find as they are illegal.

Wow! Illegal? Does this stem from that whole jelly cup choking controversy? I'd still have my sweet, sweet jelly cups if weren't for those meddling, choking kids!

In any event, konnyaku jelly mixes are available in Canada, and you can find plain konnyaku powder (without the flavouring, colour, and sweetener added) if you look really hard. There's a source online, but it's quite expensive. konjac.com, or search for konnyaku powder and see what you turn up. I buy mine at Veggie Favour at Main & 16th in Vancouver, $5 for 200g.

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