Real Gelatine Jelly

Real Gelatine Jelly

Commercial jelly to me is just too sweet, suspiciously brightly coloured with an overpowering sweet smell.

Generally shop bought jelly (jello) is made from gelatine sourced from commercially fed livestock of non-disclosed welfare standards. It’s loaded with sugars or artificial sweeteners, flavouring, colouring and preservatives. Any trace of the original goodness has been stripped away and replaced with synthetic substitutes. Not something I would want my children to eat.

Luckily there is a more wholesome actually good for you alternative, so it’s time to rediscover healthy real gelatine jelly.

Once you have sourced a great quality gelatine product and have perfected your preferred real gelatine jelly recipe than there is no need to save jelly for rare birthday treats, we have jelly for breakfast most days in our house!

Real Gelatine Health Benefits

Gelatine is an important source of dietary collagen and amino acids and moderate source of protein. The health benefits attributed to good quality real gelatine include:

• An important source of dietary collagen, which protects and strengthens skin, hair and nails
• Assists digestion by easing food though the digestive track
• Protects and strengthens joints
• Source of essential and non essential amino acids that support muscle development and calcium absorption (Lysine amino acid) and liver function (Glycine amino acid)

Gelatine Products

Natural well-sourced gelatine is a healthy animal product made from bones and skins. It is clear, tasteless and odourless. It is used to set and thicken a variety of foods and deserts, including soups, glazes, fillings and custard

Source gelatine from grass fed animals, free range and organic whenever possible. I currently use Great Lakes but I’m always on the look out for new great quality sources.

Gelatine comes in leaf or powder form and is generally prepared by soaking initially in cold water before dissolving and diluting into hot water before cooling to set firm into a jelly like form. Always follow individual product instructions for best results.

Gelatine is readily present in traditional foods such as homemade bone broths, stocks, stews and soups such as Leafie Nourishing Traditional Organic Chicken Soup

Eating daily gelatine daily, mainly through (broths and stocks) is encouraged on a GAPS diet. Unflavoured gelatine is also great in smoothies, deserts, soups and can even be added to your tea.  For my real gelatine jelly treats I use natural unsweetened fruit cordial drinks and sweeten with raw honey.

Try the Leafie Kombucha Berry Jelly and Leafie Raspberry Pannacotta Desert recipes

Raspberry Pannacotta Desert

6-8 servings

I love this easy to whip up desert and due to its nutritional content and the gelatine goodness it is one that we can have regularly. Blackberries are in season here in the UK so this is a perfect seasonal touch.  Change it around to suit your own tastes using seasonal fruits raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, or cherries.
Ingredients
1 tbsp gelatine (Great Lakes is made from grass fed cows)
3 cups (750ml) coconut milk (I use Biona).
1 packed cup (170g) raspberries, plus extra for garnish if desired
1 tsp vanilla extract.
½ cup filtered water
1/4 cup raw honey, local

Directions

• Put 1/2 cup of filtered water into a pan, sprinkle over the gelatine and set aside for 5 minutes or so, till softened and spongy.
• Meanwhile, put the coconut milk together with the raspberries in a high speed blender and whizz till thoroughly combined.
• Heat the gelatine very gently. Don’t let it get too hot or allow it to boil as it will affect the taste and smell.
• Remove from the heat, stir in the honey and whisk the mixture into the coconut/raspberry mixture, along with the vanilla extract.
• Divide between 6 to 8 ramekins or small glasses and chill until set.
• Serve with a raspberry and mint leaf