Gelatin Jigglers
There really is nothing like food gloriously suspended in gelatin animation. Grandiose jello mixtures seemed to be quite popular with my grandparents’ generation. To be honest, I was never a fan of these preparations to say the least. I have always liked contrasting flavors but not so much with the random ingredients peering at me from the inside of their jello world. Real gelatin however is such a great ingredient to include in the diet and we do often in our house. It provides all but one of the amino acids, only tryptophan is absent. Collagen is great therapy for joints, good for the skin as well as the lining of the stomach. Enhancing this recipe and making better use of this great ingredient has been a goal of mine. Needless to say I wasn’t about to add in a bunch of random ingredients. Fresh berries fit seamlessly into this and you have a real snack or dessert that’s easy to make. Use any fresh berries you have on hand. Silicone molds are nice to have but ice cube trays work too. So here it is, my one and only jello recipe.
Gelatin Jigglers
¾ cup white grape juice
¾ cup Concord grape juice
2 tbsp honey
4 Tbsp Great Lakes gelatin (red label)
Water
Handful of raspberries or other berries
A few Pansy or Viola flowers
Step 1 Begin by placing the berries and pansies into the molds, one in each, the flowers should be face down.
Step 2 Add white grape juice to a sauce pot, sprinkle 2 Tbsp of the gelatin over the juice and let it “bloom.” This means all of the gelatin will be absorbed into the juice. This may take a couple minutes. Once all the gelatin is absorbed, heat the juice and gelatin mixture over med-high. As it heats up, gently whisk until all the gelatin is dissolved, but do not let it boil.
Step 3 Once dissolved, whisk in the honey, remove from heat and pour the mixture into a measuring cup with a spout. Pour into molds filling each half way.
Step 4 Place molds into fridge for 10 minutes. Meanwhile repeat process (step 2) with the Concord grape juice and follow same directions, except omit the honey. Remove tray from fridge and continue to fill the molds with the Concord grape mixture. Place in fridge for at least one hour more before eating.
Tips:
Obviously you can get totally creative with these jigglers and make up infinite creations. I happen to know from experience that these are great for princess parties. The Pansies taste like an herb when added to the jiggler.
Green Lakes gelatin in the red label gels up so it’s good for making things like jellos and jams. The green label does not gel so it is good mixed into things like smoothies or even coffee.
by the handful 