So, get ready to dazzle your kids’ taste buds into delectable heaven!
Anyone who lays their eyes on a wobbling shape of jelly is sure to burst out laughing. At least my kids do. There is something special about this jiggly- wiggly treat. Maybe it’s the shape – because it wiggles as it’s shaken – the excitement, the fun, and the happiness that it brings to the house are miraculous! Additionally, it tastes awesomely fresh, superbly attractive, and full-flavored. This Strawberry vegan Jelly has much more to it than just fun and flavor – it’s gelatine-free and completely vegan! And since it is gelatine-free and uses fresh fruits, it is healthy for our precious little ones too!
Quick to prepare and requires no lengthy preparation. A perfect make-ahead dessert that delights all ages. Requires simple and readily available ingredients. Incredibly fruity and excitingly jiggly. Smooth and perfectly textured. Loved by kids and adults alike and makes for an ultimate family favorite!
The best part is, Strawberry jelly is a stunning add-on to any dessert and can be savored as it is or can be used in a recipe that requires fruit jelly or Jello.
Strawberries — Fresh organic strawberries, without any bruises, work the best for the jelly recipe. Select the ripe and sweet strawberries for optimum results in flavor and color. Sugar — I have used Organic raw, unrefined natural pure Cane Sugar for our wiggly Jelly. It’s a natural sweetener with no artificial preservatives, no additives, gluten-free, and vegan. Agar-agar — I am not using gelatine (made from animal collagen) in our Vegan Strawberry Jelly recipe. Instead, I am using agar-agar as it is a vegan gelling agent used to prepare soups, desserts, and various recipes. Strawberry extract — Strawberry extract enhances the flavor and color of our Jelly. Agar-agar is available in 3 variations – powder, strands, or flakes. 1 tsp of powdered agar = 1 tbsp agar flakes = 1/3 cup agar strands (cut into 1-inch pieces). However, remember these points when using it —
When agar-agar is mixed with warm or hot water, it clusters up. Therefore, never add warm/hot water to avoid this entirely. Agar-agar is used in recipes because of its ability to gel. However, when using it during the preparation, make sure to heat it until it reaches the melting point, as any additional heat will destroy its gelling ability. While gelatine dissolves in warm water, agar-agar must be heated to set correctly. Agar-agar also sets quickly at room temperature, whereas gelatine must be cooled to set. Agar-agar is known to help set the desserts more firmly at room temperature, whereas the gelatine desserts can lose their shape, get soft or even melt away in hotter temperatures. Gelatin-based desserts need refrigeration. Agar-agar also renders the dessert its much-deserved charm by making it more attractive and a delight to cut more smoothly.
Make the strawberry juice — Wash and hull the strawberries. Transfer them to a saucepan with water and sugar. Allow the strawberries to simmer over medium heat for about 20-30 minutes until they become soft and mushy. Strain the liquid — Line a sieve with a muslin cloth. Strain the strawberry juice through it into a clean saucepan. Use a spoon to press down the strawberries to release all their juices. Protip — The liquid, in the end, should be clear. Strain again if you see some pulp in the juice.
Boil it to the point where when you dip a spoon into the vegan strawberry jelly; it coats the back of your spoon. Remove from heat and stir in the strawberry extract. This will mask the smell of agar-agar and add a depth of flavor. Pour and set — Allow the syrup to cool for a few minutes. Keep stirring as agar-agar will start to set. Now pour the jelly into the bowls. Place the cups in the refrigerator and let the jelly set. The strawberry jelly will take a couple of hours to set, but it is best to leave it overnight. You will know your strawberry jelly is ready when it sways slightly — isn’t that the fun part of this dessert. Protip — Before placing the jelly cups in the fridge, make sure that jelly has no bubbles because if there are bubbles on top of the jelly, it will set with bubbles. Smoothen the top with a spoon and refrigerate.
Juice — 1 pound bag/box of strawberries will yield 1 cup of juice needed for this recipe. If you’re a bit short of one cup reason, add water to reach the 1 cup mark. Sugar-free version — This recipe can be prepared using Stevia as the sweetener instead of sugar. Stevia will make this Jelly a healthy option for adult family members. For adding a delightful texture — No doubt, the strawberry Jelly at its classic tastes the best, but some freshly cut fruits added to it bring a lot of thrill and flavor.
For this, let the Jelly set for 30- 40 minutes when it has just started to firm up, and then add the fruit pieces. Gently press the fruit pieces into the setting Jelly while avoiding it to break. You need to add the fruits to the half-set Jelly because the fruits will settle to the bottom if it is liquid.
Avoid freezing completely — Do not freeze the Jelly to speed up the process as it will ruin the dessert’s texture. It will lose its jelling texture when left to thaw and then turn into a watery soupy mess…..a complete recipe disaster! However, agar-agar gets dissolved in the juice when warmed, and the smell completely disappears. Cloudy and hazy — Many homemade jellies appear cloudy because of the particles left behind in the juice. You can correct this by filtering the liquid through a fine strainer. All the small/tiny particles will be collected in the filter, and you will end up with a crystal clear jelly.
You may set it in containers of various shapes. You may even cut it into cubes or any desired shapes and sizes. When serving this wiggly treat to the kids, you can even use animal cutters to entice and excite them completely! You can also set it in a parfait glass, and while serving, top it with whipped cream and some freshly cut fruits and surprise your guests with the stunning treat!
Trust me; kids will love to play with it cheerfully while devouring its deliciousness. And the grown-ups will also stealthily slide into their childhood! Should you make this recipe, please let me know your thoughts by sharing your comment below. And don’t forget to share it with your family and friends.
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