Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Blueberry "Jello"

Here is my first experiment with that ingredient I previously mentioned; agar. I tried this one at my friend Tiff's and was impressed with it so now I will share it with you. Thanks Tiff.

This is a very simple and quick treat that is jello-esque. The texture is different than gelatin, it is not as jiggly but it is pretty solid. If you want to stick with gelatin I recommend looking for an organic gelatin and using this same recipe as to avoid all the sugar and artificial colours and flavours that are found in packets of jello and such.
It is pretty simple, this is all you need to serve 4.
3 cups unsweetened blueberry juice (you can use a mixed juice like blueberry and apple)
3 tbsp agar flakes (see previous notes on agar)
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
Put the juice in a small saucepan and stir in agar. Heat until it simmers and all the agar is dissolved. This will take 2-3 minutes of simmering. Remove from heat. Place blueberries into 4 small bowls or dishes. I used 1 cup wide mouth mason jars. Pour juice mixture on top of blueberries and place bowls in the fridge for at least 1 hour. This will be quicker if you used frozen blueberries.
Let me know how you like using agar and what creative ideas you use it for. I look forward to your input as always.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Marissa,
If you add more agar which you soak for 5 min. in 1/4 C water and then mix it to 3/4 C blueberry juice, and if you remove the fruits, you can get the same jiggly texture as Jell-O. You may then need to add a few grams of sugar to compensate for the added water.
I am launching a line of healthy jelled fruit juice this Summer. The first ever. Stunning product and packaging.
Stay tuned.

Marissa Schiesser said...

That's great! Thanks for the tip Fred. Congrats on your product, I can't wait to see it on the shelves.