How to Make Healthy Homemade Jello from Scratch
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I never remember how much my family loves homemade jello and I frequently forget it’s such a great healthy snack to make with simple ingredients. My healthy jello recipe involves using home canned juice so I know exactly what is in it, grass-fed beef gelatin powder, and honey (or sweetener of choice) if you’d like to sweeten it a touch more. Easily avoid the food dyes/artificial colors and excess sweeteners by making it yourself. Homemade also has a better texture and is a nice, firm, jiggly j-e-l-l-o that you can hold in your hand and eat. Perfect for little ones who MUST be independent!
Whenever someone is sick or we need an electrolyte boost, I add in my favorite electrolytes or coconut water, as well, and it’s a nice yummy treat for sick kiddos that’s gentle on tummies and isn’t complete nutritional garbage. During peak cheesemaking season, I usually add in sweet whey which packs a lovely probiotic punch and tastes like lemonade if you make it right. This healthy homemade jello recipe can easily be made your own adding in fresh fruit or fruit puree and whatever kind of juice you enjoy to make a satisfying and delicious snack without the artificial ingredients or added sugar. One of my favorite things to do when I’m feeling like a fun mom is to cut out shapes with cookie cutters for a fun snack time for the kids. The scraps are all mine! I hope you enjoy this easy recipe.
Today we’re making orange jello with orange juice I purchased from the grocery store at a massive discount almost 2 years ago now and canned it all. It tastes fresh as the day I bought it! I got GALLONS of orange juice for $0.50 each. Safe to say, I won’t be needing orange juice for several more years since we don’t really drink juice and I use it mainly for cooking and jello. This recipe is fun to play around with different flavors and make it to your taste. Our favorites are orange, cranberry, and grape juice but use any store-bought fruit juice or real fruit juice you make at home! Any of the green juice or veggie juice blends would be fabulous too mixed with fresh pineapple juice or the likes. Go nuts. Who could be mad at a healthy treat with such great sources of protein. It amazes me that such a fun snack packs a nice little punch for nutrition.
What’s So Cool About Beef Gelatin?
If you haven’t looked into the health benefits of gelatin, you really should. It’s derived from the skin, bones, and connective tissues generally from cows and pigs. The things we’ve gotten away from eating and enjoying unfortunately. It is primarily composed of collagen, which I’m sure you’ve heard of as collagen powder has really gained popularity the last couple of years. It’s wonderful for your skin but also helps with flexibility of your bones, tendons, and ligaments for good joint health. Some jello a day keeps the orthopedic surgeon away? :D
Gelatin is high in protein that our bodies can readily use, making this the perfect quick snack or food for sick little ones that aids in wellness and strength, in my opinion. They get a treat that tastes good and I feel better about; forget cheese by-product whey protein… gimme all the gelatin protein powder! It’s also chock full of amazing goodies like amino acids, so if you’re interested, definitely give it a google and read about it. These are wonderful for gut health and benefit digestion for adults and kids of all ages. My two favorite brands of gelatin are further foods and perfect.
Let’s make us some homemade jello!
Equipment:
- Medium sized sauce pan
- 9×13 – 3 quart glass dish
Ingredients:
- 8 cups of juice (I used orange juice today)
- ½ cup grass fed beef gelatin
- 1-2 tablespoons raw honey, optional
- 1 packet or scoop of your favorite electrolyte supplement
Step 1: Measure Ingredients
To a 3 quart sauce pan, add in 2 quarts of orange juice & honey to sweeten if preferred.
Sprinkle ½ measuring cup of gelatin over top of juice.
Let sit for about 5-10 minutes while the gelatin blooms, or til gelatin sinks into the juice. Stir. Allowing the gelatin to bloom is a crucial step in having a successful jello set up and texture. The time I gave is not an exact time. I’ve been known to walk away and forget about it while blooming for a while (hours) and it’s still turned out wonderfully. Don’t rush this!
Step 2: Heat
Place sauce pan with the bloomed gelatin mixture over medium-high heat. Stirring frequently, heat until gelatin completely dissolves. If you use a stainless steel spoon, you will see that the gelatin crystals stick to your spoon but once it is heated enough and dissolved, you will no longer need see them stuck to the spoon and this is when the gelatin is ready to pour and set up in your dish.
Step 3: Pour & Cool
Once the gelatin is dissolved, pour hot liquid into a 9×13 or 3 quart container of choice.
Add in electrolyte powder if desired and stir gently to dissolve.
Place jello in fridge to set up. This takes about 1 hour.
Step 4: Serve & Store
Cut jello into squares and serve. Store with an airtight lid in the refrigerator for several days.
Notes:
Feel free to use whatever juice you prefer; just keep the ratio of juice to gelatin at 1 cup of juice to 1 tablespoon of gelatin.
You can add in herbal remedies, like elderberry syrup, too! Healthy homemade gelatin is a great way to sneak things in that your kids normally wouldn’t enjoy taking.
Equipment
- 9×13 glass dish
- Sauce pan
Ingredients
- 8 cups orange juice
- 1/2 cup grass-fed beef gelatin
- 1-2 tbsp honey optional
Instructions
- In a saucepan, combine orange juice and honey. Sprinkle the grass-fed beef gelatin over top and allow to sit about 10 minutes, or until the gelatin sinks into the juice.
- Place the pan over medium heat and heat, stirring occasionally, until gelatin dissolves completely. You can tell by dipping a stainless spoon into the mixture and if no granules stick to the spoon, the gelatin has dissolved adequately.
- Pour jello mixture into a 9×13 pan and cool. Refrigerate until set up; about 1 hour.
- Cut into squares and serve.
