Jujubes

Jujubes are a jelly sweet made with gelatin and liquid glucose. Both these ingredients are quintessential to make a perfect non-sticky jujube. The other ingredients are also important to the extent of flavouring and getting the jujubes together. They’re very easy to make if you read and follow the recipe to the dot.

Yield: 400 gms (approx.)

Prep. Time: 30 Mins. (Total)

Cooking Time: 15 to 20 Mins.

Ingredients:

• Gelatin (unflavoured) – 30 gms
• Liquid Glucose – 2 tbsp.
• Sugar – 250 gms
• Castor Sugar (for coating) – as needed
• Cold Water – 50 ml
• Water (at room temp.) – 125 ml
• Liquid Food Colour (as you like) – a few drops
• Essence (as you like) – a few drops
• Lime – 1 small
• Olive Oil (to grease the tray) – ½ tsp.

Step 1:     Add the gelatin to a bowl and add 5 tbsp. cold water and leave aside to ‘bloom’ for 10 minutes.

Step 2:     Take the sugar, 125 ml water and liquid glucose in a vessel. Add the juice of a lime and the bloomed gelatin and place on low heat on a medium burner. Keep stirring continuously. Don’t let the mixture come to a boil. The sugar will dissolve and the gelatin will melt (about 15 to 20 minutes). You will know when it’s done if you take some of the liquid and pour it back and its forms small triangles on the edge of the spoon (see pic).

Step 3:     Add the colour and the essence at this time and mix. Switch off the heat. Pour the mixture into a bowl and rest for 15 minutes.

Step 4:     Meanwhile grease a baking tray (5 x 5 x 1 inch or similar) with the olive oil.

Step 5:     When the cooked jelly mixture has rested for 15 minutes, skim the scum layer that has formed on top to one side (see pic). This will leave you with the clear jelly liquid. Pour this into the baking tray and leave it to set overnight at room temperature.

Step 6:     When the jelly has set, run a knife around the edges of the baking tray and gently lift the moulded jelly off the tray using your fingers to dislodge. Be careful not to break the slab of jelly. Place on a chopping board. Cut into pieces and keep them to dry for another 8 hours. Later roll in the castor sugar.  You’re done. Great Job.

You can make the same batch with different colours and flavours to make your creations colourful !