Fruit Jelly Recipe

Fruit jelly is a juicy and refreshing dessert that allows you to enjoy the flavors of various fruits in a mildly sweetened, cold jelly. Typically, it is made by solidifying fruit puree or juice with gelatin or agar. In this recipe, we use gelatin not agar, and chunks of fresh and canned fruits are submerged in the neutral flavor of transparent jelly. Fruit jelly is a popular dessert in Japan due to its refreshing taste and attractive appearance. It’s super easy to make at home, using seasonal fruits or experimenting with various flavors.

Fruit jelly can be found in many stores in Japan, from fancy cake shops to local supermarkets. Some are more elaborate than others with layers and decorations. What we made here is a simpler version with chunky fruits such as strawberries, green grapes, and canned yellow peaches. They are so colorful and beautiful that they’re perfect for parties and dessert bars. In America, people often associate jelly desserts with kids’ treats or artificially flavored snacks like Jell-O, but this is very different, we promise. It’s certainly kid-friendly but also meets the standards of a good dessert for adults too.

Although this is a fool-proof recipe and you can choose your favorite fruits, one thing to keep in mind is that some fruits may inhibit the solidifying of gelatin. Tropical fruits like pineapple and kiwi have particular enzymes that interfere with the gelling process of gelatin. Other than that, feel free to enjoy your choice of fruits in the jellies. As it chills for a couple of hours, the flavors of the fruit are absorbed into the jelly, resulting in a nice fruit-flavored jelly. Next time you invite people over, try this refreshing and delicious dessert. We’re sure that they will be pleasantly surprised by it. And you don’t have to tell them how easy it is to make!