Red Dragon Fruit Jelly

I've actually lost count of how many times I've made this... I found it on Wendy's blog long time ago and since not only Little Bear but also both my parents-in-laws enjoyed it, I've been making them quite frequently...Especially the first few months ever since I've first introduced it to them.

This time I blended the fruit in my blender coz I read somewhere that the seeds contained calcium (I forgot where). Then when I googled for it, this came up:

"Dragon fruits are high in antioxidants, which help to fight carcinogenic free-radicals from forming in the body. In addition, they are a good source of Vitamin C, and are rich in minerals, especially calcium and phosphorus. They are also low in calories and high in fiber, while the seeds are have high polyunsaturated fatty acids. Aside from its nutritional content, the fruit is also said to help excrete heavy metal toxins from the body and lower cholesterol and blood pressure. Dragon fruits are also known to be a natural laxative."

and also:

"The crunchy seeds have a nutty taste and are high in lipids, although they are indigestible unless chewed. "

So this time I made them like this:

Ingredients:

1 whole red dragon fruit

200gms rock sugar

lemon juice from 2 lemons (About 100ml--I like the flavour of lemon to be stronger)

1 packet of agar-agar strips (about 25gms)

2l water (Depends on how firm you want your jelly to be, actually my packet of agar-agar calls for only1.4L)


Method:

1. Bring 2L water with the agar-agar strips and rock sugar to a boil.  Simmer until all the agar-agar and sugar have dissolved.

2. Meanwhile, puree dragon fruit flesh with a blender. Mix in lemon juice.

3. Take the agar-agar off the fire.

4. Mix in fruit puree and pour into moulds to cool down.

5. Chill in the fridge before serving.


These are from my earliest attempt...see the differences of the ones with seeds and without?

 The ones using blended fruit will never look as good as these. The crushed seeds make them look dirty.

Strawberry Jelly

Isn't this beautiful?? So red...so shinny...BUT THIS IS NOT MINE....      :(

This is from Wendy's blog, a long, long time ago...

Mine...? Oh, ok...here goes the funny looking strawberry jelly I made (Last year or earlier this year, can't remember)

Don't ask me about the orange colour...it beats me, til now. I didn't put in enough sugar too (Didn't follow Wendy's recipe exactly) so it was sour when you eat the fruit.

So, as usual Little bear just ate the jelly part and spat out the fruits...   :(

I don't think I'm going to make this in near future, not until I can get nice, ripe, sweet strawberries.

Soya Bean Milk Jelly

When I was pregnant with Ee Chao, I had these cravings for jellies...so I made some myself. Wendy's blog has been a great source of ideas and recipes with step by step instructions given. Being a novice in the kitchen, I find it very,very helpful indeed (besides "savouring" her pictures la   :P) This is from her blog too. She calls it longan tofu. But mine's just jelly, so jelly be it.

1 level Tbsp Agar-agar powder (8gm)(Didn't have powder, so used 1 packet of strips--25gm)

1L water
250gm sugar(I just estimatedly poured some half a packet of rock sugar)
2 blades pandan leaf, tied into a knot(Kesian, i didn't have these too..)
1L thick unsweetened soy milk
150ml evaporated milk(I used 3 tbsp of condense creamer because I have to help finish the few cans given by visiting relatives during the time when FIL were bed-ridden)
150ml canned longan syrup (from the longan can)(I omited this)
Canned longans

1. Prepare containers / jelly cups. Place 2 longans or more into each container.
2. Cook sugar, 750ml water and pandan leaf until water boils.(I used 500ml water)
3. Mix agar-agar powder with 250ml water and pour into (2). Bring to a boil again, simmer for another 2-minutes. Turn off heat.(I boiled the agar-agar strips with 500ml water til all strips desolved before adding in the sugar mixture)
4. Put in soy milk, evaporated milk and longan syrup. Mix well.
5. Pour soy mixture into prepared containers.
6. Let them cool down and set. Chill in fridge before serving.

Don't know why this one turned a bit curd-like:

This one I made the jelly again, this time with the longans. Its sweeter, but Ee Sync spat out the longans