Orange Jelly
A classic Victorian-era molded orange jelly dessert made with gelatin, fresh citrus juice, and sugar. This elegant, translucent dessert is perfect for special occasions.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons Unflavored gelatin powder (Modern substitute for isinglass (1.5 oz isinglass = approximately 3 tablespoons gelatin))
- 0.75 cup Granulated white sugar (Original called for 3/4 pound; modernized to 3/4 cup for reasonable sweetness)
- 1 cup Water
- 2 tablespoons Orange peel, strips (From 1-2 oranges, avoid white pith)
- 1 tablespoon Lemon peel, strips (From 1 lemon, avoid white pith)
- 2.5 cups Fresh orange juice, strained (From approximately 10 oranges)
- 0.25 cup Fresh lemon juice, strained (From 2 lemons)
Instructions
- 1Juice the oranges and lemons, straining to remove pulp and seeds. Set juice aside. Remove strips of peel from the oranges and lemons, avoiding the white pith.
- 2Sprinkle the gelatin powder over 1/4 cup of cold water in a small bowl and let stand for 5 minutes to bloom and soften.
- 3In a medium saucepan, combine the remaining 3/4 cup water, sugar, orange peel, and lemon peel. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes until it forms a light syrup.
- 4Remove the syrup from heat. Add the bloomed gelatin to the hot syrup and stir until completely dissolved, about 2 minutes.
- 5Let the gelatin mixture cool to lukewarm, about 15-20 minutes. Do not let it set.
- 6Once the mixture is lukewarm, stir in the fresh orange juice and lemon juice. Do not heat the juice.
- 7Strain the entire mixture through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth-lined strainer to remove the citrus peels and any pulp.
- 8Pour the strained mixture into lightly oiled molds or a serving dish. Lightly oil the molds first for easier unmolding.
- 9Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight until completely set and firm.
- 10To unmold, dip the bottom of the mold briefly in warm water for 5-10 seconds, then invert onto a serving plate. Serve chilled.