This month we are treating the kids to a fun gummy treat.

Kids are drawn to sweet lollies and gummies by their colours, texture and sweetness. So, have you ever considered that you can simply make your own jelly lollies at home that are good for them? What about getting them involved too?

This recipe took a few goes to get right and it could probably still do with some tweaking. However, I stopped where it was because I had a healthy gummy treat that my daughter and I both enjoyed (and that’s what I set out to do). The possibilities are endless with this basic recipe. The play and fun comes in when you invite the children to dream up some fun flavours for you to try.

Ingredients:

Strawberry and Apple Gummy Treats

• 1 cup of chopped strawberries
• 2 granny smith apples stewed until soft
• ¼ cup of lemon juice (I used bottled juice but fresh would be great too!)
• 2 packets of stevia
• 2 packets of Davis Gelatin

Orange Gummy Treats

• 3 navel oranges juiced
• 2 packets of Stevia
• 2 packets of Davis Gelatin

Other Flavours use the general rule that you need 250ml of fruit (or vegie – if you’re game) juices/purees, 2 packets of Stevia and 2 packets of Davis Gelatin.

Method: (Where you see an A – it is an adult step and LO – is for the kids to enjoy doing)

Preparation Steps:

Have a fun discussion with your kids about what flavour gummy treats they would like to try. Take them to buy the fruits (and vegetables, if you are game). As you prepare them for the puree/juice, include the children in this process.

Buy/find/borrow some little cookie cutters in the shape of the gummy treats you would like.

Put the kettle on to boil and line a pan with baking paper. Remember the thickness of the liquid covering the bottom of the pan dictates how thick your gummy treats will be. I used loaf tins for my batches and had 1cm high gummy treats as a result – you may like them a bit thinner than that to reflect more traditional gummy lollies.

Step One:

A – Strawberry and Apple Gummy treats: Add the strawberries, apples and lemon juice to the pot and simmer until all the fruit is soft. Use a stick blender to make into a smooth puree in the saucepan.
Orange or other flavours: Put your juices / purees into a saucepan and heat up. Note: with my orange gummies I left the pulp in the juice to keep some fibre content in the final result. However, it did make it harder to cut in the final step. Remove the pulp beforehand with a sieve, if you prefer.
Stir in the 2 sachets of Stevia.

Keep the heat going as you add the dissolved gelatin

Step Two:

A – Using the boiled water dissolve a packet of Davis gelatin in 60ml of water in a small cup (I used rounded bottom espresso cup) and whisk quickly (I used a mini-whisk only 8cm long and 1cm diameter whisk) so you don’t form chunks and add immediately to the hot juice/puree in the saucepan – whisking as you do. Repeat for the second packet of gelatin.

Step Three:

A – Pour the hot mixture into your prepared pan and refrigerate overnight (or at least 3 hours).

Step Four:

LO – Make shapes in the set gummy treats using the cookie cutters.
A – Place the finished gummy treats to a container.
Storage is best in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Happy Eating!

Simone Emery is a mum and owner of Sydney based, Play with Food. Play with Food run fun-filled classes and workshops about fruit and vegetables. We use seasonal produce and give parents lots of ideas for encouraging happy and healthy eating in the home environment. Check out our website for more information on singing, playing and laughing your way to happier family eating experiences www.playwithfood.com.au.