Today we have a guest post from my friend Barbara! She and I first met a few years ago at a moms event and clicked right away. We have children who are the same age and she is one of my go-to friends for exploring the outdoors. She also knows a ton about gardening. Enjoy today’s recipe! I can’t wait to make some of these gummies in my kitchen – Rachel
It was only when I became a mother that I truly realized how much unhealthy food there is, and how much is advertised to grab kids’ attention. With unhealthy food also comes a lot of unnecessary packaging. I’ve always made a lot of foods at home, but quickly started adapting recipes, keeping them fun and healthy(ish), while trying to reduce our footprint. I stumbled across a recipe for homemade gummies when my oldest was quite little, and modified it to fit my preferences. I remember gummies being this exciting once in a while treat when I was a kid, but these days they are often a staple. Quick and easy to grab, maybe, but do they offer any nutritional value? And what about the bags, inside the boxes, often inside more plastic?Â
Below is my version of gummies, made with fruit we picked from a local farm over the summer, which I then pureed and froze, knowing I’d be making gummies throughout the winter months. I use grassfed gelatin in this recipe, which also adds a hefty amount of protein. So not only are these gummies loaded with nutrients from the fresh fruit and lemon, they’re actually a filling snack, and provide some gut healing goodness too!
In a saucepan, warm:
*1 cup fruit, fresh or frozen. You can puree the fruit ahead of time, or if you have an immersion blender, wait until the end once it’s all mixed.
* ½ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
* ¼ cup water
Once warm, remove from heat and add ¼ cup grass fed gelatin, sprinkling over the top and waiting a minute to allow the gelatin to bloom. Whisk or blend in. It may clump, so keep whisking! I prefer to use my immersion blender at this stage.
*Add raw local honey, to taste. I typically don’t add much as my kids aren’t used to things being too sweet, plus the fruit gives a nice flavor. This recipe is quite forgiving so start with a little, taste test, and add more if needed.
*Pour into silicone molds and refrigerate for at least one hour. I’ve found that pouring the mixture into a measuring cup and then pouring into the molds is easier than pouring straight from the pan.
*Pop out of molds and store in a Pyrex in the fridge. They’ll keep for at least a week, but I can guarantee they won’t last that long!
*Notes – Pineapple is the only fruit that won’t work as the enzymes prevent gelling. I’ve grated carrots into this before and even done a bit of spinach/kale. You can play around with various fruits/veggies to make fun colors! This recipe doubles nicely. You can also use the same ratios to make elderberry gummies! Look for silicone molds at thrift stores! I’ve also had luck at craft stores when they go on clearance during the change of holidays/seasons. I’d rather grab something on clearance so it doesn’t wind up in the landfill!
Enjoy! – Barb @the_road.less_traveled