The term jelly comes from gelée , a word from the French language. The concept refers to a preserve that is made with the juice or pulp of a fruit and is characterized by being transparent.
Jelly is generally made with fruit, water and a large amount of sugar. Gelatin is often added to give it greater consistency.
Beyond these definitions, it is important to mention that the name jelly is given to various food products. Jelly is sometimes confused with jam , since they are two similar preparations: however, while jelly is usually made with juice, jam uses pureed fruit as its main ingredient.
Quince jelly , apple jelly , lemon jelly , and orange jelly are some of the most popular jellies. In addition, cookies and various desserts can be made with them.
Royal jelly , on the other hand, is a substance secreted by younger worker bees . Produced by the hypopharyngeal glands, royal jelly mixes with stomach secretions to become food for the larvae in the first days of life. The queen bee, meanwhile, feeds on royal jelly throughout its existence.
Although jelly does not involve a particularly complex procedure , it usually takes a few tries to find the right spot. Below we will see the main steps of the recipe to achieve the best results. It all starts with the choice of the fruit, which must be ripe and in good condition, although it is true that cooking improves certain fruits that would not have been pleasant raw, such as those that have been a little overcooked.
The first step is to cut the fruit and boil it , although it is also possible to use its juice directly, in the case of orange or lemon, for example. For the others, we must go through a more extensive process. A tip that few take into account is to combine two or more fruits : whether we are talking about apple, plum, apricot or grape, among others, a mixed jelly can be really delicious and much more nutritious .
Then, we take the fruit, wash it and cut it into small pieces, no larger than three centimeters in diameter. To do this we can use a cutting board and a knife (we should not cut smaller fruits). This first part is decisive since bacteria can ruin a jelly. Once washed, we must dry it well with a cloth or paper towel.
Regarding the seeds, the hardest part that surrounds them or the shell, we should not discard them in this first phase, since they can add a lot of flavor during cooking. Before cooking it, it is recommended to mash it with a mortar, to soften it and make it release more juice. It should be brought to medium heat and left for a maximum of half an hour.
The next step is to strain the fruit to pour its juice into a container, then boil it for a minute, adding pectin and sugar. It is important to whisk it constantly and not allow it to exceed 104 degrees. Before placing the final product in a preheated jar for later storage, it is advisable to remove the foam that forms on the surface .
In Peru , jelly is called a traditional dish from the northern area whose origins are found in the Mochica culture. Its recipe includes fish, chili, onion, corn and lemon juice, among other ingredients.
In the animated series The Simpsons , finally, the jelly Venus de Milo is a candy that, in an episode of the sixth season, causes a confusion that leads a young woman to accuse Homer ( Homer ) of sexual harassment.