Sour Gummy Sweets Recipe – aka Jelly Babies in South Africa!
(gluten-free, sugar-free and dairy-free of course!)
A healthy alternative to store-bought sweets – and oh-so-easy to make!
These are such a great snack food to have in the fridge and they make an excellent addition to lunch boxes!
I have also made a Vitamin C Gummy Recipe specifically for Mila’s lunch box so that she can get a dose vitamin C while at school.
Key: gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, egg-free, grain-free, paleo, for adults too
Mama’s Notes:
These were the very first sweets Mila ever had and I first made them for her second birthday party (you can read the full story of that party here).
These sweets are a really good alternative to the gummies (or Jelly Babies as we call them here in South Africa) which you find in the shops. Not only do they not contain any harmful food colourings, sweeteners, flavourings or preservatives – they actually have healing properties! This is thanks to the gelatine (see more below). It is important to note, however, that not all gelatine is created equal (as with most foods!). Where possible buy organic gelatine from grass fed animals. I say where possible, because I have been unable to find a locally produced one here in South Africa. The gelatine brands I have found all contain the preservative Sulphur Dioxide and I fear they come from conventionally raised animals who are fed GMO corn, in feed lots under terrible conditions.
BUT…
Great Lakes Gelatin is now available in South Africa from Faithful To Nature, VidaLife and Wellness Warehouse
Chef’s Notes:
When it comes to gummy flavours you are only limited by your imagination! You can use any freshly pressed fruit juice – besides pineapple juice that is. The digestive enzymes in pineapple juice prevent the gelatin from setting.
The health benefits in these sweets comes from the gelatine.
What is Gelatine?
Gelatine powder is a is flavourless, translucent substance derived from the processing of animal connective tissue and bones to extract collagen, an insoluble fibrous protein. Once extracted and powdered, gelatin dissolves in hot liquids and becomes more solid as it cools. It is commonly used as a gelling agent in gummy sweets, marshmallows, desserts, ice cream, dips and some yogurts.
Gelatine contains easy to digest (bio-available) calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulphur, amino acids and trace minerals.
Gelatine used to be a big part of healthy traditional diets when people regularly consumed bone broths as well as the fibrous tissues and organs of animals. While I am a big fan of drinking bone broth (and I really encourage you to give it a try), the little ones may not be so keen on it. So another way to get the healing benefits of gelatine into your diet is to use it in these sweets or in homemade Jelly.
So there you have it… delicious and nutritious sweets that are dairy-free, sugar-free and gluten-free too!
Enjoy!