I recently shared some no-bake Tyrolean pie and cheesecake recipes where I used a jelly gel to coat the berries. In the comments, many asked questions about what jelly gel is, how to make it and what to use it for.
In this article, I will answer these questions and also share my recipe for jelly gel.
What is jelly gel
Jelly gel - this is a popular name, and among confectioners it is called a neutral gel.
Jelly gel consists of water, sugar and thickener. The most commonly used thickener is gelatin. Therefore, in a solidified state, the gel looks like a transparent jelly.
But if the gel is slightly warmed up, then the gelatin will melt and become fluid. This makes it easy to apply with a brush.
Jelly gel is used in different ways. It is mainly used to coat berries and fruits in desserts. The gel-coated fruit does not dry out and does not lose moisture, so it remains beautiful.
In addition, jelly gel is often used as a base for creating a mirror glaze for covering mousse cakes, but this is a more complex topic that needs to be discussed separately.
Confectioners in industries often use a neutral gel of industrial production, since it has a longer shelf life. You can buy in confectionery stores or on Yandex. Market, the pricing widget can be viewed below.
Step-by-step recipe for making a neutral gel at home
I pre-soak gelatin in cold water and leave it to swell for ~ 10 minutes. I use sheet gelatin, so I just put the sheets in the water. If you cook on granular or powdered gelatin, then look for the proportions with water on the package (usually 5-6 servings of water are needed for one serving of gelatin).
I bring the water with sugar to a boil and remove it from the heat. Pour still hot syrup into a container and add gelatin. Stir until smooth and leave to cool.
How to store
Store the jelly gel in a cold place. I usually put it in a jar and cover with cling film in contact so that the moisture does not evaporate. In the cold, the shelf life is about 1 month, so it is better not to cook too large batches.
How to use
In the cold, the jelly gel turns to jelly. To return it to a liquid state, I set aside the required amount and microwave it in pulses for 7-10 seconds. Usually 1-2 times are enough. If you don't have a microwave, you can warm it up in a water bath.
The main thing here is not to overdo it, since gelatin loses its gelling properties after heating over 80 ° C.
If you want to cover the dessert with fruits or berries in large quantities, then it is most convenient to pour the jelly into a container with berries and mix thoroughly so that the gel covers all the fruits. Then put it out for dessert.
See my no-bake cheesecake recipe for a use case.
Otherwise, I use a silicone pastry brush.
As an example, you can see my recipe for "Tyrolean Pie".
Ingredients for a neutral gel:
Water 100 g
Sugar 100 g
Gelatin 5 g
If after reading the article you still have questions - ask them in the comments, I will definitely answer.