Hibiscus Honey Gelatin

I usually just call this jello. But jello is really… Jell-O (a brand). While this is made with super clean, nutritious gelatin and none of the artificial coloring, flavors, and sweeteners. So here it is with its proper name. If you’re looking for an easy way to add protein and nutrients to your kids diet this is definitely it! Happily, it has the delicate flavor of a cup of tea… so you’ll want to gobble it up too.

Ingredients:

2 scoops bovine gelatin (I use the scoop included with the linked gelatin; two scoops is roughly 1 tablespoon. If you use a different gelatin, this may vary)

32 total ounces of filtered water

2 heaping tablespoons of dried hibiscus

1-2 tablespoons of raw honey (depending on how sweet you would like it to be)

Tools:

I recommend using a large jar (at least 32 ounces), a mesh strainer, and a glass container for chilling. You will also need a kettle (or pot) for boiling water.

Directions:

Start by adding the gelatin to 6 ounces water in large jar. Stir and allow to bloom while you boil the remaining amount of water. Add the hibiscus to the bloomed gelatin. Pour the boiling water over it and add honey. Stir until well mixed. Allow to steep for 4-6 minutes (longer steep will produce stronger flavor and deeper color). Strain into a glass container and chill to set.

Bonus “mom hack”: you can certainly make this recipe with any other herbal tea. I often do! But since the color of some other teas can be a bit muted (or brown…) I always add some hibiscus for color! Kids, especially, are far more likely to eagerly eat this if it has the bright hue of jello. You can experiment with different flavor combinations. But as a general rule: when I use other herbal tea I use two tea bags and 1 tablespoon of hibiscus.