Jujubes – Candied Fruit Jelly
Everyone loves these soft jelly-like fruit candies called jujubes but did you know it is very easy to make your own? The best part is you don’t need many ingredients either.
![Jujubes gelatin candy on a platter.](https://eastindianrecipes.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Jujubes-Fruit-Candy-Fruit-Jello1.jpg)
While this has nothing to do with traditional East-Indian Christmas sweets almost every Christmas platter has jujubes or these gelatine-based candied fruit jelly. Kids will be the first to pick them out and they never last long because they are best homemade and fresh.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Sugar – use fine-grain white sugar that dissolves easily in the juice.
- Gelatin- I am using powdered gelatin. If you need to substitute with gelatin sheets you will need to soak 9 sheets in cold water.
- Coating sugar – you can use sanding sugar or good quality caster sugar.
- Water – use cold water to soak the gelatin until it blooms otherwise it will become very clumpy in water.
Variations
The recipe is very simple, easy, and very versatile. Below I have given you the basic recipe as I learned when I first started but these can be made with any fruit juices and purees. You can even use water with vanilla extract for clear gelatin candy or try these fruit-flavored ones.
- strawberry puree or juice to make strawberry jujube (strawberry extract – pink color)
- Mango juice for mango candy – yellow color
- Grape juice for grape candy – violet color
- Pineapple juice for pineapple candy – yellow color
- Orange juice for orange candy – orange color
- Add some lemon juice to water for lemon jujubes – yellow color
![Jujubes on a black platter.](https://eastindianrecipes.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Jujubes-Fruit-Candy-Fruit-Jello2.jpg)
Tips for Success
- If the jujubes are soft after 8 hours means that you did not cook them long enough. You can place it back in the saucepan and cook again
- If you have cooked it long and it still does not set means your gelatin is not of good quality
- Use different juices and flavor combinations to create more variety
- You can even layer colors by simply making a new batch (new color) and pouring it over the previous layer. Once you have made the layers – cool then cut them into squares.
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Equipment /Tools
- Saucepan
- Spatula
Ingredients
- 500 ml (2 cups) Fruit Juice orange, strawberry, mango
- 200 grams (1 cups) Sugar
- 60 grams (¼ cups) Gelatin
- 90 ml (⅜ cups) Water
- 1 tsp Flavorings
- 2 drops Color optional
For Coating
- 50 grams Castor sugar for coating
Instructions
- Pan – Lightly oil a 7-inch square pan – set aside
- Gelatin – Soak the gelatin in water for 5 minutes60 grams Gelatin, 90 ml Water
- Dissolve – In a saucepan combine the juice, sugar, and soaked gelatin mixture. Stir on medium heat until the sugar and gelatin are dissolved. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.500 ml Fruit Juice, 200 grams Sugar
- String consistency – Simmer until you reach a two-thread consistency. Add the flavorings and color. Pro tip – To know when it's done lift some on a spoon it will pour into threads and makes small triangles on the edge of the spoon1 tsp Flavorings, 2 drops Color
- Scum – Remove from the heat and let rest for 15 minutes. This will cool the scum on the top. Remove the scum from the top so you have a clear jelly mixture at the bottom.
- Set – Pour the mixture into your prepared oiled baking pan. Leave the jelly to set overnight or at least 8 hours at room temperaturePro tip – If the mixture has cooled too much warm it gently until it is pouring consistency again.
- Unmold – Then carefully pick the slab of jello from the pan onto a sugar-dusted surface. Coat generously with sugar to prevent sticking.
- Cut – Grease the blade of a knife with oil and cut it into squares. I cut the slab from one side into strips then each strip into squares. Coat each jujube with sugar. Pro tip – the sugar will prevent the candy from sticking to each other.50 grams Castor sugar
- Storage – These will keep at room temperature for a few days
Recipe Notes
- If the jujubes are soft after 8 hours means that you did not cook them long enough. You can place it back in the saucepan and cook again
- If you have cooked it long and it still does not set means your gelatin is not of good quality
- Use different juices and flavor combinations to create more variety
- You can even layer colors by simply making a new batch (new color) and pouring it over the previous layer. Once you have made the layers – cool then cut them into squares.
Variations
- strawberry puree or juice to make strawberry jujube (strawberry extract – pink color)
- Mango juice for mango candy – yellow color
- Grape juice for grape candy – violet color
- Pineapple juice for pineapple candy – yellow color
- Orange juice for orange candy – orange color
- Add some lemon juice to water for lemon jujubes – yellow color
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Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you