Orange Jelly with Carrot
人参入りオレンジゼリー
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
This is a preschool snack-time favorite: a bright, fruity jelly made with mikan (Japanese mandarin) juice, with a puree of gently simmered carrot blended right in. Kids taste orange first, so even those who push carrots around the plate tend to finish it happily. The jelly is set with kanten, a traditional Japanese gelling agent made from seaweed; it sets more firmly than gelatin and holds its shape well, which makes it easy to cut into neat pieces for small hands.
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Ingredients
Amounts for 1 child (1 serving). An adult counts as 2 servings.
One serving here is 1.5× the portion served to a child in a Japanese preschool, sized for Western appetites. An adult counts as two servings. Tap an ingredient to check it off.
Ingredients
- 0.9 gkanten (agar) powderA plant-based gelling agent made from seaweed that sets firmly, even at room temperature. Substitute: Agar-agar powder from an Asian grocery or health food store; gelatin can be used but gives a softer set and must be chilled.
- 85.7 g100% mikan (mandarin) juicePure juice from mikan, the Japanese mandarin orange. Substitute: 100% mandarin or orange juice.
- 25.7 gcarrot
Seasonings
- 42.9 gwater
- 10.6 gsugar
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- kanten (agar) powder (かんてん(粉))
- A plant-based gelling agent made from seaweed that sets firmly, even at room temperature. Substitute: Agar-agar powder from an Asian grocery or health food store; gelatin can be used but gives a softer set and must be chilled.
- 100% mikan (mandarin) juice (みかん天然果汁)
- Pure juice from mikan, the Japanese mandarin orange. Substitute: 100% mandarin or orange juice.
Directions
- 1
Cut the carrot into rough pieces, add the sugar and water, and simmer until soft. Let it cool, then puree in a blender until smooth.
- 2
Heat the kanten powder in the water, stirring, until it dissolves completely, then add the sugar and mix well. Stir in the mikan (mandarin) juice a little at a time to thin the mixture.
- 3
Add the carrot puree from step 1 and mix well. Pour into a shallow tray and chill in the refrigerator until set.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 90 kcal | 180 kcal | 90 kcal |
| Protein | 0.6 g | 1.2 g | 0.6 g |
| Fat | 0.2 g | 0.3 g | 0.2 g |
| Carbohydrates | 23.4 g | 46.8 g | 23.4 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g |
| Calcium | 13.5 mg | 27 mg | 13.5 mg |
| Iron | 0.2 mg | 0.3 mg | 0.2 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 90 kcal | 0.6 g | 0.2 g | 23.4 g | 0 g | 13.5 mg | 0.2 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 180 kcal | 1.2 g | 0.3 g | 46.8 g | 0 g | 27 mg | 0.3 mg |
Values are per serving (1.5× the Japanese preschool portion); an adult serving is double. They were calculated by a licensed Japanese nutritionist using the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan. "Salt equivalent" is sodium × 2.54, the standard Japanese measure. Allergen flags cover egg, milk and wheat only and come from the nutritionist's records. Soy sauce and miso are made with wheat but are usually allowed on Japanese wheat-free school menus, so check with your doctor.





