Sunflower Jelly
ひまわりゼリー · Himawari Zeri
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Sunflower Jelly is a preschool snack made from two simple kanten (agar) jellies, one set with 100% orange juice and one with 100% grape juice. A round of purple grape jelly goes in the middle of the dish and small cubes of orange jelly are arranged around it, so each serving looks like a little sunflower. Kanten sets firm at room temperature and has a clean, light bite that children enjoy, and because it is made from seaweed it contains no gelatin, egg, milk, or wheat. It is a favorite in summer, when the real sunflowers are blooming outside.
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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
- 0.6 gkanten powder (agar powder)A seaweed-based setting agent that gels firmly at room temperature and is plant-based. Substitute: Agar-agar powder; gelatin can be used but gives a softer, wobblier set.
- 52.5 g100% orange juice
- 0.3 gkanten powder (agar powder)A seaweed-based setting agent that gels firmly at room temperature and is plant-based. Substitute: Agar-agar powder; gelatin can be used but gives a softer, wobblier set.
- 22.5 g100% grape juice
Seasonings
- 27 gwater
- 6 gsugar
- 10.5 gwater
- 2.7 gsugar
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- kanten powder (agar powder) (粉寒天)
- A seaweed-based setting agent that gels firmly at room temperature and is plant-based. Substitute: Agar-agar powder; gelatin can be used but gives a softer, wobblier set.
Directions
- 1
Warm the orange juice in a saucepan to about 40°C (104°F), roughly body temperature. If it gets too hot, the jelly will take much longer to set.
- 2
In a separate saucepan, combine the kanten powder and water. Bring to a boil, then keep boiling for about 2 minutes until the kanten is completely dissolved. Add the sugar and stir well. Stir in the warm orange juice from step 1.
- 3
Make the grape jelly the same way, using the grape juice.
- 4
Pour the orange mixture and the grape mixture into separate shallow trays and chill in the refrigerator until set.
- 5
Cut a round out of the grape jelly and place it in the center of each dish. Cut the orange jelly into small cubes and arrange them around the round to make a sunflower shape.
Kanten will not set unless it is fully dissolved, so keep the mixture at a boil and make sure every bit of the powder has melted before you add the sugar and juice.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 72 kcal | 144 kcal | 72 kcal |
| Protein | 0.5 g | 0.9 g | 0.5 g |
| Fat | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 18.5 g | 36.9 g | 18.5 g |
| Fiber | 0.9 g | 1.8 g | 0.9 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g |
| Calcium | 4.5 mg | 9 mg | 4.5 mg |
| Iron | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg |
| Potassium | 102 mg | 204 mg | 102 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 72 kcal | 0.5 g | 0 g | 18.5 g | 0.9 g | 0 g | 4.5 mg | 0 mg | 102 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 144 kcal | 0.9 g | 0 g | 36.9 g | 1.8 g | 0 g | 9 mg | 0 mg | 204 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.
