Compote jelly with gelatin
Bright, fast, and ridiculously simple — just two ingredients! This compote jelly set with gelatin is an easy dessert you can pull together in 30 minutes, any time of year. You control how intense it is just by adding water, and you can use whatever compote you have on hand: one made with dried fruit, fresh berries, or frozen ones.
Cooking method
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Step 1:
How do you make a delicious, simple compote jelly with gelatin? It couldn't be easier — start by gathering the ingredients on the list. Use clean filtered water rather than straight from the tap, so off-flavors don't spoil the jelly. Any compote works, store-bought or homemade, freshly cooked or canned. I made two batches — one from store-bought white-cherry compote and one from homemade cranberry. For this recipe I went with the cranberry version.
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Step 2:
Pour cold clean water over the gelatin and let it bloom for 15 minutes. Dessert gelatin is the best choice here — it's finer and more transparent. I only had ordinary coarse-grained gelatin with a distinctly yellow cast, and it slightly lightened the cranberry compote and gave it a yellowish tint, so I had to stir in a little more concentrated berry juice. With the pale-yellow white-cherry compote, though, the color came out richer and prettier.
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Step 3:
Fish the berries or fruit out of the compote — whatever yours is made from — and divide them among your glasses or dessert cups.
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Step 4:
If needed, strain the compote through a sieve to catch any small bits of fruit. Pour it into a saucepan, set it over medium heat, and bring to a boil. Taste and add sugar if you like, stirring until it fully dissolves. My compote was already sweet, so I skipped the extra sugar to keep the jelly from turning cloying.
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Step 5:
You can melt the bloomed gelatin in a separate saucepan over low heat until the granules fully dissolve, but it isn't strictly necessary — well-bloomed gelatin dissolves quickly and lump-free right in the boiling compote.
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Step 6:
Let the gelatin compote cool slightly, then pour it into the glasses or cups over the berries. Don't pour it in piping hot — a sudden temperature shock can crack the glassware.
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Step 7:
Let the dessert cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate for 4 to 5 hours, or ideally overnight. Enjoy!
- For why gelatin sometimes sets poorly, how to avoid those unpleasant gelatin lumps, and all the little tricks of working with it, see the dedicated article on gelatin.
- Use filtered or bottled water with a neutral taste. Tap water can lend the dish an off, distinctly mineral flavor.
- The more concentrated your compote, the deeper the color and richer the flavor of the finished jelly.
Caloric content of the products possible in the composition of the dish
- Gelatin - 355 kcal/100g
- Water - 0 kcal/100g
- Compote - 60 kcal/100g
