Why jelly is useful and how to make it at home

Jelly is one of the types of desserts that has not lost its popularity for many years. It is served in cafes and restaurants around the world, and many housewives enjoy cooking at home, delighting their families. But few people know what the benefits and harms of jelly are, what calorie content it has and where it came from.

The history of the appearance of jelly

Jelly is highly prized in Jewish culture. It is called "neither fish nor meat" and is considered a kosher dish. But such a judgment can be considered dubious if you take a closer look at where it came from, and what products were originally used to prepare it.

The first mention of this dessert dates back to the 14-15th century. It was then that people first began to consume a dish that resembles modern jelly. It had a milky color, sticky consistency, it was made from meat products and bubbles of sturgeon fish.

In the Middle Ages, nutritious types of jelly were especially popular - based on fish and meat. The former were made from fish entrails, and the latter were made from pig ears. The ingredients were cooked for a long time and received a product of an unusual color with an unpleasant odor.

Historians say that Napoleon and Josephine loved to pamper themselves with a delicacy made from fruits. Among men of that time, it was very popular, since it was believed that its individual components have a positive effect on male strength.

Already in the 21st century, they began to prepare a dessert based on gelatin, pectin and agar. Its consistency is familiar to a modern person.

But his real heyday of the dish occurred in the United States. It is there that this dessert is especially popular.

Engineer Perp Waite from America added colors and flavors to the colorless and odorless powder to create an amazing purple hue. But his brainchild did not bring him income, and he sold his patent. The popularity of the dessert was rescued after advertisements for gelatin appeared in the 20th century.

It was after the addition of gelatin to the recipe that the product became popular and is still the hallmark of the national cuisine of Americans.

Jelly composition

The beneficial properties of jelly are due to its unique composition. There are only two ingredients in a natural product - fruit nectar and gelatin. That is why the ready-made jelly is enriched with vitamins and minerals that make up the berries from which the juice is prepared. So, for example, if fresh cherries were used, then the product is saturated with vitamins C, A and D, dietary fiber and organic acids.

And gelatin is pure collagen or animal protein. Serves as a thickener.

Calorie jelly

The calorie content of the finished product may be different, depending on which fruit it was prepared from. If oranges were used - 87.6 kcal, strawberries or apples - 70 kcal. And if dairy products were used during cooking, then more than 160 kcal.

The benefits of jelly for the human body

The benefits of fruit jelly for humans are priceless. It is thanks to gelatin, which is included in most of the recipes, you can also prepare a dessert based on pectin and agar, the product has a positive effect on the cartilage system. The benefits of jelly for joints have been described by many scientists.Collagen, which is part of it, is the main component of tendons, ligaments and cartilage tissue, it is because of the lack of this substance that joints wear out faster.

The gelling agent is useful for hair and nails, therefore it is actively used in cosmetology. 18 amino acids provide energy for the brain, muscles and nervous system. Regular use of gelatin can speed up all metabolic processes.

If the dessert is prepared on the basis of agar-agar, then the product is rich in:

• polysaccharides;
• iron;
• iodine;
• magnesium;
• calcium;
• folic acid.

Due to the fact that agar contains coarse fibers, its use has a positive effect on intestinal peristalsis, it is mechanically cleaned. Also, this component helps to remove toxins, toxins and other harmful substances from the body.

Agar jelly is recommended for those who want to lose weight, cleanse the liver and intestines.

Pectin, on the basis of which jelly is also often prepared, removes salts of heavy metals and radionuclides from the body. It is recommended for people with diabetes, obesity and those who have metabolic disorders. It removes harmful cholesterol from the body, has a positive effect on the functions of the liver and kidneys.

The benefits of jelly for women relate to the cosmetic properties of the product. You can make masks with it to remove acne from the skin. Special baths will help strengthen nails. There are also recipes for masks with gelatin to help strengthen hair.

The benefits of jelly for men in its amino acids. So, for example, alanine is indispensable for the prostate gland, if this element is not enough, then there is hyperplasia, difficulty urinating. In addition, it is this amino acid that helps to treat prostate cancer.

At what age can jelly be given to a child

Jelly is a delicious dessert, but it is better to give it to a child from 1.5 years old. It is better to cook it yourself using natural products. In addition, it is better for children under 3 years old to do it using pectin or agar, because these gelling substances are of plant origin.

It often contains flavors and dyes that negatively affect the development of the child's body.

Is jelly harmful

Despite the obvious benefits of jelly, the harm to the human body can be enormous. But this applies to artificial ingredients. To prepare dry briquettes, manufacturers use concentrates and low-quality products. They do not bring any benefit to the body, but only undermine health. Frequent use of desserts made from such ingredients can be the main cause of chronic ailments.

Homemade jelly recipes

You can make jelly at home from several gelling substances at once: gelatin, pectin or agar-agar. Most often, the first component is used, but it must first be prepared by soaking in cold water, and after that you can start preparing a fruit or dairy dessert.

Fruit jelly

To prepare a healthy dessert of bright color, you will need the following products:

• 2 tbsp. any fruit juice;
• 1/2 tbsp. water;
• if the juice is sour, then sugar to taste;
• 25 g of gelatin.

Cooking steps:

1. Pour water into the thickener, leave to swell (follow the instructions on the package exactly).
2. Combine juice with sugar, if necessary, bring to a boil, simmer for 10 minutes.
3. If the gelatin has swollen, and the water still remains, then it must be drained.
4. Remove the hot juice from the stove, add the thickener, stirring until it is completely dissolved.
5. After the mass has cooled, pour it into molds, send it to solidify on the refrigerator shelf.

Milk jelly

To prepare a classic homemade dessert with milk, you will need the following products:

• 1 tbsp. milk;
• 4 egg yolks;
• 1/2 tbsp. Sahara;
• 10 g gelatin;
• a pinch of vanilla.

Healthy jelly is prepared like this:

1. Soak gelatin according to the instructions.
2. Boil the milk.
3. Grind the yolks, sugar and vanilla until smooth.
4. Pour hot milk into the mixture with yolks, mix well.
5. Put gelatin in a water bath, let it dissolve.
6. Introduce a thickener into the milk mass in a thin stream, mix.
7. Pour the jelly into molds, cool to room temperature, send to the refrigerator shelf until it is completely stabilized.

Homemade jelly video recipes:

Conclusion

The benefits and harms of jelly are quite obvious. It is important to understand that only natural homemade dessert is a delicious dish with a unique vitamin composition. If you often eat it, you can protect the body from many diseases.