Scroll down for the recipe, or read on for a little story time
If you’ve been following me for a while, you’d know that I’m a gardener from Brisbane. I love to eat what I grow and grow what I eat and it’s that time of year when the mulberry trees are laden with fruit. While I did give the commonly seen chocolate gummies a go, I have to say, I wasn’t a fan of the texture. Something weird about that combination that wasn’t for me. So, I decided to experiment with mulberries and I have to say, it was a success!
Why Jellies?
Collagen has been linked with improved skin appearance, marketed to decrease lines and wrinkles and promote healthy hair and nails. As a woman in my 30s it’s become quite apparent that the taut youthful complexion of my 20s has now begun to wear off and I’m noticing creases in my face. I’ve been told a couple of times that I need to stop frowning because I’ll get wrinkles! Which is pretty rude IMO, because that’s just my concentrating face, and also, my wrinkles are none of your business! The truth is, we’re all eventually going to get wrinkled as we age (unless we’re using injectables-each to their own, not the blog post for that topic!), but what I would like to improve is the skin integrity.
Our skin loses collagen and elastin as we age and this results in the lines we know as wrinkles, but it also loses its strength. My father has a combination of early onset dementia, Parkinson’s disease, epithelial dysfunction and other conditions that have led to him deteriorating quite rapidly. He’s had a number of falls at home while Mum waits for mobility equipment to be installed. While he hasn’t sustained any serious injuries such broken bones, due to the fragility of his skin, just merely grazing it essentially peels it off or results in heavy superficial internal bleeding. In his mid 60s he has the skin integrity of a 90 year old (no, he’s not on any blood thinning medications). While the GPs and specialists offer nothing for him, it got me thinking about what I could be doing to support him better.
My dad is also one of those people who won’t drink water (sigh). But boy does he have a sweet tooth! I originally bought the Nutra Organics™ Wildflower Collagen Beauty™ to have as a flavoured drink for him to increase his water intake Trojan Horse-style, but he wasn’t interested in that (again, sigh). So I figured I would experiment with the collagen powder and combine it with the mulberries from the garden. Mulberry pie holds nostalgia for him as it was a seasonal staple in our house growing up… But I wanted to make this version a bit cleaner.
Collagen and gelatin offer a range of peptides (combined amino acids) that are used in the production and maintenance of integumentary tissue (aka skin) as well as other epithelial tissue such as the gut lining. Our skin is the biggest organ of our body and actually serves more of a purpose than looking tight, tanned and flawless.
Functions of skin:
· Sensory organ
· Regulates body temperature
· Regulates hydration
· Barrier to the external world
· Synthesises vitamin D
We’ve noticed that Dad’s ability to heal wounds has decreased heavily with the progression of his condition, and this has made him prone to infection, resulting in antibiotic use, further damaging his gut microbiome and consequently his immune system.
After making these gummies, I put it to the ‘Dad Test’ to see if they were something he’d eat… It’s safe to say that they have passed the test, even being refined sugar free!
These gummies are a great way of upping protein intake for little ones, dad’s or as a seemingly sweet treat instead of reaching for lollies.
Please note that collagen and gelatin consumption needs to be consumed for at least 12 weeks for a noticeable difference in skin appearance.
Benefits of Mulberries
Like any berry, mulberries are high in antioxidants and polyphenols which help to fight oxidation and inflammation within the body, all the while being low in calories-winning! They’re high in vitamin C and they taste great! They also contain the fat soluble vitamins A and E and contain important minerals such as iron, potassium, magnesium, sodium, zinc, and phosphorous. Picking ripe mulberries is a fun activity for all ages and once gently washed and dried, the fruit can be frozen for longer storage.
Recipe notes
*Blooming the gelatin is a very important part of the process, so don’t just mix everything in together.
*I collected my mulberries and stored them in the freezer until I had enough to cook with (the local birds got more than their fair share).
*I used my BlendTec blender to blend up the berries. I seriously love this appliance. I’ve had the same one for over 10 years and it has been so much more rewarding than all my romantic relationships throughout those 10 years. It blends up so well that there is barely any residual fibre. I did however want to optimise my chance of success of passing the ‘Dad Test’ and I opted to strain out that fibre. This could be frozen and used in a smoothie, mixed through yogurt or fed to the chooks, who were very appreciative!
*It doesn’t take long for the mulberry juice to get hot, so keep an eye on it and don’t let it boil. Once you see steam then it is hot enough and the gelatine can be mixed through.
*I used maple syrup, but you can use any sweetener of your choice. The collagen powder that I used already contains monk fruit extract, but I really wanted to have these just sweet enough for Dad. This amount of sweetness was pretty mild, so I would experiment for personal preferences. Start with a small amount and just taste it while it is in its liquid state and adjust as needed.
Our skin is the biggest organ of our body and actually serves more of a purpose than looking tight, tanned and flawless.
*It is important to use a silicon mould to allow the jellies to pop out once they’re set. In the past, I’ve also used just a slice tray lined with baking paper and this worked as well. I thought I might buy some silicone ice trays specifically for this, but figured I didn’t really need to buy something new. For these I used a silicon muffin mould (that I got second hand from an op shop a long time ago) and this worked perfectly.
*Definitely leave it for 2 hours minimum, you don’t want to try to pop out half set gummies, that would be very frustrating!
Mulberry Collagen Jellies
Your Ingredients
1/4 cup of Nutra Organicsâ„¢ Gelatin
1/2 cup of water
1 cup of water
1 cup fresh or frozen mulberries
1 tbsp maple syrup
Method
1. Bloom the gelatine by mixing the gelatin and 1/2 cup of water in a bowl. Leave to sit while prepping the remaining ingredients
2. Using a blender, blend the berries and 1 cup of water on a high setting
3. *Optional step* strain the pulp of the berries and pour into a saucepan.
4. Heat over low-medium temperature until liquid is hot, but don’t let it boil.
5. Whisk in collagen. Make sure to smoosh up any lumps. Stir in maple syrup.
6. Remove from heat and add in bloomed gelatine. Mix thoroughly until gelatine is fully dissolved.
7. Pour into jelly moulds.
8. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
9. Pop out the jellies and transfer to an airtight container. Store in the fridge and eat with within a week
I’d love to know if you do get around to making these. Tell me your thoughts.
Emma xx
Comments