Berry Agar Jelly
Agar is a plant-based alternative to gelatine made from seaweed, and it’s perfect for a berry jelly: it sets at room temperature and won’t melt on the table even in summer. We make the base from frozen berries, so you can make this any time of year. Fresh berries in each glass make it look like a celebration.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Rest
- 1 h 30 min
- Total
- 2 h
- Servings
- 6
- Level
- Easy
- Per serving
- 95 kcal
Ingredients
Makes: 6 glasses of 150 ml
Shopping list
The ingredients for the servings you chose — copy them or send them to a messenger. Tick what you already have at home: only the rest goes on the list.
Method
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Step 1: Simmer the berries
Put the frozen berries in a pan, cover with the water and bring to the boil. Simmer gently for 5 minutes, until the berries are soft and the water is deep ruby.
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Step 2: Strain the juice
Strain through a sieve, pressing the berries lightly with a spoon but not pushing the pulp through — the jelly stays clearer. You should have 700–750 ml; if less, top up with water.
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Step 3: Mix agar with sugar
Stir the agar thoroughly into the sugar in a bowl — dispersed in the sugar, it won’t clump.
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Step 4: Boil with the agar
Return the juice to the pan, whisk in the sugar and agar mixture and bring to the boil, stirring. Boil for 2 minutes, still stirring: agar only works once it has boiled. Take off the heat and stir in the lemon juice.
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Step 5: Fill the glasses
Divide most of the fresh berries between 6 glasses and carefully pour over the hot jelly. Keep a few berries for decoration.
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Step 6: Let it set
Leave the glasses at room temperature for 30 minutes — agar starts setting at 35–40 °C — then refrigerate for at least an hour. Decorate with berries and mint before serving.
Tips & variations
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Tip
Agar strength varies between brands. Check the recommended dose on the packet, or test: a drop of the hot mixture on a cold saucer should set within a minute.
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Tip
If the jelly starts setting in the pan before you’ve poured it, simply bring it back to the boil — agar can be remelted.
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Variation
For a layered jelly, pour half, let it set for 10 minutes, then add a second layer made from another juice, such as cherry or orange, boiled with agar the same way.
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Storage
Keep covered with cling film in the fridge for up to 3 days. Over time the jelly may weep a little juice — that’s normal with agar.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 6 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 95 kcal | 570 kcal |
| Protein | 1 g | 5 g |
| Fat | 0 g | 2 g |
| Carbohydrates | 22 g | 132 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
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