Stone Fruit Gelatin Dessert

When your favorite stone fruits are combined with coconut water and grass-fed gelatin, a delicious treat ensues. These sweet morsels make a beautiful addition to any celebration or for no other reason than self-indulgence.

This time of year, the vendors at farmers markets always offer a variety of stone fruits – plums, peaches, apriums, plumcots, nectarines, pluots, among others. I was able to snag a few pounds of yellow peaches, white nectarines, and donut peaches last week from my favorite vendors. With titles like apriums and pluots – they sound more like something from an astronomy textbook than edible delights but they’re delicious nonetheless.
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Some of these fruits are hybrids that combine varieties of plums, apricots, and peaches. Others are more of the heirloom variety that have been careful bred to preserve the traditional genome of the fruit. But they are all sweet, juicy and delicious in it’s own way. Shaking off the heels of winter, stone fruits kindly remind us that summer is officially here regardless of the date on the calendar. And as such, recipes calling for these tender fruits are in order. Everything from grilled peaches, to fruit salads, to plum cobblers – now is the time to enjoy the intense sweetness these gems offer.

Why Gelatin?

I’ve learned to adapt to my children’s picky palates (which has improved tremendously with a real food diet) – but not at the expense of depriving them from much needed nutrition. For example, smoothies can be used as a vehicle to add more nutrition into their diets. I personally, always preferred to eat my greens in the form of a salad, but I quickly realized that crabby toddlers don’t always appreciate baby spinach and radicchio with balsamic dressing, hence the need to add greens to a smoothie.

Likewise, treats made with grass fed gelatin can also a great way to boost the daily nutrient intake. I talk about the origins and health benefits of gelatin in this post on The When, How and Why of Aspic (aka Meat Jello). In short, gelatin is a great source of nutrition including amino acids glycine and proline which are important for proper skin, hair and nail growth as well as optimal immune support. Gelatin also soothes the gut lining, making nutrient assimilation more effective.

Gelatin that is shelf-stable and sold in powder, is essentially bones, cartilage, and tendons cooked down for extended period of time, breaking down the collagen and then dried and ground into fine powder for us to use. That’s why it’s incredibly important that you seek out the best quality gelatin. I’m currently using THIS brand but have used THIS with great success as well. The good news is that gelatin is making a comeback and more and more companies are seeking the best quality sources to make gelatin for their always-growing customer base.

In addition to regular soups made from traditionally prepared bone broth, I am purposeful in making gelatin treats as snacks or deserts for an extra boost of nutrition. These Gut-Healing Strawberries n’ Cream Gelatin Cups are a hit at our home, and they especially make a extraordinary treat for a birthday and other celebrations.

by Anya @ Prepare & Nourish
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Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds of stone fruit
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of gelatin (THIS or THIS brand)
• 1 1/2 cup of coconut water, divided
• 1/2 cup boiling water

Tools needed:

box grater, glass measuring cup, muffin pans, or bundt cake pan
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Instructions:

I love using a variety of stone fruits for different tones of sweetness in these gems. I layered yellow peaches, white nectarines, followed by backyard plums, all chopped in miniature pieces. You can also use a box grater, and grate on largest if that’s easiest. Sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup of coconut water in a glass measuring cup, give a quick stir and set aside to “bloom”. Meanwhile, place the chopped fruit in muffin pans or mini bundt cake pans for individual servings (great for parties) but a regular bundt cake pan works great too.

Add 1/2 cup of boiling water to the bloomed gelatin (it should have set by now) and stir well with a fork. There should be no clumps. Add additional 1 cup of coconut water and continue to stir well. Add 1-2 tablespoons of honey, if you care to have it more sweeter, otherwise, completely leave it out and enjoy the sweetness of the fruits. Carefully pour into the muffin cavities, completely covering the fruit and coming all the way to the top. Give the pan a gentle tap on the counter to make sure that the coconut water reaches between the fruit and to the bottom. Place in the refrigerator for 2 hours, overnight is best.

To Unmold:​

Prepare a sink of 1″ of warm water. Place the gelatin pan directly into the water for 10-15 seconds, being careful not to get water into the fruit. Remove the pan from the sink and cover with a large cutting board or another flat surface. Quickly invert the gelatin onto the board. At this point, you can stick it back in the refrigerator or plate.

Stone Fruit Gelatin Dessert makes a beautiful addition to any party, 

​Whether you have them in small single servings or a decorative bundt cake pan. More than that, it adds nutrition from the gelatin and electrolytes from the coconut water, making this a perfect treat on a warm day. I’ll be sure to make this several times as long as stone fruits are readily available.
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Eat Well & Thrive!