1,556 easy and fully explained recipes, with +66K photos and 78 videos

This site uses only a few technical cookies necessary for its operation. By continuing to browse, you accept their use.
To find out more...

Fruits which can ruin your jelly

There are many ways of making a fruit mousse, but one of the simplest is to prepare a fruit jelly (basically a fresh fruit coulis with gelatine) and then mix this jelly before it sets completely with whipped cream.

The result is perfect for filling a charlotte, for example.

But do beware; there are some fruits for which this will not work: kiwis, pineapple, mango and figs, in particular. You can add any amount of gelatine you like and the jelly will never set!

79 K 4.0/5 (32 reviews)

Keywords for this post:Jelly Gelatin Mousse Fruit Kiwi

Last modified on: March 6^th 2013

For this post: Comment Follow Ask me a question Send to a friend

Fruits which can ruin your jelly

And it can't set because these fruits contain enzymes called proteases, such as bromelain or papain, which prevent the gelatin from setting. So you cannot just make a straightforward kiwi or pineapple jelly.

Fortunately, science comes to the rescue and explains that it is possible to neutralise the effects of these bothersome proteases. We call this denaturing. All that is necessary is to heat the fruit to 60°C.
So, to make a pineapple jelly, for example, you simply need to heat the coulis over low heat to 60°C, add the gelatine, then leave to cool.

fruit gelatin

Even so, you should note that for a kiwi jelly, you should take care not to overheat the coulis if you wish to preserve the lovely green colour of the fruit. If it is overheated, the colour will turn dull, then brown. A thermometer is essential to ensure that the right temperature is reached but not exceeded.

As a last resort, you can use another jelling agent, such as carragheen.

Lasts posts

XO Cognac Explained: Meaning, Aging, and Flavor Profile

XO Cognac always goes beyond the labels on the bottle: it is often associated with tradition and quality. You get to appreciate the artistry, character and ageing process when you understand what defines this smooth Cognac. The section below tackles everything about XO Cognac, from complex flavour...
January 28^th 2026618 Sponsored article

Butter vs. grease

We often read in a recipe where a pastry is put into a mould that, just before pouring, the mould should be buttered or greased. But what's the difference between these 2 terms?
December 1^st 20252,4705

Getting out of the fridge early

Very often when you're cooking, you need to take food or preparations out of the fridge, to use them in the recipe in progress. There's nothing tricky about this: you just take them out of the fridge and use them, usually immediately, in the recipe. But is this really a good method?
November 24^th 20251,6235

Who's making the croissants?

When you look at a bakery from the outside, you naturally think that in the bakery, the bakers make the bread, and in the laboratory, the pastry chefs make the cakes. It's very often like that, with each of these professions having quite different ways of working, but sometimes there's also one...
November 23^th 20251,463

Oven height

When we put a dish or cake in the oven, we naturally tend to put it on the middle shelf, and that's what we usually do. But in some cases, this position and height can be a little tricky, so let's find out why.
October 8^th 20254,7805

See all posts Random post RSS feeds

Other pages you may also like

Egg yolks and caster sugar

We often come across recipes where we need to mix egg yolks with caster sugar. This would appear to be a very ordinary and simple thing to do but, be warned, these two ingredients can behave oddly together.
February 15^th 201884 K 24.3

A few tips for effective kneading at home

When you have to knead dough for bread or some other recipe, you may well use a food processor or the type of machine known as a stand mixer. The best-known brands are Kenwood and KitchenAid. They are useful tools, but here are a few tips to help you get the best out of them.
June 23^th 2021285 K 23.8

The window-pane test in bread-making

The home bread-makers often ask themselves “Have I kneaded my dough long enough?” . A good question, as dough that is insufficiently kneaded will not rise properly or will fall flat when the top is slashed, which is very frustrating. To know when the dough is ready, one can rely on the length...
June 16^th 202197 K 23.9

What is the difference between bakery and patisserie?

This is a question that you may well have asked yourself and which I will attempt to answer. In France the two trades of "boulangerie" (bakery) and "pâtisserie" (patisserie and confectionery) have always been quite distinct, but where exactly do the boundaries lie? .
February 7^th 2017135 K 14.1

Candied fruits: don't get ripped off

Do you like candied fruit? You might like to nibble a handful or add it to a recipe, like a classic fruit cake or delicious Italian specialities like panettone or sicilian epiphany pie.
June 21^th 201769 K 24.2