At the end of every meal our son will always, without question, ask for a pudding. It’s become a bit of a standing joke now actually, as is the answer he gets. “You can’t expect to have a pudding at the end of every meal”. So we all have a good old chuckle, he laughs it off but, still, the half expectation remains. It’s so easy to fall into the trap of providing something sweet though and then before you know it, you have issues with blood sugar levels which encourage inflammation, not to mention a potential escalating yeast problem. But I don’t like to deprive, I hate having to say no all the time because let’s face it, as the provider I am controlling and this diet is restrictive enough.
So that’s where this jelly comes in useful. Yes, it is a pudding but it also ticks so many boxes. Low in (unrefined) sugar, high in gelatine and even higher in the taste factor. Blackberries contain impressive levels of Vitamin C amongst other vitamins and are easier on the gut than many other fruits. Then there’s the thyme, which is surprisingly high on the nutrient-density score!
This is perfect for that time in the season when the price of blackberries comes down or, even better, when you can forage your own and make it for next to nothing at all. Alternatively, make it with half a quantity of blackberries and the remainder with blueberries.
We especially love eating this on a warm day, when the cool jelly is like a solid version of iced fruit tea.
blackberry thyme jellies
I’m going to say this serves 4 to 6 but have to leave it to your discretion. You see my family are a bunch of greedy guts and would happily see this recipe as serving only one! If you were to put this into dainty tea cups with the idea of serving as a light offering after dinner, perhaps with some cookies on the side, then you’re definitely good for serving six. If you’re cooking with a family like mine in mind, then four or five’s a dead cert!
serves 4-6
2 x 6 oz punnets blackberries|
2 wild berry tea bags (I use this one, a British make, which can be found easily in North America)
approx 5 long stems fresh thyme
1 tbsp gelatine (I use this one)
3 tbsp honey
Infuse the tea bags and thyme in 1 pt boiling water for 30 minutes. Pour a further 1/2 cup of (cold) water into a small pan and sprinkle over the gelatine. Leave this for 5 minutes. Next gently heat the gelatine and add the honey. This will take only seconds so don’t go off and do something else at this stage. Remove the tea bags and thyme from the infusion and stir in the gelatine mixture. Allow to cool slightly.
Divide the blackberries between 4 to 6 tea cups or dishes and pour over the jelly mixture. Allow to cool completely and pop into the fridge until set.
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