British Strawberry Jelly (Jello)

Written by
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm is a renowned British food writer, classically trained chef, teacher, and author with over 25 years of experience writing about British food and cooking.
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Elaine Lemm
Updated 10/02/20
small bowl of strawberry jelly
john shepherd/Getty Images
  • Total: 45 mins
  • Prep: 45 mins
  • Cook: 0 mins
  • Servings: 6 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
159 Calories
0g Fat
39g Carbs
2g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 159
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 8mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 39g 14%
Dietary Fiber 2g 5%
Total Sugars 37g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 44mg 222%
Calcium 16mg 1%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 117mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

British strawberry jelly is not a jam or fruit spread as the term "jelly" is known in the States, but instead is a fruit-flavored gelatin dessert (similar to jello). In the U.K., the fruit jelly is often made using a store-bought concentrated flavored gelatin block, requiring only boiling water (again, similar to powdered jello). The authentic British version, however, uses fresh fruit, sugar, gelatin, and water. It is an easy recipe, and you can use the fruit of your choice, or whatever is in season.

Jelly can be served simply on its own, but it is fabulous with some whipped cream or ice cream as well as custard, which when paired together is a classic dish on the tea-time table. This jelly is also the base of an English trifle. You can garnish it with other seasonal fruits—raspberries make a great partner to this strawberry jelly.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup/200 g superfine sugar

  • 2 cups/600 ml water

  • 1 pound/500 g fresh strawberries (gently washed)

  • 1/4 cup/75 ml cold water

  • 1/4 ounce/11 g powdered unflavored gelatin

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Place the sugar and 2 cups/600 ml water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil vigorously for 5 minutes.

  3. Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool.

  4. Set aside 4 or 5 of the fresh whole strawberries and hull (remove the entire stem) the remaining fruit.

  5. Purée the hulled strawberries with an immersion blender or in a blender or food processor.

  6. Transfer the purée to a large bowl and pour over the cooled sugar-water syrup.

  7. Cover with a clean cloth and let infuse for a minimum of 30 minutes or, if you have the time, up to 2 hours. 

  8. Once infused, pass the strawberry mixture through a fine sieve to remove any of the strawberry pulp and seeds. Set aside.

  9. Pour the cold water into a small dish and sprinkle the powdered gelatin over. Let sit for 5 minutes.

  10. Heat 1 cup of the strained strawberry-sugar syrup mixture in a small saucepan.

  11. Stir in the gelatin-water mixture and simmer very gently (do not allow to boil) until the gelatin has completely dissolved.

  12. Stir this mixture into the remaining strawberry-sugar syrup.

  13. Transfer the strawberry mixture to a 3-cup/900-ml gelatin mold.

  14. Place the mold in the refrigerator and let set. This will take a couple of hours but it is best to leave it overnight. The jelly is ready when it wobbles just slightly. You don't want it to be too hard because the fun of the jelly is in the wobble. 

  15. To serve, decorate the jelly with the remaining whole strawberries.