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Ehime mikan jelly
Mandarin jelly
みかんゼリー (mikan zerī): fresh mandarin juice set with agar into a bright, firm-wobbly jelly
Ehime, on the sunny north coast of Shikoku, is Japan's mandarin country. Terraced orchards climb its hillsides above the Seto Inland Sea, and the local mikan is so central to life there that some towns joke their taps run with juice. Mikan jelly is the prefecture's everyday treat, sold in cups at service stations and made at home when the fruit glut comes in winter. Ours is set with kanten (agar) instead of gelatine, which also means it holds firm at room temperature and doesn't melt on a hot day. Serve chilled after dinner. Chef's tip: boil the agar properly for 2 minutes. Agar only sets once fully dissolved, and undercooked agar leaves a grainy, weak jelly.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 8 mandarins or satsumasabout 800 g
- ¾ cup water
- ⅛ oz agar powder (kanten)about 1 level tsp
- 1 ⅜ oz sugaradjust to the fruit
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (optional)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Peel 2 of 8 mandarins or satsumas, separate into segments and set aside. Halve and juice the rest, then strain. You need about 400 ml of juice; top up with water if short.
Step 2: Put ¾ cup water in a small pan and whisk in ⅛ oz agar powder (kanten). Bring to the boil, whisking, then boil gently for 2 minutes until completely clear.
3 minStep 3: Add 1 ⅜ oz sugar and stir until dissolved, then take off the heat. Pour in the mandarin juice in a slow stream, stirring all the time, and add 1 tbsp lemon juice if the fruit is very sweet.
1 minStep 4: Common mistake: boiling the juice with the agar. Heat destroys the fresh mandarin flavour. Add the juice off the heat; the warm agar will still set it.
Step 5: Divide the segments between 4 glasses or cups and pour the jelly over. Work quickly, as agar starts to set at about 104°F.
Step 6: Leave at room temperature for 15 minutes, then chill for at least 1 hour until set firm. Keeps 3 days covered in the fridge.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 110 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 27 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
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Good to know
- How long does ehime mikan jelly take?
- About 20 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 5 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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