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Lime Jelly
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Lime Jelly

A bright, refreshing lime jelly — light and tart with a clean citrus flavour. Ready in minutes and chilled until firm, this simple dessert is perfect on its own or served with cream or fruit. Uses powdered gelatine; see tips for a vegetarian alternative.

Prep:15 min
Cook:10 min
Total:25 min
Servings:4
easy
dessert
jelly
citrus
lime
chilled

Ingredients

  • •3 each limes
  • •100 g caster sugar
  • •350 ml cold water (for jelly base)
  • •7 g powdered gelatine
  • •75 ml cold water (for blooming gelatine)
  • •1 tsp lime zest (finely grated)
  • •4 each fresh mint sprigs (optional, for garnish)

Instructions

  1. 1.Zest one lime finely and set the zest aside. Juice all three limes and strain the juice to remove pips and excess pulp; you should have about 80–100 ml of juice.
  2. 2.Pour 75 ml cold water into a small bowl and sprinkle the powdered gelatine evenly over the surface. Leave to bloom for 5–10 minutes until the gelatine has absorbed the water and become spongy.
  3. 3.Meanwhile, place 350 ml cold water, the caster sugar and the lime zest into a saucepan. Gently heat over a low–medium heat, stirring, until the sugar is completely dissolved and the liquid is just starting to steam — do not boil.
  4. 4.Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the strained lime juice.
  5. 5.Add the bloomed gelatine to the warm lime mixture and stir until the gelatine is completely dissolved. If necessary, return to very low heat briefly — do not let it boil.
  6. 6.For an extra-smooth jelly, pour the mixture through a fine sieve into a heatproof jug to remove the zest and any bits of undissolved gelatine.
  7. 7.Pour the liquid into 4 small serving glasses or into a shallow mould (or individual moulds). Leave to cool at room temperature for 15–20 minutes.
  8. 8.Transfer to the fridge and chill for at least 3 hours, or until fully set. For a firmer set leave longer (4 hours+).
  9. 9.To unmould (if using moulds), dip the base of each mould in hot water for 5–10 seconds, wipe the outside dry and invert onto a plate — the jelly should release easily. Alternatively, serve straight in the glasses.
  10. 10.Garnish with a little extra lime zest or a mint sprig before serving. Keep any leftovers covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
  11. 11.Tips: For a vegetarian alternative use agar-agar (follow the packet instructions — agar needs boiling to set and sets firmer). Adjust the sugar to taste depending on how tart your limes are.