Wine Jelly

We have reams of material on the food and cookery of Thomas Jefferson’s day in Virginia–much of it recorded by Jefferson himself. In addition to all of his garden book references of food coming “to table,” Jefferson made endless accounts of household provisions and numerous culinary observations in his Memorandum books. The recipe below is one of 10 he wrote out in his own hand. Wine jellies were once considered delicate and rare confections. Traditionally made from gelatin extracted from calves’ feet, today this elegant dish can be simplified with ordinary gelatin.

Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 04:41:56 GMT

Nutrition balance score

Unbalanced

Glycemic Index

Moderate

Glycemic Load

High

Nutrition per serving

Calories216.3 kcal (11%)

Total Fat0.1 g (0%)

Carbs37.9 g (15%)

Sugars37.4 g (42%)

Protein5 g (10%)

Sodium43.8 mg (2%)

Fiber0.3 g (1%)

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Ingredients

6 servings

1 tspground cinnamon

½ tspnutmeg

4 cupswater

2 cupsMadeira

or dry sherry

3 cupswater

3egg whites

large, shells reserved

1 cupsugar

3 envelopesgranulated gelatin

1 cupwater

cold

Instructions

Step 1

Pare the rind from 2 of the lemons in long pieces with a vegetable peeler or a sharp paring knife. Juice the lemons and strain into a 2-quart saucepan. Add the rind, spice, and water. Bring it to a boil over medium heat, reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in the Madeira or sherry and let it cool.

Step 2

Beat the egg whites until frothy. Crush the shells and beat them into the whites. Stir this into the wine mixture, return it to medium-low heat, and bring it slowly to a simmer. Meanwhile, wet a large piece of muslin (un-dyed plain cotton fabric), wring it out thoroughly, and line a wire strainer with it. Set this over a bowl that will just hold the strainer near its rim.

Step 3

When the egg has solidified and floated to the top, push it to one side and check the clarity of the liquid. If it is clear, skim most of the egg away and ladle the liquid into the trainer. Leave it to slowly drip into the bowl. (This takes some time, so be patient and do not stir or agitate it.) The liquid that drips through the strainer should be perfectly clear.

Step 4

Clean the saucepan and return the clarified liquid to it. Bring it back to a simmer over medium heat, stir in the sugar until dissolved, and simmer until the liquid is clear again. Meanwhile, put the gelatin in a large bowl and stir in the cool water. Let soften for 10 minutes and stir in the hot liquid. Continue stirring until the gelatin is completely dissolved and the liquid is somewhat cooled. To speed up the cooling process, set the bowl in an ice bath and stir constantly until it is cold but not yet beginning to jell.

Step 5

Pour it into small, stemmed glasses or shallow champagne goblets, cover and chill until set, about 4 hours. Alternatively the jelly may set in a shallow pan, then be broken up with a spoon or knife, and spooned into stemmed glasses.

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