A packet of Agar Agar Powder
Ever since I became a Mom, I became conscious of sugar and salt content in ready-made food items we buy for convenience from the grocery aisles. It probably didn’t help that here in Ireland, the way they start the weaning process of babies is a little bit different to how my Mom did it during our time. In our home country, babies eat the same food we eat – that is, the same seasoned viand. I remembered my brother munching on Koko Krunch when he was about a year old or even sampling the same spaghetti sauce we eat even when he is barely a year old! Here, it is highly advised for parents not to put sugar or salt on babies’ food before they are a year old. And after reading a few articles more on the same topic, I learned that even until the age of 3, kids are not recommended to eat overly sweet and salty food!
Because of this, I try my best to make my son’s own food at home so I barely need to buy anything ready-made for him. Growing up, I remembered fond memories of eating jelly/Jell-O and thought, I want to let my son experience it – but in a healthier version.
It is really easy to make jelly and I use this packet of powdered Agar Agar to do the trick. It is really easy to use and it is good that there is an English cooking instruction to follow! I only needed to use barely a tablespoonful of it to dissolve in half a liter of water. That is already enough to pour in my son’s 5 jelly molds so he can eat it as a snack!Dissolving the Agar Agar powder is really easy and I only needed to use room temperature water to do it for me.
Although I noticed that it is a lot easier to dissolve in warmer water. But at least I don’t need to boil water before using it, especially if I am lazy!
Apart from that, it is good that my son did not have any allergic reactions to it. I can also be a little bit creative and mix-and-match the flavors when I make my son’s jellies.
On top of that, it is also very cost-effective! I initially bought a packet of Alsa gelatin for €3 that was just enough to make 6 jellies. But with the Agar Agar powder, I paid for €3.50 and that is enough for me to make 20 jellies in total! Of course, I don’t make all the 20 jellies in one go as molds may develop after sitting in the fridge for more than 2 weeks because it doesn’t have any preservatives in it.
Overall, I find this product really easy-to-use and cost-effective for budget-conscious households. I still use this to this day and only buy Alsa if I needed the flavored gelatin options. Otherwise, this packet of Agar Agar powder is more than enough for me!
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I've never experimented with agar agar, but I'm glad you wrote this review about it. I have found unflavoured gelatin to be expensive in the past; I'll definitely be looking to see if the agar agar is better priced here, as it is in Ireland.
Yeah, it ends up being a little bit cheap since you only needed a tiny amount to set it. Although if you like the "wobbly" texture of gelatin, you might find Agar Agar a little bit "hard". So I'd suggest use it for occasions where you just crave for a jelly dessert but won't really care about the texture. :)
@cessy08 I actually find these days that commercial gelatin desserts (especially off-brand versions of Jello) are too wonnly and not solid enough. so I might just prefer the agar agar for its texture....
Oh, really? It's been a long time since I used gelatin so I didn't know that it is not as good as before. But I think if I were to cook gelatinous desserts like panna cotta or cathedral windows, I'd still use gelatin because the texture needs to be wobbly. The last batch of my son's jelly snack, I think I was able to achieve the gelatin consistency but it was a matter of luck, LOL!
I would prefer the traditional gelatin. Honestly, I am not fond of agar agar. I would love to have fruits-flavored gelatin.
Yeah it is a matter of preference. I'd personally won't give up gelatin ultimately but for instances like this where it is only for my son's daily snack, then it is alright. If I wanted to make dessert like cathedral windows, I'd still go for gelatin.
@cessy08 It is only of late that I came to know that gelatin is a non-veg item. I would anyday go for agar agar about which I just learnt here through your blog.
Yeah, I stumbled upon that information from a parenting website when I was looking for healthier food snack ideas for my son. Apparently, Agar Agar was derived from a seaweed and gelatin is from a cow's stomach.
First time to hear the word agar agar LOL.Thanks ,anyway for I got the info from your post about it.
HAHA! I only learned about this as I watched various cooking shows. You can definitely learn something new with these things. I think it is mostly used for Asian desserts but in the Philippines, ALSA is the typical brand to use or the old-fashioned gelatin bars to make jelly-based desserts.
When I was a kid, I love eating gelatin used as toppings in a halo-halo or a grounded ice mixed with milk, sugar and several toppings aside from gelatin. I have tried eating molded gelatin of various color in one of the parties tendered by my friend. It tasted good.
There are a lot to choose in the market for gelatin products. This gelatin could be molded to a design which the one to prepare has preferred to select. Kids do love eating the gelatin in a colorful design. Adult do love it likewise.
Oh definitely! I love cathedral windows and can eat the entire thing from Goldilock's in one sitting. I like gelatin in halo-halo as well but I'd prefer the sweetened bananas and beans as well. I am just trying to be a little bit more frugal since Agar Agar is unsweetened and I haven't given my son (or tried not to give) a lot of artificially sweetened gelatin to my son yet as a snack. I sweeten Agar Agar with pressed fruit juice and a little bit of honey or maple syrup.
Halo-halo is what we usually ordered from any store which sells cool foods, especially during the summer. This short-order cold food is stuffed with various pieces of fruits. Eating it is like quenching your thirst with a cold water.
Halo-halo is the most saleable cold foods among the people here in our place. It is too deliciously. It could easily be prepared for a just a couple of minute you could have it and could enjoy eating it.
I have fond memories of eating halo-halo when I was a kid since I have an aunt selling it for her business. I love it especially with rice crispies and some fresh melon, too! Good times! :)
I have tried both, agar agar powder and the jelly strips.
Both turned out nice but I prefer the jelly strips.
It gives the natural clear see through jelly texture and smells good.
For the agar agar powder, it did dilute easily but the smell isn't as good before.
It is cheaper for the powder compare to jelly strips.
The picture shown is also sold here
Yeah, Agar Agar does smells a bit different than gelatin that's why for "serious" desserts, I still use gelatin. But for a quick snack for my son or us, I'd rather that I use Agar Agar since it is a vegetarian option not to mention the smell fades off quickly if you put on enough pressed juice to sweeten it :)
@cessy08, Thank you for the showing and presenting of your agar agar.LOL.
HAHA glad to help :) It is nice to share knowledge around the Internet!
@cessy08, That is true. We can get many new words, new terms, new info, new faces, new happiness like agar agar through on line hehehehe.
Yeah. I actually learned about agar agar thru a TV show but never used it until my son is born. I am still a bit biased with gelatin since I grew up eating it but would not mind using it for snacks because of the price.
@Cessy08, This time the price is right for your favorite gelatin hehehehe.So, it takes you years before you tried to take this agar agar? Better agar agar so cute and fanous now in LB site.