Individuals with food intolerances or allergies would do well to steer clear of processed foods which often contain preservatives and other additives rather than whole food ingredients. For Memorial Day, why not try an old favorite, “Red, White and Blue gelatin jigglers?” Instead of using artificially flavored-boxed gelatin, make it with fruits and vegetables, packets of gelatin, and unprocessed honey or other sweetener of choice.

Here are the ingredients in the boxed gelatin, Berry Blue Gelatin:

SUGAR, GELATIN, ADIPIC ACID (FOR TARTNESS), CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, NATURAL FLAVOR, ACETIC ACID, DISODIUM PHOSPHATE AND SODIUM CITRATE (CONTROL ACIDITY), FUMARIC ACID (FOR TARTNESS), BLUE 1.

Here’s what you need to make your own all-natural version:

4 packets of gelatin
1 cup of liquid to be heated
3 cups of cold liquid

Directions:

Place the 1 cup of liquid in a sauce pan, sprinkle the four packets of gelatin over the liquid and let it rest for 5 minutes. Heat the liquid and gelatin in the pan over medium heat and stir until dissolved. Remove from the heat. Pour the three cups of cold liquid into an 8 X 8 X 2-inch pan, add the warm mixture, stir softly, cover and refrigerate until set. Cut into shapes and plate. Refrigerate when not serving.

The liquid for this recipe can be made from the juice of fruit and/or vegetables, alternatives milks, etc.

For red gelatin: try beets, cherries, cranberries, guava, papaya, radishes, raspberries, red apples, red bell peppers, red grapes, rhubarb, strawberries, tomatoes and watermelon.

For blue gelatin: try blackberries, blueberries, grapes, plums, purple endive, purple cabbage, purple potatoes.

For white: try bananas, cabbage, jicama, parsnips, peeled apples, peeled pears, cucumbers, water chestnuts,

Make the juice from these fruits and vegetables with a juicer or puree whole pieces in a food processor.

To make red, white and blue jigglers or dessert, make one batch of each color from a fruit or vegetable of your choice. Use a larger pan. Pour the red in first. Refrigerate until set. Next add the white and refrigerate until set. Finally add the blue. Cut into shapes and serve.