A family Thanksgiving and Christmas Favorite

Ingredients

1 qt. Apple juice or apple cider
1/3 cp. + 2 TB. agar flakes (also called kanten flakes)
1-1/2 TB. Kuzu or arrowroot (to thicken)
2 apples, diced
2 cups cranberries, rinsed

1/2 cp, roasted chopped walnuts
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Grated rind of one lemon
½ cp. raisins or currants (optional)
1 orange–grate the rind, then juice the orange

1/2 tsp. cinnamon or 1 cinnamon stick
½ cup maple syrup

 

Directions

  1. Pour juice into a saucepan and add cranberries, sea salt, and agar flakes. Bring to a boil; turn down heat and simmer, stirring constantly until agar flakes are dissolved. If the flakes do not dissolve, this dish will not gel.
  2. Add raisins or currants, lemon rind, orange rind, and orange juice and simmer covered 10-15 minutes. Stir walnuts, cinnamon, vanilla, and maple syrup into the mixture.
  3. Dissolve the kuzu in a small amount of room temperature water and stir in the mixture, stirring constantly for 3-5 minutes. This helps to thicken the cranberry mixture. Alternatively you could use arrowroot but may have to add a little more sweetener if you use arrowroot.
  4. Place apples in a shallow serving dish and pour the cranberry mixture over the apples. Allow to cool to room temperature then refrigerate. You can refrigerate as soon as it stops streaming.
  5. You can pour the mixture into a Jell-O mold and refrigerate at lease a few hours before removing from the mold. Or simply serve it from the bowl.

 

Healing Properties of Agar

Agar is a tasteless sea vegetable. It is a vegan gelling agent and is rich in iodine, calcium, iron, phosphorus, and vitamins A, B-complex, C, D, and K.

Agar contains no calories, and is a vegan product.  The medicinal purposes of agar are varied. It benefits the lungs, reduces inflammations and heat conditions affecting the heart and lungs; it is soothing to the digestive tract and mildly laxative; it promotes good digestion and weight loss, treats hemorrhoids; and carries toxic and radioactive waste out of the body. Purchase agar flakes here

It is superior to gelatin since it doesn’t easily melt and has a firmer texture. 

 

My Light Lemon Pie and Vegan Jello are also made with agar flakes.