Italian Mandarin Jelly, or Gelo din Mandarino, a traditional Sicilian citrus dessert made from freshly-squeezed mandarin juice, granulated sugar and cornflour, and garnished with chopped pistachios and grated chocolate. It's an incredibly flavourful dessert with a smooth, delicate, custard-like texture and a bright orange colour that puts a smile on anyone's face. It's really easy to make with just a few ingredients, and ready to serve from chilled way quicker than a traditional jelly.
It might be cold outside, but you can still enjoy a refreshing dessert, especially after a richer meal or a Winter feast. And this incredibly fragrant Italian jelly ticks all the boxes when it comes to a light and zesty dessert that the whole family will enjoy.
Mandarins are at their best in the Winter months, and they are easily-available in most supermarkets at this time of the year. They are also cheaper than other out-of-season fruits, and full of goodness, so it would be a shame not to make the most out of them.
Unlike oranges, which have a thicker peel that can be tricky to remove, mandarins are much easier to peel, but harder to juice than oranges. This is way I chose to blend them first, then pass the blended juice through a fine sieve.
It really worked a treat, I got perfectly clear juice with very little effort, especially that the recipe called for 2 kg of mandarins, which would have taken a lot longer to juice by hand using a citrus squeezer.
It's literally just a matter of mixing the cornflour with a bit of juice to make a slurry, and add it to the sweetened juice, then simmer it gently on a low to medium heat until it thickens.
The result is so impressive, a delicate citrus pudding that has just the right amount of sweetness, which balances out the acidity of the mandarins. The dessert is also vegan and gluten free. Worth a try!
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Go to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions!
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Ingredients overview
- mandarins - they can be swapped for oranges, clementines or any other variety you like, just make sure you have the same amount of juice, as the size of the fruit will be different
- sugar - I used granulated sugar, but caster sugar is also ok
- cornflour - or corn starch for the US audience, it's used instead of gelatine to thicken the pudding
- chopped pistachios and grated chocolate - to garnish, they can be optional, but they do add a lovely touch
Variations
You can add a touch of lemon or lime juice too for an extra zesty kick, or you can use a combo of orange varieties. You could also use store-bought orange juice, but I'd highly recommend using freshly-squeezed juice, it's a lot nicer.
Step-by-step photos and instructions
- peel the mandarins, add them to a blender or food processor, and blitz for 5 seconds - work in batches to avoid overcrowding the blender
- strain the blended mandarin juice through a fine sieve - I also used line the sieve with a cheese cloth to make sure the juice run clear
- press and squeeze firmly to extract as much juice as you possible, I got 700 ml of mandarin juice
- add the cornflour to a bowl, and pour over a cup of mandarin juice
- mix well to get a slurry
- transfer the remaining juice to a pan set over a low to medium heat, and add the sugar to it
- stir until the sugar has dissolved, then add the cornflour slurry
- whisk the mixture well until it thickens
- divide it between 6 jelly moulds (the moulds I used can hold 125 ml liquid each) and leave it to cool down completely
- once they have cooled down, refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours so they can set
Expert tips
If you don't have jelly moulds, ramekins or small bowls work just as well. Jelly moulds give a more elegant finish when turned out onto a plate, but the dessert can be served directly from a ramekin.
This Italian mandarin pudding is a cross between a traditional fruit jelly that is set using gelatine, and a custard, which is thickened with cornflour. So it has a jelly-like texture, light and airy, but it's also creamy.
Do not add any more cornflour, we want the pudding set, but not rubbery. It is important to mix the slurry very well to prevent lumps from forming, or the dessert will not be smooth.
The jelly can be refrigerated for 3-4 days, I actually enjoyed it more the next day, as the flavours had time to meld. The amount of sugar used can be increased if you like, it all depends on how sweet the mandarins are.
Other fruit desserts you might like
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Italian Mandarin Jelly (Gelo di Mandarino)
Ingredients
- 700 ml mandarin juice (freshly-squeezed from 2 kg of mandarins / 3 cups juice)
- 70 g cornflour ( cornstarch, ½ cup or 2.5 oz)
- 100 g granulated sugar (½ cup or 3.5 oz)
- 50 g chopped pistachios (â…“ cup or 1.75 oz)
- 25 g grated chocolate ( can be milk, white or dark chocolate, ¼ cup or 1 oz)
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Instructions
- Peel the mandarins and add them to a blender or food processor; work in batches if necessary.
- Blitz for 5 seconds, then line a fine sieve with a cheesecloth and strain the blended juice though it.
- Press and squeeze firmly to extract as much juice as possible, I got 700 ml of juice.
- Add the cornflour to a bowl together with half a cup of the freshly-squeezed juice.
- Mix well to get a slurry.
- Mix the remaining juice with the sugar, and transfer the mixture to a pan set over low to medium heat.
- Stir until the sugar has dissolved, then add the slurry and whisk until the mixture thickens.
- Divide the mandarin mixture between 6 jelly moulds ( the moulds I used can hold 125 ml / 4 oz liquid each).
- Allow the mandarin jelly to cool down completely, then refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours until set.
- Serve with chopped pistachios and grated chocolate.
Video
Notes
- If you don't have jelly moulds, ramekins or small bowls work just as well. Jelly moulds give a more elegant finish when turned out onto a plate, but the dessert can be served directly from a ramekin.
- Do not add any more cornflour, we want the pudding set, but not rubbery. It is important to mix the slurry very well to prevent lumps from forming, or the dessert will not be smooth.
- The jelly can be refrigerated for 3-4 days, I actually enjoyed it more the next day, as the flavours had time to meld. The amount of sugar used can be increased if you like, it all depends on how sweet the mandarins are - always taste the juice before adding any more sugar.
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