Homemade Fruit Snacks

I am a total sweet tooth kinda person.  I love pretty much anything sweet, but I have an extra weak spot for chewy, sweet things (i.e. skittles, starburst, gummy bears, fruit snacks, jelly beans....it could go on and on).  So, I've wanted to try homemade fruit snacks for a long time but hadn't gotten around to it.  My sister in law mentioned that she tried a recipe and it flopped, and asked if I took requests to try new recipes :)  I of course said yes!  I found the original recipe HERE.  I followed her direction pretty much to a T, but found I would change some things next time.

It was actually very easy and quick.  I personally thought that these were not sweet enough (could totally be a personal problem), but all 3 of my children enjoyed them, so I figured I'd post it anyway (I'll mark the changes I suggest as we go).

2/3 cup fresh lemon or orange juice (I used lemonade...I would stick to real, fresh lemon next time)

2/3 cup berries (Since I totally scored on cheap strawberries last week, I figured I'd use some of those.  I also used some frozen blueberries.)

2 TBL honey (I will use 3 TBL next time for a little more sweetness)

4-5 TBL gelatin (unflavored, WINCO sells a generic brand for super cheap; the more gelatin you use, the stiffer it will become)

In a pot, heat the juice and berries on medium until they get super soft and it thickens a bit.  You want them really soft or it will not blend well into a smooth, fruit snack texture.

Once it is very soft, mix in your honey and stir well.  Let it cook for another 2 minutes or so, stirring occasionally.  

Next, using your immersion blender (I told you I love that thing), or a blender if you don't have one, mix your fruit mixture until smooth.

Now you are going to whisk in the gelatin.  It's important that you only add about 1 TBS or so at a time and whisk constantly or it will clump up on you.  I did 5 TBS and I think it was to firm for my liking.  Next time I will only do 4 TBS.  You'll see it get thick pretty quickly.  Just know that the more gelatin you use, the thicker/firmer it becomes.

Pour your mixture into a glass 8x8 pan.  It does NOT need to be greased.  They come out rather nicely.   Place it in the fridge to set for about 30 minutes or so.  Remove from the fridge, and use a knife to cut them into little squares.  They came out nicely, without sticking.  Store them in the fridge to maintain freshness.  

The kids really do like them.  It is definitely a recipe that I will do again, but with the modifications that I listed above.