I would like to try to make my own sugar free jello as I want to use another sweetner then nutrasweet - can I just get that unflavered gelitin stuff, add flavor, water, and sweetner?
Yup. Knox makes unflavored gelatin (still an animal product, fyi), and you can use it to gel your own stuff. Many fruit juices will work as a natural alternative. Not sugar-free, of course, but no processed sugar need be involved.
Lots of stuff on the Web for “Knox gelatin fruit juice recipes”. Here’s one.
http://www.boston-baden.com/hazel/Jello/jello3.html#kgel
Basically, it’s one packet of Knox unflavored gelatin, 1/2 cup of cold fruit juice, and 1-1/2 cups of boiling fruit juice. (Don’t use pineapple or kiwi juice.) Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold juice, wait 5 minutes, then stir in the boiling juice (the idea is to have the gelatin completely dissolved, same as Jello in a box).
You could add the word “diet” to the Search terms.
I’ve wondered sometimes if one could fidaddle with pectin, and come up with a nice NON Animal-based jello. Anyone tried that? Sorry for the hijack.
Cartooniverse
What would be the fun in that?
My motto is, “If there ain’t a critter in there somewhere, YOU eat it, tenderfoot!”
Most vegetarian “jello” is made from agar, made from healthful seaweed… Pectin would get you plain old jelly, agar gets you a gel kind of thing. Agar is very commonly used in Asia, you can find all kinds of agar-based gels at asian markets.
Another alternative is corn starch, which will give you a “pie filling” kind of goo. Personally I prefer a corn starch goo to an agar goo, but try both.