Soft fruit gummies that quietly mend the gut

Some days the most useful food is the one already made and waiting in the fridge. These set in a mold while you do something else: a small, sweet thing built entirely from real fruit, a real carrot, and the bones that gave the gelatin.

What makes these more than candy is the gelatin. It is rich in glycine, involved in repairing the gut lining, the single-cell barrier that is part of calming an overactive immune system. The mango and carrot bring beta-carotene, which the body uses to make vitamin A, involved in immune and mucosal health.

These are easy to make beautiful. Pour them into a mold you like and let them set into clean little shapes. Before you eat one, notice where it came from: whole fruit, a real carrot, real bones. A snack made with that much care lands differently.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups diced mango
• 1 medium carrot, cooked soft
• 2 tablespoons honey, more to taste
• 1/4 cup carrot juice (check the label for clean ingredients)
• 5 tablespoons gelatin
• Coconut oil, for greasing the mold

Method

Lightly grease a silicone mold with a little coconut oil so the set gummies release cleanly.

Add the mango, cooked carrot, honey, and carrot juice to a blender. Blend until completely smooth, then taste and add more honey if you want it sweeter.

Pour the blended mixture into a saucepan. Sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the top and let it sit undisturbed for 5 minutes to bloom, then whisk it in.

Warm the pan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is smooth and the gelatin has fully dissolved. Do not let it boil.

Pour into the mold and refrigerate until fully set, about 1 to 3 hours depending on the size of the mold.

Stored in the refrigerator, the gummies keep for up to a week.

*Adapted from a-clean-plate*