We’re big fans of gelatin around here. I add it to my marshmallow recipe and healthy jello. Tangerine gummies are another delicious and healthy way to enjoy this superfood.
Why Tangerine Gummies?
One of the main reasons to consider taking your vitamins in gummy form is the gelatin they contain. If you’ve been around the Wellness Mama site for long, you already know how great gelatin is. It strengthens hair and nails, makes for fewer wrinkles, and supports healthy joint function for ease of movement.
I also credit it for helping heal my son’s digestion so he could finally enjoy dairy!
Gelatin comes from the connective tissue (collagen) of animals and contains amino acid proteins we need for a healthy body. In fact, 25-35% of the protein in our body is made of collagen! You can read more about the benefits of gelatin here.
Difference Between Gelatin and Collagen
Here’s where things can sometimes get confusing. Collagen (connective tissues) from animals is broken down into gelatin and powdered or turned into sheets. The gelatin can further be broken down into collagen hydrosolate powder.
While both are incredibly healthy, it’s the gelatin that we want to use in these tangerine gummies. Collagen hydrosolate won’t gel. This makes it great for adding to soups, smoothies, and coffee, but not so much when we want a gummy candy.
It’s also worth noting I only use grass-fed gelatin. Pasture raised cows are healthier and have a higher ratio of healthy nutrients compared with factory farmed animals. It’s better for the planet and our bodies.
Finding Tangerines
I actually had to go to a few different stores before I could find tangerines. If you can’t find them then oranges can also work, though the flavor will obviously be different. Clementines and mandarin oranges are popular lately and are a close relation to tangerines, so they’re also a good substitute.
If you can find tangerines though, the unique tangy flavor is well worth it! Tangerines (like most citrus) are high in vitamin C. You’ll also find some beta carotene, B vitamins, calcium, magnesium, and potassium.
A Boost of Vitamin C
Most of us think vitamin C when we hear citrus, but camu camu berry actually blows them out of the water on this one. Just one teaspoon of camu camu berry powder offers well over 1,000% of our daily value of vitamin C! Camu camu is also one of the star ingredients in my vitamin C herbal electuaries.
This recipe makes 8 servings of citrus gummies which comes out to a little over 100% DV vitamin C per serving. Unlike other supplements, eating more than a serving size won’t hurt you. Worst case scenario you might get loose stools if you eat an entire double batch yourself.
According to Mayo Clinic the average adult can handle up to 2,000 mg vitamin C before they start having digestive issues. This recipe has less than half that amount in the entire batch. So eat away.
Tangerine Gummies
Between tangy tangerine juice, vitamin C rich camu camu, and protein packed gelatin, these gummy snacks are as healthy as they are delicious. Since they store well in the fridge, it’s a great make ahead snack for little ones to grab. You may want to double the batch though because they don’t last long!
If you want to add some essential oil to boost the flavor but don’t have tangerine on hand, sweet orange will also work.
Tangerine Gummies Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh tangerine juice
- 5 TBSP gelatin
- ¼ cup honey
- ¾ tsp camu camu berry powder
- 4 drops organic tangerine essential oil (optional)
Instructions
- Whisk the tangerine juice and honey together in a sauce pan until combined.
- Sprinkle the gelatin over the top of the juice mixture and let it sit for about 4 minutes to “bloom.” When the top looks wrinkled and thegelatin has absorbed into the liquid, turn the heat onto medium low.
- Whisk gently until the gelatin is completely dissolved, about 3-5 minutes. Don’t get crazy here or the mixture will get really foamy!
- Turn off the heat and briskly whisk in the essential oil if using. This helps amp up the citrus flavor.
- Pour the juice mixture into your molds and refrigerate until firm. If you’re not using a mold, then an 8x8 glass baking dish will also work. Simply cut the gelatin into squares when cooled.
- Store the finished gummies in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
Notes
Nutrition
Ever made homemade “gummy bears” Ready to give these a try? Share below!
Banana Bread Muffins Recipe (Grain Free)
This sounds great. Looking forward to reading about the gelatin advantages. If you make these, how long do they last? Do you store them in the freezer?
Hi Tawnee,
They last a few days in the fridge. I would say try to consume them in 3-4 days. Fresh ingredients don’t last very long 🙂
I’ve never tried freezing but do let me know how it turns out if you try it!
Hope that helps!
Sylvie from HollywoodHomestead.com
I don’t think that the gelatin which is linked above is actually pastured! I believe the animals are GMO grain fed. I am going to start looking into the possibility of making my own gelatin from bones but do you have any resources on doing this to get me going in the right direction?
Many Thanks,
Dharmaja
Hi Dharmaja,
In the ebook, I actually talk about making your own gelatin. Other brands I like are Vital Proteins and Bernard Jensen. You may want to try those if you are unhappy with Great Lakes.
Hope that helps,
Sylvie
Hi Katie, I ordered the gelatin secret via pay pay and never received link to download. Can you please contact me. Thank you.
You can contact her through HollywoodHomestead.com and she should be able to help you out
I was just wondering if you were at all concerned about what gelatin actually is? I’m sure you know it is the left over bones/hooves/ears etc of cows and pigs. I’m not trying to be cheeky at all so please don’t think that lol!! I’m not a vegetarian but I choose not to eat any gelatin at all (honestly grosses me out to know what it is) I’m genuinely wondering if you have ever been concerned with what it is or if you feel its a good use of the meat industries byproducts.
Thanks 🙂
I do know where it comes from, which is why I am very careful of the source but these parts of animals were routinely consumed for hundreds of years and it is only recently that we’ve had the luxury of being able to not eat them. Personally, I feel that this is part of the reason for some of the health problems we are seeing today.
Native Americans amongst others always used every inch of the animal’s they killed in some way and while I know exactly what you mean having been raised in more modern society (we were never told what gelatin was but there was a lot more of it being consumed when I was young), it seems to me a lot less wasteful to be using every part we can get benefit from. That said of course it’s one more reason to know where the product is being sourced from but the bones and hoofs are no less natural than the meat and hold a concentration of particular nutrients so why would they really be any less desirable/beneficial than any other part? The other side of course being that beef broth, like good chicken broth is always best made with the bones! Just the way I try to think about it…
I ordered book and never received link to download it can you help please already paid for it via paypal
Contact her through Hollywoodhomestead.com and she should be able to help you out.
Hi Pam,
Email us at info at hollywoodhomestead.com and you’ll receive a reply within 24 hours.
Hi Nina,
Where in South America are you so I can do some investigating for you? Agar agar does not have the same benefits as gelatin and I haven’t tried using it as a replacement in this recipe so I can’t say but I do know that iherb.com has reasonable shipping rates on Great Lakes and other items. I would suggest ordering from them.
Hope that helps,
Sylvie
How many will this recipe make?
Hi Mary,
Depending on the size of the molds it will make about 25 gummies. Feel free to halve the recipe!
Hope that helps!
Sylvie
What natural products can I use for hair. My hair is beginning to be very thin. And my nails are breaking very easily.
Hi Lorna,
I suggest you look into micronutrient deficiencies and absorption issues. Ideally, you can work with a naturopath to see what supplements are best for your individual needs but in the meantime the ebook mentioned above will help you get started with the healing and nourishment you need for each part of your body.
Hope that helps!
Sylvie
Is there any reason these couldn’t stay in the freezer for an extended amount of time? I’m trying to make and freeze some snacks that the kids can access once the baby is born – they love these type of gummies. Since they go in the freezer initially, I thought I could perhaps just put them in baggies for longer storage?
Hi Karyn,
That’s a good idea! To be honest, I haven’t tried it! Before you make a truckload of them, why don’t you make a small batch, freeze it for a week and see how they do when they thaw? I’d love to hear how it went!
Hope that helps,
Sylvie
What is the white that settled to the bottom of these? They look delicious! Is the tangerine flavor evident? Also, can you substitute different juices with this?
Hi Raya,
If the gelatin wasn’t combined thoroughly I suppose it may have settled some at the bottom. That’s never happened to me so I’m not sure but tasting it should confirm that.
Yes, you can sub another juice. To keep the proportions correct I would suggest another citrus. If you venture into other juices I would suggest using one of the recipes in the ebook mentioned above. It includes flavors like blueberry, strawberry, etc and they all vary a bit in how they need to be made and their proportions.
Hope that helps,
Sylvie
Hi,
I think she’s talking about the photo’s here for this post. I was wondering the same thing and looking through to see if someone else had asked. The photo of these in the bowl in particular shows a layer of something whiter on the bottom of the chews. Also while I’m asking, is there a difference nutritionally between the hydrolosate and non hydroyslate other than having to use warm liquid and the way it gels? Thanks!
Hydrolysate does not gel so it won’t work for gummies. The white layer is just a foam that occurs when you mix the ingredients and it doesn’t have a different taste or texture.
Thank you. Other than not gelling are there any nutritional differences?
Hi! Do you think fresh watermelon would work in this recipe? I have heirlooms in the garden that will be ready in July, and I ALWAYS have too much and not enough recipes in which to utilize them! If so, what kind of “tweaking” do you think should be done to the recipe?
Hi Jaynie,
Sure! That sounds delicious. I would worry that it would be too watery so you’d need more gelatin to compensate which might then make the flavor too gelatin-y 🙂
You might have to try it a couple times to get it right or google some watermelon gummy recipes to get you started.
Hope that helps,
Sylvie