The STRAWBERRY GELO is a delicious and colorful variation of the well-known Sicilian dessert, traditionally prepared with watermelon (known as “mellone” in the local dialect) for Ferragosto. It’s a simple and light dessert, perfect to serve at the end of a meal when you want something fresh and tasty but without fats and rich in vitamins. It’s a true pleasure for the palate and, with its vivid red color, also for the eyes.
As you can see, the recipe is really simple and only requires nice ripe, fragrant, and juicy strawberries to give the dessert all their natural goodness. I prefer not to overdo the sugar in order to highlight the delicate flavor of the berries even more, but you can of course adjust the sugar slightly to suit your taste. Do not change the percentage of starch, however, so that the gelo remains well set without becoming too dense and, therefore, less appealing.
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Rest time: 8 Hours
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 4 servings
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring
Ingredients
- 3 1/3 cups strawberries (weight after cleaning (about 1.1 lb / 17.6 oz))
- 1/2 cup sugar (about 90 g (3.2 oz))
- lemon juice (juice of half a lemon)
- 5 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/3 cup water
YOU WILL NEED FOR THE STRAWBERRY GELO
- 1 Pot
- 1 Immersion blender
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Bowl
- 4 Muffin tins disposable aluminum
PREPARATION OF THE STRAWBERRY GELO
The preparation of the STRAWBERRY GELO is really very easy and quick.
Thoroughly wash, dry, and hull the strawberries, removing any damaged parts. Cut them into cubes and place them in a pot with the juice of half a lemon and the sugar.
Use an immersion blender to purée them until you obtain a smooth sauce.
In a bowl, put the cold water and dissolve the cornstarch in it. Pour into the pot with the strawberries and place over the heat.
Cook, stirring constantly with a whisk, for about 10-15 minutes or until the mixture has thickened.
Wet 4 disposable aluminum molds with water, fill them with the strawberry gelo and let cool at room temperature.
Then transfer to the refrigerator to set for at least 6 hours.
Once set, run them quickly under hot water and invert them onto a small plate.
Decorate the strawberry gelo with fresh strawberries and mint, or with chocolate chips.
