American living in Budapest

fidobsa wrote:

This is what we are talking about

That is gelatin or a gelatin substitute. Not what "Americans" call "jelly".

American jelly is actually semi-viscous. An example of making jelly:

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Grape-Jelly

Other fruits can also be used, but may need added pectin (a fruit product that semi-solidifies the jelly).

I thought Americans called it jello but it looks like that is a specific brand of gelatin dessert.

fidobsa wrote:

I thought Americans called it jello but it looks like that is a specific brand of gelatin dessert.

Yes, Jell-o is just a brand of gelatin. But the brand name has entered the vernacular as synonymous to gelatin. Similar as happened with "Kleenex" tissues and "Velcro" fasteners.

klsallee wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

Yes, that was true in the past.

It is still true today. Gelatin is an animal product by definition: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gelatin.

You may be confusing gelatin with substitutes such as agar agar, which is a seaweed. Similar, but it is not gelatin and can not be sold/labeled as such. Important to know if you are a vegetarian/vegan.

I am confused, but that's normal for me on a cold and frosty morning.

I did know gelatine is an animal product of course.

Jelly (in the UK anyway) is not labelled as gelatine (at least in the UK), but as jelly which I guess is not an actual substance but more a description. I had a look at a packet of jelly and it says the ingredients are:

Gelatine, Natural Colours (Beetroot Red, Annatto), Adipic Acid, Acidity Regulator (Trisodium Citrate), Flavourings, Sweetners (Aspartame, Acesulfame K), Fumaric Acid. Warning: Contains a source of Phenylalanine.

Doesn't sounds so appetising like that.

Is this thread completely about preserves now? :-)

To give it a little Hungarian flavor, let me tell you about what we have here:

"Lekvár" is fruits cooked into a mush with tons of sugar, sealed into jars. Served on bread, pancakes (which are thin like crepes and rolled up with some sweet filling) or used in baking.

"Dzsem" (Hungarian spelling of "jam") is similar but completely blended, possibly strained, and hardened with gelatin.

"Kompót" is the least processed, like peach halves or slices of pearls, apples, etc in sugar syrup. Traditionally this is completely cooked as well.

"Szörp" is concentrated fruit juice preserved with tons of sugar like all the above. Diluted for drinking, or used on sweet food where Americans would pour syrup.

"Aszalt gyümölcs" is dried fruit, lot of work for very little end product that is so tasty it gets snacked up before the winter :-)

Traditionally, these were the only ways to preserve fruits for the winter. Those lucky enough to have a good cellar stored onions, carrots, potatoes, maybe apples. Other than this, there was bread, pig products, and nuts until spring.

OK, there's wine and palinka (ethanol distilled from rotten fruit), but those do not really count :-)

I'm told that the dzsem that comes in tubs instead of jars is intended for use in cooking and has a higher melting point, a bit like the cylinders of cheese specially made for doing breaded cheese. The other day I was making mince pies and used the last scrap of pastry to make a jam tart, using apricot/peach lekvár from a jar. When I took it from the oven I noticed the jam had become very runny and had gone clear, whereas the jam in the jar is cloudy. As the tart cooled down the jam stayed clear so it looks like it might be slightly different to British jam.

Hi Amy,

My name is Sam and I lived there with my wife from august until my visa expired in november,However,we'll be returning in april.

It's very difficult to find people in budapest. You have to look in the clubs and look for younger people (you look pretty young). the older humgarians already established themeselves.

W/B and  in april , perhaps I can recommend some things to do.



Sam

szocske wrote:

Is this thread completely about preserves now? :-)

Currently, it appears so. Actually, I am curious to see where this thread drifts next.

szocske wrote:

palinka (ethanol distilled from rotten fruit)

That is how one makes bad palinka. To make good palinka it is best to start with fresh fruit.