Mojito jellies

We still have a month or so left to enjoy our gardens in reasonable temperatures this year so I thought I’d share a recipe for mojito jelly – a perfect garden party treat – along with a few tips to make party planning as stress free as possible.

Mason jar style shot glasses courtesy of Drinkstuff.com. Keep reading for the recipe…

One // Keep food simple and prepare as much as you can the night before to cut down on any last minute rush or stress. One pot meals like chilli con carne are great for feeding a crowd whilst ‘build your own’ options like tacos are an easy way to cater for everyones’ dietary requirements. Whatever you decide on, a good rule to follow is that unless you have enough room to seat all your guests at a table, don’t serve anything that needs cutting up. No one wants to tackle a steak whilst balancing their plate on one hand.

Two // Forget matching garden furniture. Picnic blankets, benches, dining chairs and bean bags all make perfect garden party seating. Look around the house, some indoor furniture lends it’s self perfectly; nests of tables and tray tables make great places for guests to rest drinks.

Three // Don’t be too shy to ask guests to help out or bring things. There’s always someone willing to take over the barbecue, bring along dessert or help you set up.

Four // Keep a stack of blankets, cardigans and jumpers to hand ready for the temperature drop. Even if the weather is glorious you never know what our British weather might bring, especially as night time falls. Candles and chimineas will be welcome additions and bring some cosiness as well as the opportunity to toast some marshmallows.

Five // Have a few entertainment ideas ready to boost the mood. Background music is a good start, especially if you can use something like Spotify to let your guests queue the playlist themselves. There are some great board and card games for large groups (Articulate, Taboo, Cards Against Humanity) and if there’s children; some garden friendly games will keep them occupied, but don’t over plan.

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Now, back to the subject of food. This refreshing mojito jelly recipe can easily be made alcohol free but if you’d like to add rum, you can sub in a few measures in place of some of the water.

To make approx. 1/2 pint of jelly you’ll need:

Juice of 1 lime

8 mint leaves 

200ml water

2 tbsp sugar

6g gelatine powder

 

Using a blender, blitz the lime juice and mint until smooth.

Heat the water and sugar over a low heat until the sugar is entirely dissolved. Then sprinkle over the gelatine and whisk until combined. Stir in the mint and lime mixture then pour in to clean molds and chill.

I used these cute mason jar style shot glasses, from Drinkstuff.com. Seeing as they’re quite large for a shot glass, they’re the perfect side for mouses, cheesecakes and jellies. I love the old country style of them and I’m guessing by the popularity of mason drinks jars on Pinterest that some of you will love them too.