Custard is a comforting dish on cold days, and also popular to serve on traditional puddings and used to filll vegan custard tarts. Made by boiling milk with vanilla and sugar, some fake vanilla essence is made from castoreum (the anal glands of beavers). This post shows how to make (or where to buy) vegan custard and jelly (no gelatine). Try this homemade custard at Addicted to Dates (if making the compote, bin rhubarb leaves to naturally break down, as their toxin harms all creatures, including compost bin critters).
Did you know that China eats more custard on earth than anyone? It’s kind of like the national dish, although often eaten in the form of steamed custard buns, rather than alone. Italians also enjoy morning pastries filled with custard, sold in cafes alongside their first espresso of the day. This thick vegan custard (The Veg Space) is made with vegan cream.
Vegan Custard (Addicted to Dates) is thick and creamy. It uses just 5 simple ingredients and is coconut-free. Serve with cakes, pies and tarts.
Where to Buy Organic Vegan Custard
Just Wholefoods makes the best custard powder. It’s organic and made with real vanilla. Just add plant milk to make your own. You’ll have to recycle the plastic packaging at supermarket bag bins.
Sojade is another popular brand, made in an eco-factory in France, from organic ingredients. Wholesalers can buy it for shops and restaurants.
Nature’s Charm Coconut Custard is made by a company that guarantees no monkey slaves are used, to harvest the coconuts. Served in a zero waste tin.
A Bowl of Fruity Vegan Jelly
Fruit jelly can be made with agar-agar, a seaweed-thickening agent found in health stores and some groceries. This is better than gelatine, which is made from animal bones. Vegan Fruit Jelly Cake (Christie at Home) is made with strawberries and blueberries, and sweetened with maple syrup. Although seaweed should be avoided for people with thyroid/iodine issues, agar is very mild so should be fine, check with your GP before use.
Kanten Jelly recipe (Clearspring) is a very simple clear jelly from Japan, made with fruits, water and agar. This recipe has just 3 ingredients, and you can mix it up with different fruits.
Also try her Rose Coconut Jellies (Christie at Home) are made with coconut milk (choose a brand not harvested by monkeys like Biona or Nature’s Charm). Also try her Vegan Coconut Coffee Jelly.
Where to Buy Vegan Jelly
Just Wholefoods is the main brand in shops. It’s vegan and simple to make, though you’ll have to recycle the plastic packaging. Just pour the crystals into a glass measuring jug, pour in boiling water, cool and leave to set. You could add plant milk to turn these into ‘milk jellies’. Choose from raspberry, strawberry, lemon or tropical. You can find these in most indie health stores.
Hartley is the best-selling brand of jelly, but a quick look at the plastic packaging ingredients shows that the main ingredients for the strawberry jelly are pork gelatine, gluctose-fructose syrup (not good), sugar, and carmine (a red colour from dead insects). Strawberry is not even an ingredient. Avoid blancmange (milk jelly), as it’s nearly always made with gelatine.
