Jelly worms!!! They seem so cool, but when you Google it, turns out you have to use cream and a whole bunch of other things which I couldn’t be bothered doing. So this is MY version of it. The simple version. They won’t come out looking the same (see photo at the bottom of this for my results), but our kids still loved them.
INGREDIENTS:
Straws (I used about 50)
Rubber band
1 x packet jelly
1 tablespoon gelatin
2 cups boiling water
Rolling pin
DIRECTIONS:
Firstly gather your straws together, and using the rubber band, tie them tightly and place in a tall glass (like the blog photo).
Place the jelly crystals and gelatin in a bowl and add the 2 cups of boiling water. Stir using a whisk until crystals and gelatin have dissolved.
Pour the jelly into the straws – it will fill up the glass too but that is ok.
Place in the fridge and wait for it to set.
REMOVAL OF JELLY: (watch video here)
This part is a little fiddly. Once the jelly has set (it won’t take long as the gelatin will help it along nicely), pull the straws out of the jelly. One-by-one, lay the straws down and, using a rolling pin, gently roll from the end of the straw with no jelly. This will push the jelly out the top of the straw. Don’t push it all the way out, just a little bit. Then, using your fingers, push the jelly out the rest of the way – into the bowl. Watching THIS VIDEO, will help explain it a bit more.
The removal of the jelly was the toughest for me. I ended up with jelly EVERYWHERE. All over my hands, on the kitchen bench, on the oven, even on the walls. It wasn’t a pretty sight.
MY TIPS:
- Use wider straws – I used small ones and the result was … well you can see 😛
- Use gelatin – don’t think you can get away with not using it, because it won’t work the same at all
- Don’t beat yourself up if it doesn’t look like actual worms … you’re still a cool parent for trying 😛
- Don’t tip out any leftover jelly – just let it set in a glass and because of the extra gelatin, it’ll set harder which means you can cut it up into squares and that kid of yours will LOVE it
The end result was NOTHING like how I’ve seen it on the internet, but it didn’t matter. I managed to create something easy and fun for my daughter to play with. Her 8 month old brother also got involved too!
