Cranberry Kombucha Gummies

These gummies are made with one of my favorite foods for pregnancy: gelatin. Gelatin is most famously found in Jello, and while the sugar and artificial food coloring don't make Jello the best choice, when gelatin is derived from a high quality source it actually offers many health benefits. Gelatin is also beneficial for your growing babe, both in utero and once they start solids, because it helps to make up cartilage and bone. Two more of my favorite benefits for pregnancy are a reduction in joint & pelvic pain, and a reduction in stretch marks. 

Weight gain can put strain on your joints, so it’s understandable that joint pain is one of the most common symptoms of pregnancy. Pregnant women also produce relaxin, a hormone to loosen your joints so that a baby can pass through your pelvis. Gelatin is wonderful for supporting joints and connective tissue and can help you avoid joint injury. I was having some pelvic pain in my second trimester and would get quite sore and stiff at times. I quickly noticed a substantial improvement when I increased my gelatin consumption and have been pain free through my third trimester!

Gelatin contains collagen, which is essential in the formation of your skin and its elasticity. Collagen is the primary structural protein that binds skin cells together to keep your skin supple. A lack of collagen combined with extreme stretching of the skin causes the dermis of your skin to tear. The more collagen your skin contains, the less likely you are to develop stretch marks. Better skin elasticity also means a reduced risk of tearing during birth and improved healing if any tearing does occur. Collagen also helps to tighten loose skin after pregnancy…. like the kind that lovely little babies can leave you with. 

Cranberry kombucha gummies

• 3/4 cup kombucha (any flavor)

• 1/3 cup unsweetened 100% cranberry juice

• 3 tbsp grass-fed gelatin* (see note)

• 2 tbsp honey (not suitable for babies under 1 year)

Warm the cranberry juice in a saucepan on low heat until just before it boils. Slowly whisk in the gelatin, approximately 1/2 tbsp at a time. (I prefer a bamboo matcha whisk for this). After all the gelatin has been whisked in and no clumps remain, remove it from the heat and add the honey. Then stir in the kombucha and whisk together very gently. Let the saucepan sit on counter for a couple of minutes so that some of bubbles that were produced by whisking can settle. Use a spoon to scoop off any remaining bubbles. Pour the mixture into a well-greased silicon candy mold, or baking dish, then transfer to the fridge to set for approximately 2 hours. Once firm, slowly and gently pop the gummies out of the molds, or cut into squares if using a baking dish. To store, refrigerate in an airtight container.   

* The chewy constancy of these gummies is best suited to a small jujube sized mold. If your mold is larger (such as ice cube size), you can reduce the gelatin to 2.5 tbsp so they are less firm.