Recipe for: Summer Raspberry and Lemon Balm Kissel

I'm not hungry Desserts Cold Dishes 30 min Easy 0 views ~57.46 PLN * - (0)
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Description

A delicate, slightly tangy jelly made from fresh summer raspberries and aromatic lemon balm leaves. This refreshing spring-style herb dessert is perfect for hot days — a smooth, ruby consistency with a distinct lemon note and a herbal hint of lemon balm. Serve chilled in cups or bowls as a standalone dessert, with a dollop of cream or a drizzle of honey. Qualities: intense color, silky texture, and a fresh herbal aroma that highlights seasonal fruits.

Ingredients Used

Ingredients (9)

Servings:
4
  • Raspberry 500 g
  • Water 300 ml
  • Sugar 60 g
  • Potato starch 35 g
  • Lemon 0.6 pcs (~50 g)
  • Lemon balm 10 g
  • 🌿 Spices
  • Salt 1 g
  • ✨ Optional
  • Sour cream 60 g
  • Honey 30 ml
💰 Estimated dish cost: ~57.46 PLN (14.36 PLN/serving)
* Prices missing for some ingredients

💡 Click an ingredient to mark it as used

Preparation steps

Preparation of ingredients

1

Rinse the raspberries gently under cold water in a colander and set aside to drain. In the meantime, wash the lemon and finely grate 1 teaspoon of the zest (only the yellow part) using a fine grater — avoid the white, bitter part. Squeeze the juice from the lemon into a small bowl.

Ingredients: Raspberry, Lemon
Use a sieve or a fine strainer to gently rinse the fruits. For grating the zest, use a microplane or a fine grater, and for squeezing the juice, use a small manual juicer.

Cooking the jelly

2

In a medium-sized pot (capacity about 1.5–2 l), place the raspberries and pour in 200 ml of water. Set the pot over medium heat and bring to a gentle boil. Cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring every 1–2 minutes with a wooden or silicone spoon, until the raspberries break down and release their juice.

Ingredients: Raspberry, Water
Use a heavy-bottomed pot to prevent the fruit from burning. Cook until the fruit loses its shape and releases juice — this will be noticeable when some of the fruit breaks down and the mixture becomes more liquid.
4

Into the strained raspberry juice, pour the remaining 100 ml of water, add sugar and a pinch of salt. Heat over low heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture begins to gently steam. Taste — the flavor should be slightly sweet and sour; if needed, add more sugar or honey optionally.

Ingredients: Water, Sugar, Salt, Honey
The best is a wide, flat mixing spoon. Do not bring to a rapid boil — small bubbles on the surface are sufficient.
6

Increase the heat to medium-high and, while constantly stirring, pour the prepared starch mixture in a thin stream into the hot raspberry juice. Stir continuously with a whisk or wooden spoon. After 1–2 minutes, the mixture will thicken into a smooth jelly. Cook for another 30–60 seconds to ensure the starch is 'cooked' and loses its raw taste.

Ingredients: Potato starch, Raspberry, Sugar
Use a whisk to prevent lumps from forming. If lumps do form, remove the pot from the heat and vigorously whisk — most will disappear. The time from when you add the starch to thickening depends on the intensity of the heat, but do not exceed 2 minutes of cooking.

Straining

3

Strain the hot raspberry mixture through a fine sieve or cheesecloth into a large bowl, pressing with a spoon or silicone spatula to separate the seeds. Discard the seeds left in the sieve or use them for compost.

Ingredients: Raspberry
Use a metal strainer with fine mesh and attach a spoon for pressing. If you want a very clear jelly, strain the mixture through cheesecloth folded in several layers.

Preparation of starch

5

In a small bowl, thoroughly mix the potato starch in 60 ml of cold water (about 4 tablespoons) — stir evenly with a whisk or spoon until there are no lumps and a smooth slurry forms.

Ingredients: Potato starch, Water
Use a small bowl and a whisk. Always dissolve the starch in cold water — adding starch directly to hot liquid creates lumps.

Seasoning and finishing

7

Remove the pot from the heat. Add freshly squeezed lemon juice and grated lemon zest, check the sweetness and, if necessary, sweeten with honey or an additional spoonful of sugar. Set aside for 5 minutes to allow the jelly to cool slightly and thicken even more.

Ingredients: Lemon, Honey, Sugar
Adding lemon juice after cooking will preserve the fresh aroma. Check the taste after each additional spoonful of sweetener, as raspberries vary in sweetness.

Serving

8

Pour the jelly into cups or bowls. Once it reaches a slightly warm or room temperature, place it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to chill well. Before serving, decorate with fresh lemon balm leaves and optionally a dollop of cream or a bit of honey.

Ingredients: lemon balm, Sour cream, Honey
For cooling, use the middle shelf in the fridge to cool it down faster. Arrange the lemon balm leaves just before serving so they don't lose their color or aroma.

Additional tips

9

If you want a very smooth consistency, you can strain the juice again through a very fine sieve before adding the starch. Additionally, you can add a bit of fresh mint as an alternative to lemon balm.

Ingredients: lemon balm, Sour cream
Alternatively, use natural yogurt instead of cream for a lighter version. If the jelly becomes too thick after cooling, dilute it with a little cold water and mix well.

Fun Fact

💡

Kisiel has a long tradition in Slavic cuisine — it was originally made from wild fruits as an easy dessert or a complement to a meal. In the version with lemon balm, it gains the aroma known from traditional herbal infusions.

Best for

Tips

🍽️ Serving

Serve chilled in clear bowls to showcase the intense color. For a contrast in textures, add crushed butter cookies or almond flakes on top. It pairs wonderfully with vanilla cream or natural yogurt.

🥡 Storage

Store in the refrigerator in a covered container for up to 48 hours. Do not freeze — thawed jelly may lose its consistency. To reheat, gently warm in a saucepan, stirring; if it is too runny, thicken with a bit of mixed starch.

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