This is the second installment in our arrangement recipe series, where we introduce simple and healthy homemade meal recipes using saesa, our additive-free vegetable sprinkle for dogs. Today's feature is "Chilled Vegetable Jelly," perfect for summer.
This is an easy-to-make menu you can whip up on a whim, and it’s also highly recommended for hydration during the hot season, so please give it a try at home.
Basic Recipe
With a simple recipe requiring only hot water, gelatin, and your favorite saesa, it's perfect for beginners in homemade meals or busy professionals, as all you have to do is mix and chill.
While staying mindful of preventing summer dehydration in your dog, this is a great way to provide natural hydration that can be given as a treat. It's also easy to arrange by adding yogurt or meat to suit your dog's preferences.
◉Ingredients
・Hot water…50cc
・Hot water…100cc
・Your preferred saesa sprinkle…5g
・Gelatin…5g
※Please adjust the feeding amount to suit your dog.
◉Instructions
① Add 100cc of hot water to the saesa and let it sit for 5 minutes to extract the stock.
For this jelly, I chose saesa Apple, keeping a dessert-like feel in mind.
After letting it sit for 5 minutes, you can see the freeze-dried vegetables have rehydrated and released a rich stock.
② Add 50cc of hot water to the gelatin and mix it with the saesa from ①.
Mix well until the gelatin is completely dissolved.
We recommend sprinkling the gelatin into the liquid rather than pouring water onto the gelatin to prevent clumps.
Then, mix it with the saesa stock from ①.
③ Pour into a container or mold of your choice and chill in the refrigerator to set.
Once you pour it into the mold and set it in the fridge, it's done in no time!
As a taste test, I had a bite myself, and it has a natural, slightly sweet flavor.
The texture turned out quite firm, so you might want to adjust the amount of gelatin depending on your dog's preference.
By the way, I used a strawberry-shaped mold this time, but the saesa vegetables are heavy and sank to the bottom, making it prone to breaking when removed from detailed molds.
Simple shapes will likely yield cleaner results.
Plus-One Recipes
◉ Add your favorite meat for more satisfaction!
If your dog is a picky eater or has a poor appetite due to the heat, adding their favorite meat will surely make them happy.
Simply boil your dog's favorite meat, add the saesa to the broth to create a stock, and then follow the recipe by mixing in the gelatin and refrigerating it.
◉ Natural jelly without gelatin using chicken wings or beef tendon
For those who want to enjoy further arrangements, we recommend using ingredients rich in natural collagen, such as chicken wings or beef tendon. By chilling the broth, you can create a natural collagen jelly—also known as meat aspic—without needing gelatin.
Simmer the chicken wings or beef tendon well, add the saesa, and chill it in the fridge for a cold jelly condensed with the flavors of meat and vegetables.
It is much softer than the version with gelatin, making it easier for senior dogs to eat.
Time to taste!
Now it's time for the tasting.
Our testers this time were the usual members of my home: Amrita, a Dachshund (3 years old at the time of shooting; nickname Amu-chan), and Petrichor, an Italian Greyhound (1 year old at the time of shooting; nickname Petchi-kun).
By the way, Amu-chan is generally a picky eater with little interest in food, and her appetite has been slightly down due to the onset of the heat. Petchi-kun is, as always, a glutton, but we are monitoring him as he's been vomiting lately, possibly due to eating too fast.
As noted, the texture was a bit firm, and since our dogs seemed puzzled about how to eat it, we decided to crush it up for them.
Petchi-kun, who had been curious about the jelly the whole time it was being made, was very satisfied to finally get some. For Petchi-kun, who currently has his food softened to prevent him from vomiting after eating too fast, the soft yet bouncy vegetable jelly was perfect.
Amu-chan didn't seem interested at first, so I gave her the version with chicken. She carefully sniffed it for a while, but eventually finished it all. (Petchi-kun ate both!)
It’s a recipe that will definitely be a go-to for a healthy summer snack.
saesa used today
◉ Apple, featuring a fruity aroma
saesa Apple is primarily blended with domestic apples. The fruity scent of apples is recommended even for dogs who dislike vegetables.
It’s a high-palatability product packed with polyphenols for antioxidant benefits and dietary fiber.
Closing
We've created a refreshing dish perfect for the summer heat, when concerns about fatigue and dehydration are at their peak.
Let's get ready for summer together with your dog using delicious, chilled jelly.