Gelatin Leaves for North America

Our answer

gelatin leaves can be found in some good cake decorating stores in North America, but unfortunately they are generally a specialist catering product and not comparable with UK gelatin leaves.Furthermore the gelatin leaves in the US tend to come in different strengths (known as grades, usually silver, gold, platinum) so the number of leaves you need will vary according to the grade.

To switch to powdered unflavored gelatin in the US use a guideline of 1 envelope of gelatin (such as Knox) to set 2 cups of liquid. You can either set aside 1/4 cup of cold wine from the recipe, sprinkle the gelatin on it and let stand for 10 minutes until the gelatin turns clear (this is called "blooming") then stir it into warm liquid until dissolved, or whisk the powdered gelatin direct into hot (but not boiling) liquid until dissolved. The packaging will often carry instructions on the best method to use. The alcohol in the wine and the acid in the fruits will both tend to inhibit the setting abilities of the gelatin so you should let the gelatin set overnight in the refrigerator.