On Thursday evening I was chatting with a friend online. Earlier in the day he made a post on a hiking forum about a neat little product from Light My Fire — Grandpa’s Fire Fork. I thought I would share it with you because I think it’s pretty interesting.

Basically it is a small wire fork that attaches to any branch so that you can easily toast marshmallows or roast a hotdog. It comes with a protective cap and is very compact.

This would be a great product for the trail especially if you have young children.

One of the things we like to make for the kids in the backcountry is “Jello” but this doesn’t work well with regular gelatin-based jelly powders. So how do we do it? With a product called agar-agar (pronounced AH-gur AH-gur).  The great thing about agar-agar is that it will set without refrigeration so you can easily use it on trips where the temperature is moderate. 

So what is it?

Agar-agar is a vegan alternative to products like Jello and it is Kosher. is made from red algae or seaweed and is commonly used in Japan. Some other names for this product are kanten, agar, vegetarian gelatin, dai choy goh, Japanese isinglass or Japanese gelatin. Agar-agar is an incomplete protein and high in minerals much the same as other seaweed products.  I’ve used two types of agar-agar, flakes and powder.

Agar-agar will gel more firmly than Jello-type products and can even be used to make sweets such as Turkish Delight and Marshmallow. It is flavorless so you will want to add flavor to your water and sweeten to taste before you add the agar-agar. You can flavor agar-agar with extracts such as almond or vanilla instead of fruit juices for a bit of a twist.

You might have to use a little more of the agar-agar if you are using a juice with high acid content because acid can effect the gelling process, although not as severely as it effects traditional gelatin. You can use high acid fruits like pineapple, peaches, or kiwi fruit with agar-agar as long as they are cooked. Also the gel from agar-ager isn’t perfectly clear when it sets so don’t be alarmed if there is a slight cloudiness to it.

To gel 1 cup of liquid you need 3 tablespoons of flakes or 2 tablespoons of powder. If you are converting a gelatin based recipe agar-agar powder can be substituted for the same quantity of gelatin. Soak the agar-agar in your liquid for 15 minutes, then bring it to a low boil. You bring your liquid to a boil,  then turn your flame down to a simmer and keep stirring until the agar-agar has completely dissolved.  Set it aside with a lid on top. When it reaches air temperature it will be set.

You can purchase agar-agar at most health food stores and in larger grocery stores. Some stores even carry pre-flavored varieties.

Last week Bryan was working in another city and I had him visit one of my favorite stores to pick up some Rosewater. He knows I adore tea and that I had been having a bit of a rough week so he brought home some tea to lighten my mood. It was Green Tea Pomegranate from Yogi Tea.

Anyone who knows me also knows I am a bit particular about my tea. While I prefer loose tea there are some brands of tea in bags that I like. Yogi Tea is one of them. Well this one didn’t disappoint. It was delicious. Make the tea as you would any green tea — with hot, not boiling water. Pomegranates are full of antioxidants and green tea is also very good for you. The color the pomegranate lends this tea is beautiful too and it would make a great tea for the Holiday season.

I still had leftover tea in the pot so I popped it in the fridge and the next morning I used it in my fruit muffins. It gave them a beautiful color and amazing flavor. Next time I make my Chai Tea Breakfast Cake (from A Fork in the Trail) I might have to experiment with substituting this tea for the chai in the recipe.

If you haven’t had a chance to try teas from Yogi Tea, you should! If you live in the USA you can even request some free samples.