I grew up in the 1970s so I was a child exposed to Jell-O. Gelatin desserts tend to fit a mold (pun intended) of being a combination of either sugar or sweetener combined with artificial colors and flavors. Also being real gelatin means that they are made with animal products. So the gelatins that I grew up with are not safe for anyone on a Feingold diet nor for vegetarians. They also complicate Kosher cooking since they are not pareve.
Which is why I was pleased to find Natural Desserts brand all-natural cherry jel dessert. It works almost exactly like the gel desserts you remember. Yes, the red is a bit faded and it could stand more cherry flavor. I have plans to make it with juice instead of water the next time, but its a nice addition to the hypoallergenic kitchen. The only ingredients in the Cherry flavored one are Evaporated Cane Juice, Adipic Acid, Potassium Citrate, Natural Flavor (gluten-free) and beet powder. For anyone who doesn’t want to work too hard for a dessert, here you go. I am not sure if there are any nightshades or citrus in the various flavors. My guess is that there is citrus in the orange flavor, but nothing else. That said who wants to actually use the epi-pen? I would call the manufacturer if your allergies are life threatening just to confirm.
Natural Desserts is not certified kosher. They should be, but they aren’t. They have a recipe book that you can get by sending in the package from your first purchase.
If you cannot find their products in your local health food store you can get them here
http://www.bulknuts4you.com/category_GELA_Gelatin-Substitutes.html
Note that this store also has Liebner’s as well for the Kosher crowd. Unfortunately it is plain, so its more work.
