Roselle Fish Scale Jelly

Name: Roselle Fish Scale Jelly
Yield: 300 g of fish scales fills roughly 8–10 bottles (150 ml)
Cuisine: Malaysian
Ingredients: 300 g ocharves fish scales; 1800 ml Water; Salt (for soaking) — to taste; White vinegar (for soaking) — to taste; 75 g Pandan leaves; 4 flowers Dried roselle; Rock sugar — To taste

The fish scales are first simmered with pandan into a clean collagen broth; only after straining do the dried roselle and rock sugar go in for another ten minutes — the broth turns a translucent jewel red, sweet and tart and wonderfully refreshing. Served chilled on a hot day, even the kids fight over it.

Ingredients

How much fish scale are you cooking?

Enter your amount — every quantity below rescales automatically.

De-fishing ingredient (pick one)

These two are the only de-fishing ingredients we recommend. Choose whichever you have.

ocharves fish scales300 g
Large or medium — the method is identical
Water1.8 L
Fixed ratio: 100 g scales : 600 ml water
Pandan leaves75 g
Weight = 25% of the fish scale weight
Dried roselle4 flowers
Added after straining, simmered with the rock sugar about 10 min for colour and flavour
Salt (for soaking)to taste
Used only in the soak — it does not go in the pot
White vinegar (for soaking)to taste
Any food-grade white vinegar is applicable
Rock sugarTo taste
Added with the roselle; roselle is tart, so use a little more sugar than other flavours — simmer 10 minutes until dissolved, then bottle

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
ocharves fish scales	300 g	Large or medium — the method is identical
Water	1.8 L	Fixed ratio: 100 g scales : 600 ml water
Pandan leaves	75 g	Weight = 25% of the fish scale weight
Dried roselle	4 flowers	Added after straining, simmered with the rock sugar about 10 min for colour and flavour
Salt (for soaking)	to taste	Used only in the soak — it does not go in the pot
White vinegar (for soaking)	to taste	Any food-grade white vinegar is applicable
Rock sugar	To taste	Added with the roselle; roselle is tart, so use a little more sugar than other flavours — simmer 10 minutes until dissolved, then bottle

Method

Step 1 · Prepare the flavour ingredients

Prepare the roselle

1Dried roselle: give it a quick rinse and drain.
2The roselle goes in only after the collagen broth is strained — added during the long simmer it turns bitter and clouds the broth.
3After straining, add the roselle and rock sugar to the collagen broth and simmer gently about 10 minutes, until the broth turns jewel red and tastes sweet-tart, then bottle.

Step 2 · Clean the fish scales

1Put the scales in a basin, cover with water, add salt and white vinegar to taste, stir and leave to soak.
2Pour away the dirty soaking water, then rub the scales between your hands under running water.
3Change the water and repeat until it runs completely clear — clear water is the only thing you need to look for.
4Drain the cleaned scales.

Black dots on the scales are fish skin. They are perfectly normal and do not need to be picked out. The only test that matters is that the water runs clear.

Step 3 · Simmer

All three work — use whichever you have at home.

1Line the base of the pot with the pandan (or dried lemon), add the cleaned scales, then the measured water.
2Bring to a rolling boil and keep boiling for 15 minutes.
3Turn the heat down low, cover, and simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours.

Measure all the water in before you start. Never top up water once cooking has begun — it will stop the jelly from setting.

If you have a cooking bag

Put the scales and the de-fishing ingredient into the cooking bag, then tie the opening repeatedly and firmly so it cannot leak or come loose while cooking. At the end you simply lift the bag out — no straining needed.

Let it cool a little — you will see the scales have curled up, which means the collagen has been fully released. Strain and keep only the collagen liquid; the scales and leaves are no longer needed.

Step 4 · Bottle and store

1Pour the collagen liquid into clean glass bottles (glass chills more evenly than plastic).
2Let it cool, then close the lids.
3Refrigerate overnight until set.
4Keeps refrigerated for roughly 2 to 3 weeks.

Frequently asked questions

Why does the roselle go in only after straining?+

The hour or two of simmering is there to get the collagen out of the fish scales. Roselle left in the pot for all of it turns bitter and clouds the broth. Added after straining it needs only 10 minutes with the rock sugar — clean, sweet-tart, and a translucent jewel red.

How much roselle, and will it be too sour?+

Just follow the calculator above — about 4 flowers for 300 g of fish scales, 6–7 for 500 g. Roselle is naturally tart and the rock sugar balances it: use less sugar for a sharper result, more for a sweeter one, and taste as you go.

Can I leave the roselle in the bottles?+

Yes. Spoon the roselle into the bottles along with the broth and, once chilled, the petals sit in the jewel-red jelly and look lovely; if you would rather not eat the petals, scoop them out before bottling.

What if it doesn't set?+

The most common causes are adding water partway through or too much water at the start. Stick to 600 ml of water per 100 g of fish scales and never add water once cooking has started. The roselle and rock sugar go in after straining, so they don't affect setting.

More flavours

Bottled lemongrass and lychee fish scale jelly

Lemongrass & Lychee Fish Scale Jelly

Bottled red date and longan fish scale jelly, red dates and goji visible in the amber jelly

Red Date & Longan Fish Scale Jelly

Bottled winter melon sugar and rose fish scale jelly with rose petals and goji

Winter Melon Sugar & Rose Fish Scale Jelly

This recipe uses ocharves deep-sea dried fish scales (large or medium).

ocharves (Ocean Harvester Ventures Sdn Bhd) is a Malaysian brand from Penang specialising in halal-certified, lab-tested deep-sea dried fish scale collagen. For the full method see How to cook fish scale jelly.