Halal · MeSTI Certified · 100% Natural Deep-Sea Collagen

ocharves

Ginger & Red Date Fish Scale Jelly

Sliced and bruised old ginger simmers with the fish scales — it takes the fishiness out and carries a warm ginger note into the collagen. After straining you add red dates, dried longan and brown sugar and boil for ten minutes to finish the sweetness. It sets a deep amber, sweet with a warm gingery edge, and it is the most comforting one when the weather turns cool. The dates and longan sit whole in the jelly; scatter a few goji berries on top as you bottle it.

Ingredients

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g

De-fishing ingredient (pick one)

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

Flavour add-ins (mix and match)

Tap what you want to add — one of them, or both together. The amounts rescale with everything else.

  • 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

  • Old ginger60 g

    Sliced and bruised, simmered with the fish scales for de-fishing and warmth (the star of this one)

  • Red dates35 g

    Scored or pitted; added after straining and simmered with the brown sugar about 10 min

  • Dried longan25 g

    Added with the red dates, simmered about 10 min

  • 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

  • Brown sugarTo taste

    Boiled about 10 min after straining with the red dates and longan to season. Its caramel note suits ginger and date best; use rock sugar if you prefer it lighter

  • Wolfberries (goji)To taste

    Added after straining, a few scattered into each jar

Method

Step 1 · Prepare the flavour ingredients

Prepare the flavourings you are using

  1. 1Old ginger: rinse, slice, then bruise with the back of a knife — breaking the fibres is what releases the ginger. It simmers with the fish scales, taking out the fishiness and adding warmth.
  2. 2Red dates: rinse and either score each one or pit them, so the sweetness comes out. They go in only after the collagen is strained.
  3. 3Dried longan: rinse and drain, added at the same time as the red dates and simmered about 10 minutes.
  4. 4Brown sugar: goes in after straining with the red dates and longan to season, boiled about 10 minutes. Rock sugar works if you prefer it lighter.
  5. 5Goji berries (optional): added after straining — scatter a few into each jar, and they look good too.

Step 2 · Clean the fish scales

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

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

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

Frequently asked questions

How is this different from the red date & longan fish scale jelly?+
Both use red dates and longan, but this one adds old ginger and brown sugar — warm ginger and caramel brown sugar make it rounder and deeper in colour, the one to reach for when it is cool out. The red date & longan version uses rock sugar for a clear, lightly sweet result. It comes down to whether you want it warming or clean.
Why do the red dates, longan and brown sugar go in after straining?+
The hour or two of simmering is there to get the collagen out of the fish scales. Red dates and longan sitting in the pot for all of it simply fall apart and lose their sweetness. Added after straining they need only 10 minutes — the fruit stays whole and visible in the bottle, and the brown sugar does not turn bitter from long cooking.
Will the ginger be too spicy? Can I use less?+
Cooked, the ginger mellows a lot — it reads as warmth rather than heat, and it is strained out anyway. Use fewer slices for a milder result, or turn the ginger amount down with the calculator above; leave it off entirely and you essentially have the red date and longan flavour.
Can I swap the brown sugar?+
Yes. Brown sugar's caramel note is what suits ginger and date, and it is the character of this one; for something lighter, rock sugar works — adjust the sweetness to taste. Add it after straining and taste as you go.

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.