Junket: how to enjoy this old-fashioned dessert

Remember junket? If you’re over a certain age, you probably have fond memories of enjoying this simple dessert as you grew up.

Whether you’re re-discovering this old-fashioned treat or are new to the joys of junket, below you’ll find everything you need to know about this interesting dessert with a funny name – including how to make and enjoy it.

What is junket dessert?

Junket is a traditional, old-fashioned dessert “of sweetened flavoured milk set with rennet.”

It’s been enjoyed for hundreds of years, and is also known a “curds and whey” – which was famously eaten by Miss Muffet in the nursery rhyme. That rhyme dates back to the 16th century!

What is rennet?

Rennet is a complex set of enzymes that causes milk to curdle. While it typically comes from the stomchs of animals as a byproduct of meat production, it is also found in plants and vegetarian rennet is available.

What are junket tablets?

Junket tablets contain rennet and can be dissolved and added to milk to make junket dessert.

Junket tablets became commercially available in Australia in 1886.

Where do you buy junket tablets?

Junket tablets can be purchased from supermarkets.

You can usually find them near the jelly and pudding mixes.

What are junket tablets used for?

Apart from making desserts and puddings, you can use junket tablets to make ice-cream.

How to make junket with tablets

Dissolve junket tablet

Place the junket tablet in the tablespoon of water and set aside to dissolve (see picture 1 below).

Warm the milk

Heat the milk gently (in microwave or in a saucepan on the stove top) until it’s body temperature – it should feel neither warm or cool at this point (see picture 2 below).

Add the vanilla extract and sugar to the milk and stir to dissolve (see pictures 3 and 4 below).

Add junket tablet to milk

Stir the junket or swirl it around to check it has dissolved and then add to the milk mixture (see picture 5).

Stir for 5 seconds only and then pour the mixture into the ramekins (see pictures 6 and 7).

Allow to sit on the bench for about 30 minutes. The junket should set during this time and will be similar to partially set jelly.

Once set, move the ramekins to the fridge to chill before serving. The junket will firm up a little more as it chills.

TIP 1: Do not move the ramekins during the setting process as this may prevent it from setting properly.

TIP 2: If adding a spice such as nutmeg or cinnamon, add before placing in the fridge to chill (see picture 8, above). If adding stewed fruit or something similar, add just before serving.

How to enjoy junket

There are so many ways to enjoy junket, and you can easily vary the recipe by:

• adding another flavouring instead of the 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract – you could try strawberry, lemon or almond essence
• adding more or less sugar.

Here are some more ideas from the days when junket was more popular:

From Launceston’s Saturday Evening Express, March 1929 (top) and The Queenslander, April 1937 (bottom).

Junket a la Melba certainly sounds fancy! I’m yet to try it. If you do, let me know how it turns out in the comments below.

More ideas for getting creative with toppings and accompaniments include serving with fresh berries or adding a generous sprinkling of MILO – they both take junket to a whole new place.

If you love junket, you might also like Creme Caramel, Broken Glass Jelly, Coconut Custard or Bread and Butter Pudding.