Jell-O

Jell-O

Cherry flavor, produced by Kraft Foods
Type	Gelatin desserts, puddings
Course	Dessert
Place of origin	United States
Region or state	Le Roy, New York, U.S.
Created by	Pearle Wait
Invented	1897; 120 years ago (1897)
Main ingredients	Powdered gelatin, sugar or artificial sweetener, artificial flavors, food coloring
Variations	Many flavors and various snacks
Food energy (per 21g serving)	80 kcal (335 kJ)
Nutritional value (per 21g serving)	Protein 2 g Fat 0 g Carbohydrate 19 g
Other information	http://www.jello.com

External video

Kitchen Chemistry: Jell-O, Tracing Jell-O’s rise to fame, Chemical Heritage Foundation

Jell-O is a registered trademark of Kraft Foods for varieties of gelatin desserts, including fruit gels, puddings and no-bake cream pies.

Jell-O is sold prepared (ready to eat) or in powder form, and is available in various colors and flavors. The powder contains powdered gelatin and flavorings, including sugar or artificial sweeteners. It is dissolved in hot water, then chilled and allowed to set. Fruit, vegetables, and whipped cream can be added to make elaborate snacks that can be molded into shapes. Jell-O must be put in a refrigerator until served, and once set, it can be eaten.

There are non-gelatin pudding and pie filling products sold under the Jell-O brand. Pudding is cooked on the stove top with milk, then eaten warm or chilled until firmly set. Jell-O has an instant pudding product which is mixed with cold milk and chilled. To make pie fillings, the same products are prepared with less liquid.

Gelatin, a protein produced from collagen extracted from boiled bones, connective tissues, and other animal products, has been a component of food, particularly desserts, since the 15th century.

Gelatin was popularized in Bellows Falls in the Victorian era with spectacular and complex "jelly moulds". Gelatin was sold in sheets and had to be purified, which was time-consuming. Gelatin desserts were the province of royalty and the relatively well-to-do. In 1845, a patent for powdered gelatin was obtained by industrialist Peter Cooper, who built the first American steam-powered locomotive, the Tom Thumb. This powdered gelatin was easy to manufacture and easier to use in cooking.

In 1897, in LeRoy, New York, carpenter and cough syrup manufacturer, Pearle Bixby Wait trademarked a gelatin dessert, called Jell-O. He and his wife May added strawberry, raspberry, orange and lemon flavoring to granulated gelatin and sugar. Then in 1899, Jell-O was sold to Orator Francis Woodward (1856–1906), whose Genesee Pure Food Company produced the successful Grain-O health drink. Part of the legal agreement between Woodward and Wait dealt with the similar Jell-O name.