QUESTION: Is Jell-O really made from horse hooves?
ANSWER: Well, that's what we thought when we were kids on the Seneca farm. If one of our three horses, Dolly, Prince, or Lightning, was not moving fast enough, that horse would receive the warning, "We'll send you to the Jell-O factory" or, "You're off to the glue factory." The horse paid no attention!
Jell-O is a registered trademark of Kraft Foods. Jell-O is about 87 percent sugar and 10 percent gelatin, with a tad of flavoring and coloring. The gelatin, the stuff that causes the wiggling, actually does come from pig skins, cattle bones and cattle hides. Not to worry -- it has all been cleaned up, or so they say.
The skin, connective tissue, and bones of animals have a fibrous protein named collagen. When that collagen is treated with hot acid (type A) or alkali (type B), collagen turns into gelatin. The collagen is put into hot water, boiled down, and purified. It is colorless, translucent, and brittle when dry. It melts into a liquid when warmed and turns into a solid when cooled. There is no collagen in hooves.
People are also reading... A Wisconsin ice angler drove a Jeep across thin ice. It ended as you'd expect How UW-La Crosse women's basketball coach Moran Lonning is navigating life after a tragic loss Onalaska woman charged with felony DUI after traffic crash Onalaska man charged with two felony sexual assaults La Crosse woman arrested on felony drug charges 'This place means a lot': The Root Note purchase bolstered by GoFundMe campaign Dog business, Mexican restaurant and cheese and meat shop make debut. - Steve Cahalan 'Pink Palace' set for demo as La Crosse plans Haven on Main Architect's bid to design new school approved by divided La Crosse School Board 5 La Crosse area high school girls sports stars of the week: Dec. 10 edition Texas men arrested for attempting to break into Holmen post office 2 die when SUV crosses I-94 median near Tomah, crashes into 2 semis Marineland to close; Tomah adds 2 businesses -- Steve Cahalan Man arrested for 4th OWI after vehicle found in ditch near Holmen Firefighters quickly put out blaze on La Crosse's South Side
Gelatin is widely used in foodstuffs, theater lighting equipment, capsules for medicines, glues, photo paper, soft drinks, sandpaper, match heads, cosmetics, playing cards and glossy papers. Foods that contain lots of gelatin include marshmallows, candies, gummy bears, jams, yogurt, cream cheese and margarine.
Ammunition manufacturers and gun makers shoot into blocks of gelatin. Ballistic gelatin closely simulates muscle tissue. The shells of paintballs are made of gelatin, the same stuff that drug capsules use. Ever see those translucent window panes in gingerbread houses? They're made of gelatin. Serious swimmers use gelatin in their hair. The cool pool water will not dissolve the gelatin. Some athletes claim that gelatin relieves knee joint pain and stiffness.
Jell-O was invented by Pearly B. Waite in Leroy, New York. Around 1900, immigrants landing at Ellis Island in New York City were served Jell-O as a "Welcome to America" treat. Utah has named Lime Green Jell-O as their official state dessert.
Jell-O became a well-known household dessert was Post sponsored Jack Benny's radio program starting in 1934. They introduced a rising five-note musical theme jingle spelling out "J-E-L-L-O." In 1936, chocolate made the lineup as an instant pudding made with milk.
By the 1950s and 1960s, Jell-O was touted as an easy-to-prepare prepackaged dessert. Simply dump the carboard box contents into boiling water, stir, and pour it into a mold, likely Tupperware, then stick it in the refrigerator. Anyone attending a picnic, family reunion, church social, retirement or anniversary party, could count on spooning Jell-O on their plate. Today, most Jell-O is made by a plant in Mason City, Iowa.
Leroy, New York, (pop. 4,000) did not forget about Jell-O's inventor, Pearly B. Waite. They have the only Jell-O Museum in the world, located right on Main Street. Visitors can follow the Jell-O Brick Road, whose stones are inscribed with names of former factory employees.
Kraft sells Cranberry Jell-O in November and December. That's good news for our cranberry growers in Monroe and Jackson counties.
Larry Scheckel taught science at Tomah High School for 38 years and was named Tomah Teacher of the Year three times. Send comments and questions to [email protected].
Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
Be the first to know
Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.