The Jello Thread
 

I like Jello. And it has to be Jello... no knockoffs (like Royal). I like my Jello more wiggly and less stiff. Red and green are my favorite flavors :) And I really like adding canned fruit into the Jello.

We grew up on Jello. The real stuff not Royal. Often times during the winter it was the only colorful food on our plates, back in the day when food wasn't shipped all over the place. You had a potato, canned corn, some bit of meat and Jello!

I got a 'Joys of Jello' cook book for a wedding present!

Still make the stuff and still enjoy it, but now it is the sugar free variety.

I can remember in high school looking at each small bowl of Jello in lunch line...specifically trying to find the one that ~didn't~ have any fruit in it. ;)

Orange, green and red. Those were my favorites. Sometimes you could even find a combo.

This thread caused me to recall the "Kids' Table" (probably a card table) that was set up adjacent to the dining room table at mass family gatherings.

All of us kids regarded being "exiled" in such a fashion as being demeaning but even major-league tantrums didn't stop the adults from imposing it on us.

One of the ploys my grandmother tried was to serve an "exclusive" dessert to us young'uns - a "Jello Rainbow Mountain".

With as much dignity as she could muster, she'd bring to our table a very large glass bowl containing 4 individual layers of Jello (from the bottom, cherry-orange-lemon-lime) put a plate on top, upend both and Squoipppppp!!! there'd be amound of Jello on the plate which she'd transform into a reasonable facsimile of a "mountain" by squirting whipped cream at the top as close as she could in order create the resemblance of a "peak" at the top.

The youngest kids clapped.

As far as I was concerned it was as a bribe insuffficent compensation for being bumped to what I'd later equate with being the equivalent of coach.

This immediately made me think of a very funny site called The Gallery of Regrettable Food. The stuff on Jello and Knox Gelatin molds is humorous and so is The Other Other White Meat.

If you have a few minutes to waste, I strongly suggest reading through a few of his funny commentaries.

Jello shots (with alcohol) are kind of cute, though.

My great-great grandfather was born and lived in LeRoy, NY before heading west to the goldfields and ultimately aiding Pancho Villa in Mexico (long story.)

I traveled to LeRoy a few years ago as part of a "roots" pilgrimage and found that the Genesee County Historic Society is/was housed in the same building as the Jell-O Museum. Jell-O was invented there.

The museum is really quite wonderful, and the gift shop is great. We bought a doormat that says "Hell-O" and cool mugs and stuff. Highly recommended.

I'm with you, canned fruit in the winter, and fresh fruit in the summer, especially peaches or cherries.

I loved my grandmothers Jello Molds. Fruit and nuts and then the one layer that was blended with whipped cream!!! YUM!!!!

I like Jell-o too. But, I want pineapple rings in mine. How come I never get pineapple rings. Nurse always promises pineapple rings and then there aren't any. And it's got to be lime Jell-o. I get upset when it's red, but not strawberry. Then Nurse has to get the big men to hold me. Before long, I'm sleepy and then there's no Jell-o at all. Goodnight.

I think its an enzyme thing that does not allow pineapple into jello.

sorry dear.

I'm partial to the reds in the jello family and still don't quite get blue jello.

lala

I've seen recipes for Sangria Jello Molds that looked a bit interesting, although I don't know I would ever actually make one. ;)

Use a cup of fruity red wine + orange/lime juice in place of the water with a raspberry (strawberry?) jello and add fruit such as grapes and strawberries.

A white wine variation used lemon jello + club soda + mixed fruit.

Quite right.... :)

http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_344b.html

Right there with you on the green. Not sure what it is about it, but it's great.

Of course, there was a time when the color did not matter, nor did the booze used to make it. Thankfully, my budget has improved and the shooters are less appealing.

Damn, I thought it was all that schooling I did.

This may be off topic, but still could be done with Jello brand Pudding, and alcohol of course.

1 package instant pudding (see flavor list below)
1 cup half and half
1 cup flavored vodka
Mix (blender works best) and chill or freeze.

My experience says it may or may not set up like pudding, but still tastes really good. Chocolate pudding with carmel vodka seems most popular, followed closely by the berry flavors of vodka. Coconut pudding with Captain Morgan rum was also tasty. Mix and match for more fun.

Bill Cosby should be proud of me for this.

I like my Jellos a little hard in firmness. :)

I love my jello with fruit....

On occasion, I can even find some premade jello (not JELLO) in stores with fruit already in. Usually Cherry, Lime and Lemon in one container.

I only wish they occasionally were made sugar free... :)

The Jello I miss is Jello 1-2-3. Saw this as a kid when I was in Canada in the very early '70s (I know, the parents of a lot of you reading this hadn't even met then) and was fascinated by the tv commercials. It had disappeared off the market when I returned in the very late '70s.

I think I remember it. It was one pouch, but formed 3 layers as it set, with a foamy one on top. Or did I just dream this along with the Skittle Brau?

Jell-O story...
 

last year I got a speeding ticket coming back from Canada on the New York Thruway for 75mph in 65mph zone... (go figure)


so to fight it I decided not to drive back in the icy weather and instead fly up to Rochester, rent a car for a half hour ride and attend traffic court that way...


well the town next to where the court was held is Le Roy, NY the hometown of Jell-O.... they have a museum and such dedicated to the original Jell-O company. I had a great breakfast not too far from the museum, went to court, kicked some ..., got it reduced to a parking fine, and drove my rental to Niagara Falls, Ontario to celebrate the victory atop the Skylon overlooking the frozen Niagara Falls.


It was awesome!

--Russ :p

Didn't this have a renaissance back in the 90s? I remember seeing it, but I definitely wouldn't remember from the 70s.

I like my jello in shots. Red works best for me.

Jell-O is at its very best when orange, and made with slices of mandarin orange and whipped cream in it - makes a Jell-O casserole to die for. Grandma used to make it :)

Other than that, fruit in Jell-O is strictly verboten, especially the crappy 'fruit cocktail in a can' travesty.

Then, in my college years, the Jell-O shots. Instead of one cup cold water, one cup hot, it was one cup rum, one cup hot. Jell in little cups made for cuban coffee shots (I lived in Miami). Gel and serve.

Don't use vodka - it doesn't gel right, most floats to the top. Use red or orange with rum. I tried yellow with the vodka, but it didn't work.

If you are splurging, Amaretto works wonderfully. Otherwise use Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum.

Never ever liked the stuff-even as a kid!
I also have an aversion to aspics and most other gelled products.The one exception is the fresh orange gelatin dessert served in high end dim sum places.