Ring-Around-the-Tuna

In this installment of the Jell-O pages, Chef Andy answers one of his most common questions... "Is it true that Jell-O is made out of cow hooves?"

Well, it's not cow hooves...But the real answer isn't pretty. In fact, it's hard to believe that we can create such lovely and delicious molded dessert products out of the discarded animal parts used to create commercial gelatin. But if you'd like to know more, just keep reading!

Jell-O, like all gelatin products (including those made for photographic and laboratory use, as well as for desserts!) is made out of hides, bones, and inedible connecting tissue! Gelatin can be extracted from any kind of animal, but cows are most common. If you've ever made a batch of chicken soup from scratch, you've probably seen how it gets stiff and Jell-O like after it sits in the fridge...That's because boiling the chicken in water extracts the gelatin from the carcass, just like a miniature version of the commercial gelatin factories!

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Commercial gelatin making starts by grinding up bones. The crushed bones are then soaked in a strong base to soften them, and then passed through progressively stronger acid solutions, until the end result isn't recognizable as bones at all! Then the whole mess is boiled for hours to extract the gelatin...and this part really makes a stink!

Finally, the gelatin layer is skimmed off the boiling pot, and dried into a powder. With added sugar, flavorings, and artificial color, it's ready to become a jiggly dessert! Have a look at http://www.cooper.edu/engineering/chemechem/gelatin/gel.html for more information about the history of Jell-O! And now that you know what Jell-O's made from, why don't you put some on the table tonight? Your guests will be delighted when you share your new knowledge with them in the middle of a luscious spoonful of dessert!