Jell-O Dominique Washington

Humble Origins Peter Cooper, inventor of the Tom Thumb steam locomotive and founder of Cooper Union College, took out the first U.S. patent for a gelatin dessert in 1845.

What is Jell-O Jell-O is sweetened, flavored, and colored gelatin. Gelatin is processed collagen. Collagen is a structural protein in animals' connective tissue, skin, and bones. Collagen is composed of glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline, as well as other amino acids. Collagen is composed of three polypeptide chains that are wound together into a triple helix and held together by hydrogen bonding. Gelatin molecules form pockets that trap large amounts of liquid, resulting in a semisolid colloid. All colloids have a disperse phase and a continuous phase; that is, one substance is dispersed throughout another substance. In Jell-O, the disperse phase is solid gelatin and the continuous phase is water. Gelatin can absorb a tremendous amount of water up to 10 times its weight.

Collagen This picture shows collagen's triple helix and it's structural formula- When Boiled This is Destroyed In a Crazy Explosion of Love and Passion Between the Burning Water and Collagen's Structure

How Is Jell-O Made? Gelatin is composed of pork skin, cattle bones, and cattle hide. These materials are washed, soaked in acid or lime, and washed again several times. Then the materials are boiled several times to extract the gelatin. The gelatin is filtered, concentrated, chilled, and either cut into ribbons or extruded as noodles and dried. Once dried, the gelatin is ground into the required particle size, depending on its intended use. The final product is brittle, transparent, colorless, tasteless, and odorless.

Other Uses of Gelatin Gelatin is used primarily in the food, pharmaceutical, and photographic industries. Most of the gelatin produced is consumed in gelatin desserts and confections such as marshmallows and gummy candies. It's also used as an emulsifier, stabilizer, or thickener in foods such as ice cream, sour cream, meat aspics, and cake frostings. In the pharmaceutical industry, gelatin is used to make the outer shells for hard and soft capsules; Gelatin is also used in preparing the silver halide emulsions in the production of photographic paper and film.

Interesting Facts About Jell-O Gelatin served as a blood plasma substitute during World War II. As immigrants passed through Ellis Island, they were often served a bowl of Jell-O as a "Welcome to America" treat. When hooked up to an electroencephalograph machine-- an instrument that records the electrical activity of the brain--Jell-O demonstrates movement virtually identical to the brain waves of a healthy adult man or woman. Gelatin is an incomplete nutritional protein because it lacks tryptophan, an essential amino acid. Jell-O itself has little nutritional value apart from energy 80 calories for a typical serving.

Questions?