In 1894, Charles Knox saw how much work his wife had to do to make gelatin, and decided to find an easier way. The gelatin he created was made into dried sheets and Knox hired salesmen to show women how to use them. In 1896, his wife, Rose, published Dainty Desserts, a recipe book using Knox gelatin.

Then in 1897, Pearle Bixby Wait trademarked a gelatin dessert, called Jell-O. He and his wife added fruit flavoring to granulated gelatin and sugar. They advertised it in the Ladies’ Home Journal magazine and sent salesmen to give away free cookbooks.

Knox and Jell-O gelatins are still being sold today.

INFORMATION BELOW COMPILED FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS:

PRINCIPLES OF GELATIN MAKING
Gelatin is an odorless, tasteless substance extracted from the bones and various tissues of animals. It is used in a variety of forms but is also purified and prepared commercially for use in desserts. When it is to be used as a thickening agent in dessert making, it is ground and sold in this form, or it is mixed with sugar, flavoring, and acid, when all that is necessary to make it an appetizing dessert is that it be dissolved in hot water.

The gelatin itself does not provide any appreciable food value, but it produces desserts that are appetizing and that may be garnished and served in many attractive ways.

One fruit that will prevent gelatin from solidifying, however, is raw pineapple. This is an important point to remember in connection with gelatin desserts. If it is desired to use fresh pineapple with gelatin, it will first be necessary to bring the pineapple to the boiling point in order to destroy the property that prevents the gelatin from solidifying.

ORANGE JELLY
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
2 tablespoons unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
1 cup boiling water
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
1  1/2 cups orange juice
Soak the gelatin in the cold water until it is well moistened, and dissolve with the boiling water. Add the sugar and the lemon and orange juice strained. Pour into a large mold or individual molds and set aside to solidify. Serve in any desired way.

COFFEE JELLY
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
2 cups clear, strong coffee
2 tablespoons unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
1 cup boiling water
3/4 cup sugar
Prepare the coffee freshly and make it stronger than that which would ordinarily be used for the table. Be sure that it contains no grounds. Soak the gelatin in the cold water, and dissolve in the boiling water. Add the sugar and coffee. Pour into moistened molds and allow to cool. Serve with sweetened whipped cream.

FRUIT GELATIN
Almost any combination of fruit juices, as well as any single fruit juice, may be used in the making of fruit gelatin. The accompanying recipe contains fruits that may be used, but other fruits may perhaps be found to be even more agreeable.

FRUIT GELATIN
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
1  1/8 tablespoons unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 slices pineapple
2 oranges
1 banana
6 English walnuts
Moisten the gelatin in the cold water and dissolve in the boiling water. Add the sugar and the orange, pineapple, and lemon juice, and allow this to cool. Dice the pineapple. Prepare the oranges by peeling them, removing the pulp from the sections, and cutting it into small pieces. Slice or dice the banana and break each nut into six or eight pieces. Mix the fruits and nuts, place in a mold that has been moistened with cold water, and pour the cold jelly over them. Allow this to solidify, turn from the mold, and serve with whipped cream.

LEMON SNOW
If a light, spongy dessert to serve with a heavy dinner is desired, lemon snow should be tried. It may be made with other sour-fruit juice and is particularly agreeable if the color of the fruit juice used is a pretty one.

LEMON SNOW
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
2 tablespoons unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
1  1/2 cups boiling water
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
Whites of two eggs
Soak the gelatin in the cold water, dissolve it in the boiling water, and add the sugar. When cold, add the strained lemon juice. When the gelatin mixture is just beginning to solidify, add the egg whites, beating with a rotary beater until the mixture begins to hold its shape. If desired, a fruit of some kind may be placed in a mold that has been moistened with cold water and the mixture poured over it, or just the plain mixture may be poured into the mold. Whipped cream or custard sauce improves this dessert to a large extent.

SPANISH CREAM
A gelatin dish containing eggs is usually a delightful dessert, and Spanish cream is no exception to this rule. If it is properly made, a part of the mold will have the consistency of a custard, above this will be a layer of jelly, and on top will be a layer of fluffy material. This dessert is more attractive if a little pink coloring is used in its preparation.

SPANISH CREAM
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
One tablespoon unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
1 pint milk
2 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Soak the gelatin in the cold water. Heat the milk in a double boiler, add the gelatin, and cook until it is completely dissolved. Separate the eggs, beat the yolks, and to them add the sugar and salt. Stir into the mixture in the double boiler and cook until the eggs have thickened. Remove from the fire, beat the egg whites until they are stiff, and fold them into the mixture. Add the vanilla. Pour into a mold that has been moistened with cold water, cool, and serve. If coloring is added, it may be put in upon removing the dessert from the stove.

CHARLOTTE RUSSE
1 pint cream, whipped light
1/2 ounce gelatin dissolved in 1 gill of hot milk
whites of 2 eggs beaten to a stiff froth
1 small teacup of powdered sugar
Flavor with vanilla or little almond. Mix together the cream, eggs, sugar and flavoring, and beat in the gelatin and milk when quite cold. Line a mold with slices of sponge cake or lady fingers, and fill with the mixture. Set upon the ice to cool.

photo credit

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MORE READING

History of Gelatin, Gelatine, and JELL-O

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AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

      The Magic of JELL-O: 100 Favorite Recipes 

   Tupperware 6 Cup Jello Mold / Ice Ring
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