What is Jello Made Of

I'm sure you have come across this culinary product and have prepared the Jello recipes at home. The slippery soft and jelly like sweet substance is loved by kids and so they are used to make desserts. This eatable is largely consumed all over the world for making chocolates, pastries, cakes, cookies, drinks and is incorporated in various other recipes. But have you ever thought what is Jello made of that renders its taste and appearance? Let's find out.

What is Jello Made Out Of?

The highest consumption of Jello takes place from the brand Jell-O. This is a US based brand that manufactures Jello puddings, gelatin products, cream pies, Jello shots, etc. Jello is actually a gelatin dessert combined with a variety of ingredients. Jello powder is also manufactured by this company that come in different flavors and colors.

If you trace back to the Victorian era, then you will come to know that Jello was popular as jelly molds. Gelatin was the main ingredient that accounted for the slippery nature of Jello. Gelatin is extracted from the collagen that was obtained by boiling various body parts of animals, like connective tissues, bones and intestines. This process of treatment to manufacture Jello is still followed today. Now you know the key ingredient with what is Jello made of.

The next question is 'what is Jello powder made of'. Well, the ingredients of Jello powder are the same as that of the semi-solid gelatinous substance. Gelatin has to be manufactured from collagen and today it's manufactured at an industrial scale from pork skin, cow hides and beef bones, which is rich in collagen. These substances undergo different types of chemical and physical treatments for deriving the collagen. The collagen protein is purified, cleansed in air chambers to form the gelatin in different forms. The end product is further processed to form powders, granules and sheets. Today substitutes of gelatin are also used for manufacturing Jello. This includes carrageenan, Kuzu root, Agar-Agar and guar gum.

Maltodextrin is used to add texture to the Jello. The smooth and slippery appearance is due to addition of maltodextrin to the gelatin. If you have tasted Jello then you will definitely feel a tart taste in your mouth. This is due to the addition of adipic acid. Since Jello powder and Jello granules are widely used for culinary purpose, the buffering ability of the substance needs to be maintained. The pH is adjusted by addition of disodium phosphate. Preservatives, sweeteners and flavoring agents are also added to Jello mixtures for the taste and flavor. Such ingredients include artificial flavors, food colors, sugars and sweeteners. One of the most common ingredient added as preservative is butylated hydroxyanisole. The consistency of gelatin is also adjusted by adding water.

You might also wonder what is jello pudding made of. Jello puddings are also made from the basic ingredients. However, the puddings are sold in a wide range of flavors. The additional flavoring agents used for the pudding are banana, vanilla, coconut, eggs, custard, lemon, oreo, pumpkin, butter, flan, etc. All these consumer goods can be purchased from the brand Jell-O. To sum up the Jello ingredients, I list them below.

• Gelatin
• Maltodextrin
• Water
• Sweeteners
• Preservatives
• Flavoring Agents
• Disodium Phosphate
• Adipic Acid

Though the process of extraction might sound indigenous, Jello is manufactured from a highly sophisticated industrial process and the final product is highly pure. Gelatin is basically a protein rich product, although the commercial form of Jello is rich in carbohydrates due to addition of sweeteners. Nevertheless, you are always free to use it for preparing the scrumptious dessert dishes at home.