Firewater Friday - Jello Shots

Who doesn’t love Jell-o?  It’s wiggly, it’s jiggly, it’s fun to eat and  . . . there’s always room for Jell-o.

Jell-o is made from gelatin.  Gelatin is a protein produced from collagen extracted from the boiled bones, connective tissues, and intestines of animal.  Sounds yummy, huh?

Gelatin desserts have a long and boring history . . . here are the highlights.  Well-to-do’s had the enjoyed Jell-o like desserts almost exclusively because gelatin was so expensive and difficult to make.  In 1845, powdered gelatin was patented and it jiggled its way to the unwashed masses.  Early on in Jello-s history, lucky folks got to enjoy other flavors such as chocolate, celery, Italian, mixed vegetable and seasoned tomato.   The J-E-L-L-O song that I grew up with got it’s beginnings in 1934.  In 1964, the slogan "There's always room for Jell-O" was introduced.  In 1974, comedian Bill Cosby began his 30 years stint voice of Jell-O.   During the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, the souvenir pins included one depicting green Jell-O.

I love Jell-o . . . it makes me oh-so happy.    Why you ask.  Duh!  Jell-o shots, of course!  Sadly, it is not possible to make Jell-O shots with only alcohol.

Scientific factizoid . . . Dry gelatin is composed of colloidal proteins. These proteins form chains that require hot water to denature them, so that they can then reform as a semisolid colloidal suspension incorporating the added water. Pure alcohol cannot be heated (without evaporation) enough to initially break down the proteins.


Did your head just implode?  Here’s a recipe that will make you feel better!

How to Make the Perfect Jello Shots

Things You'll Need:

• 6 Oz Box Of Jello (Any Flavor)
• 2 Cups Boiling Water
• 2 Cups Chilled Vodka (Flavored, Preferred)
• Saucepan
• 60 Individual Plastic Salsa Containers W/ Lids 
• A Tray

Boil two cups of water.  Check out this link if you need help with this step.

In a medium-sized bowl, empty contents of Jello box, then pour boiling water over it. Stir for 2 minutes or until all the powder is dissolved.  

Now stir in 2 cups of chilled vodka.

Now, layout all the individual plastic cups on a tray and fill them with the liquid. Leave the lids off and place in refrigerator for 4 hours.  

Put the lids on, and the jello shots are ready to be taken to a party!

Enjoy responsibly or this could be you!

If you haven’t had enough of Jell-0 you can visit only Jell-o Museum in the world.  Visit LeRoy, New York.  The museum offers looks at starting materials for Jell-O, such as sturgeon bladder and calves' hoofs, and various molds.  Exciting stuff, to be sure!