Ah, Jell-O. The sugary gelatin treat that today, is considered America’s Most Famous Dessert. We can’t even count the number of times we’ve eaten Jell-O throughout our lives. From making it as a kid for dessert, to indulging in a Jell-O salad at a family barbeque, to maybe even adding in some ‘fun’ liquid in our university house-party days, Jell-O has really been with us throughout our whole lives.
It’s not just us. Jell-O has been around for over 100 years. It was actually first made in 1897 by a carpenter, Pearle Wait. He was trying to make a cough medicine with gelatin but somehow, ended up with the fruity treat we now know as Jell-O (don’t we love these tasty accidents?) He was unsuccessful at trying to market the dessert, so sold it to Frank Woodward, a businessman in his town.
After that, the product was sold to different companies without much success. That was until they learned how to market it and with those tools, they turned it into a household staple that is still loved today. They started printing recipes in magazines, put up billboards, and in 1904, came up with the famous “Jell-O Girl,” the true ‘face’ of the product. Now it’s owned by Kraft, and after over 100 years of use, is considered a staple dessert all throughout the world.
Who doesn’t love this gelatin-based treat? It’s fun, tasty, and even a bit nostalgic.
So, we decided to try freeze-drying our beloved Jell-O and we’re here to give you our honest review.
Freeze-drying the Jell-O took a really long time, as it took a while to get all the water out. Once it was done, it turned into these super crunchy cubes that were hard to the bite.
The taste didn’t really change compared to the original. But what we loved was that we could take it to go. Normally, you have to eat Jell-O from a bowl or in a plastic cup. But freeze-drying it turned it into a sort of hard candy that we could take with us as we were out and about.
So, would we recommend the freeze-dried Jell-O? Honestly, you could take it or leave it. We give the freeze-dried version 3 stars overall. There’s really nothing like a normal, O.G. bowl of Jell-O, and it took quite a bit of time for no change in flavour. But, if you’re a Jell-O fanatic and you have the time, pick out your favourite flavour and give it a try! It is a fun new way to eat this beloved dessert.
Whether you choose to freeze-dry it or not, Jell-O will always remain a tried and true, go-to sweet.