Jello, A golden era treat!

[retrogirl1941]

I know during the 1920's Jello was toted as the anythime snack. I know it was still popular during the 40's but, was jello rationed during the war? And also does anyone know of what flavors were available?

Samantha

 

[LizzieMaine]

Six delicious flavors -- strawberry, raspberry, cherry, orange, lemon and lime. I prefer orange, myself, especially that thick rubbery layer that develops at the bottom of the bowl.

Jell-O itself wasn't offically rationed in the US, but sugar was, beginning in May 1942. That meant production had to be cut way back, and much of what was produced was diverted to military contracts, so it tended to be quite scarce in the stores.

 

[retrogirl1941]

I knew sugar was ratoned but did'nt think about how production would be affected. What was the best way to present jello, I have a 1930s jello cook book that present jello molds and the like, would it be similar to that?

Samantha

 

[LizzieMaine]

Molds and such were special-occasion treats in most homes. The most common way to serve Jell-O, and the way you'd usually get it if you ordered it as a dessert in a restaurant, was to simply make it in a large bowl, and dish out individual servings in small custard cups, often with a blob of whipped cream on top.

 

[retrogirl1941]

I'm so glad jello was'nt rationed now my reenacting food can consist of a delicous snack that is also period correct!

Samantha(who is snacking on jello as this is typed)

 

[Warbaby]

Molded Jello, 1919:

 

[patrick1987]

What well-behaved kids. Party mamma! Chocolate Jello??!!? The Jello Museum http://www.jellomuseum.com/index.html is close by. I've been meaning to visit it. This looks like a good recipe using things in your cupboard.
Olive Relish
Bright Spots For Wartime Meals - 66 Ration-Wise Recipes, 1944

1 pkg Lime Jell-O
1 pint hot water
3 tbsp. vinegar
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup sliced stuffed olives
1/2 cup sliced sweet pickles
1/4 cup diced celery, if desired

Dissolve Jell-O in hot water. Add vinegar and salt. Chill. When slightly thickened, add remaining ingredients. Turn into small individual molds. Chill until firm. Unmold. Serve with fish or meat. Makes 12 molds. Hospitality needn't cost you much ... either money or pints. Try some of these color-and-savor combinations, all made with food easy to get nowadays. They'll prove to you and your friends that you can still do luscious entertaining in spite of shortages and rations. Say welcome in wartime!

 

[dhermann1]

I believe Jello was invented around 1862, and it was actually served in the Lincoln White House!
I had an Alice in Wonderland garden party a couple of years ago, and for my "Beautiful soup so rich and green" I made green Jello in a big porcelain tureen. Great success.
When I was on a train in Europe a few years ago, I was chatting with an Italian woman who said she admired American culture very much, but just couldn't fathom Jello. She just couldn't conceive of it as something a person would want to eat. Hey, so much more for me!
A friend of mine had an aunt named Sadie. "My aunt Sadie is an idiot." she would say. Once Aunt Sadie tried to make that mutlicolored Jello you see in the ads. She called her neice up to say she couldn't understand what went wrong. "What flavors did you use?" "Well, I used cherry, strawberry and raspberry." Well, like I said, Aunt Sadie was an idiot.
Here's how they served Post Toasties at the Waldorf Astoria in 1943:

 

[The Wolf]

Jell-O with Post Toasties?
At first I think why? Then, why not? I might have to try it.

Sincerely,
The Wolf

 

[Bourbon Guy]

Lime jello poured in a square or rectangular clear pyrex cake pan, pineapple chunks put in it just before it sets so it doesn't just all sink to the bottom. When solid, cut in squares about 2 inches to the side, put the square on a piece of lettuce and put a dollup of Miracle Whip on top. Midwest high cuisine. Grew up with it as the side salad.

 

[Josephine]

My MIL makes a Jell-O fruit salad with a layer of sour cream in the middle for holidays. The Husband loved it growing up, and The Girls like it too. I like that particular one a bit, but I can't stand regular Jell-O.

 

[Miss Neecerie]

Oh my family has a whole multi year rotation of jello salads for holidays.....

the green one with the pineapple and cottage cheese.....

The magenta one with the sour cream and black cherries....

its endless really


Thankfully we are in a Magenta salad year....as I am -sure- my aunt will refuse to buy cranberry sauce again 'because no one likes it and it goes to waste'.......and the magenta salad works in a pinch.

 

[dhermann1]

As fruitilicious as Jell-o seems, it's actually made from animal gelatin, isn't it? So it could hardly be thought of as a vegan or vegetarian food. Right?

 

[Vintage Betty]

As fruitilicious as Jell-o seems, it's actually made from animal gelatin, isn't it? So it could hardly be thought of as a vegan or vegetarian food. Right?

Good catch. There are various types of Jell-o, including kosher jello which doesn't have the animal additives you are talking about (which is actually pork fat, in case you didn't know that; it's an incredibly small amount, but if you are a vegetarian, you don't want to eat regular jell-o or marshmallows, which have the same ingredient).

These days there are many similar products to jell-o in food stores, but without any of the animal products. Some even existed during the war time era.

You can also use guar and various seaweed extracts to imitate the jelling of jell-o, and make your own at home, with various flavors and additives. The seaweed extracts are unflavored but a binding ingredient, so you still get the wiggling effect. You might need to add more guar or seaweed extract than the recipe calls for.

Here is a bit more info from snopes.

Vintage Betty

 

[dhermann1]

Hmmmm . . . . Sounds like good old Jell-o is the first food (of very, very many) in American history to be comprised of ingredients, which if you looked at them individually, you'd retch before ingesting any of them! Let's hear it for good old American ingenuity!

 

[Foofoogal]

One of the reasons I love to look at old magazines was Jello was an art form.
They jelled everything in molds.
Meat, veggies, fruit etc. It is hilarious.
My mom swore Jello and Tang was real food. lol

 

[dhermann1]

That's true. Isn't tomato aspic some form of gel? I guess in the days before refrigeration, they would cook things till they fell apart and then glue them back together with gelatin.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Ever heard of Hormel "Flavr-Sealed" Canned Whole Chicken? A 1920's era treat -- cooked in the can and encased in a solid jelly mass for your dining pleasure. Chicken-flavored Jello is an idea long overdue for revival.

 

[Miss Neecerie]

I have whole 'its a molded salad' dinner menus in mind.....

and the little individual molds to go with these (evil....but I would rather use cunning) plans...


D.....who realises now -no one- will ever come to dinner at her house

 

[miss_elise]

Molded Jello, 1919:

can i just say that i love the idea that chocolate is a fruit...that's going to be my excuse for now on...

see the bottom where it says "Jell-O is put up in six pure fruit flavors: Strawberry, Raspberry, Lemon, Orange, Cherry, Chocolate"

mmmm, nummy fruit chocolate...