LeRoy Pennysaver & News

LE ROY PENNYSAVER & NEWS - AUGUST 9, 2020 by Lynne Belluscio The Hi s t o r i ca l Society was getting ready to do some Jell-O Science before the schools closed down, but maybe you’d enjoy doing some science experiments with your kids or grandkids - - and then you get to eat it. So the first experiment is “Sink or Float.” You’ll need a couple of boxes of Jell-O and a bunch of fruit and vegetables and some cups. This is an experiment to discover density. Here is a list of stuff you can test: Shredded Carrots Sliced Bananas Canned Pears CannedMandarin Oranges Strawberries Mini Marshmallows Chopped Nuts Apple Slices Apple Sauce Gummy Fish Olives ? Mix up some Jell-O according to the directions on the box. You should make a couple of different flavors. For example, gummy fish should be put into Berry Blue Jell-O; Carrots and mandarin oranges are good in orange Jell-O. Some people like canned pears, marshmallows, or apple slices in lime Jell-O. Apple sauce is good in raspberry or strawberry. Olives aren’t good in anything! But are weird. Let the Jell-O cool a little bit, so it’s not hot. Before you mix the stuff into the Jell-O, write everything down in a list, and make a “hypothesis.” This means that you are deciding ahead of time, which stuff will sink and float. And then after, you can see how well you did. And of course, you get to eat it. Good luck. Enzymes Do you like fresh kiwi? Or fresh pineapple? These are two of the fruits that have enzymes that prevent the gelatin molecules from joining together. If you put fresh kiwi, fresh pineapple, figs, guava, or papaya into Jell-O, the Jell-O will be soupy. The reason why Jell-O “sets” is because the collagen molecules surround the water molecules and trap the water. If there’s too much water, the Jell-O will be soupy because there are too many water molecules to be trapped by the collagen. But if you add any of these fruits, the enzymes get in the way of the collagen molecules and they aren’t strong enough to trap the water molecules. How much water Th i s expe r imen t can be done in different ways. It depends on how “scientific” you want to be. Usually, a small box of Jell-O is mixed with 2 cups of water. If you only use 1 cup of water (and you really stir up the Jell-O so it is dissolved) the Jell-O will be like a Jell-O Jiggler, and you can pick it up with your fingers. If you add too much water, it is like Kool Aide. I like to make hot Jell-O, using the regular recipe, and drink it hot like sweet tea. But I always leave some in the bottom of the cup and put it in the refrigerator to have later. I put some Kool Whip on top and I have a nice refreshing dessert. Frozen Jell-O Pops You can make Jell-O and put it into paper cups, with a craft stick in it. Put the cups in the freezer until they are frozen. Take them out and pull off the paper, and you have a great frozen snack on a hot day. Jell-O One Two Three was introduced in 1969, but disappeared for several years. It reappeared for a short time after that, the last time in 1996. This self-layering treat is based on the density of cream. Here is a recipe to try: Pour ¾ cup of boiling water into a blender. Add 1 3 oz box of Jell-O. Cover and blend at low speed until gelatin is completely dissolved, about 30 seconds. Combine ½ cup cold water and a couple of ice cubes to make 1 ¼ cup of cold water. Add to Jell-O and stir until the ice is partially melted. Then add ½ cup of whipped cream or Cool Whip and blend at high speed for 30 seconds. (Don’t over do this, or you will only have Jell-O One – Two!) Pour into dessert glasses and put into the refrigerator until the Jell-O sets. It will layer as it cools. To be really fancy, you can tip the glasses a little bit in the refrigerator and the dessert will look really cool when you serve it. Did you know that “Pop Rocks” were invented by chemists who worked for Jell-O General Foods and were patented in 1961. But the candy wasn’t offered to the public until 1975. General Foods withdrew the product in 1983. Today Pop Rocks are distributed by Zeta Espacial of Barcelona, Spain. There is even a book written about Pop Rocks, published in 2008. And no, if you eat Pop Rocks and soda at the same time, your stomach will not explode. Jell-O Science