Can-You-Freeze-Jello

Can You Freeze Jello? Here are Few Tips!

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Our today's topic of discussion is can you freeze Jello or not? The answer to this question is, yes you can freeze Jello. But just like every positive answer, this one also comes with a bit of repercussions]. A very common dessert for around the world, Jello is enjoyed by adult and children alike. This fruit flavored dessert is one of the easy dessert menus that please the guests. 

One of the reasons Jello freezing is a common query to many is that people prefer to buy Jello in bulk at a time. This is usually done so that they do not have to put an extra effort into deciding on the dessert menu. A simple cup of Jello in the evening or after dinner is a personal favorite to many. This is natural that you would want to know about ways to increase the shelf life of Jello. Don't worry we will provide some tips on increasing the shelf life of Jello in this article. Along with that, we will also share some unique Jello mixes for you.

What are the basics I should know about Jello?

What are the basics I should know about Jello

Jello has actually been in the market since the 90s. This sugary dessert can be used for a variety of purposes. Our personal favorite is to eat them directly from cups. Most people love to put Jello on yogurt custard; they taste so perfect with the mix of yogurt and fruits. Speaking of fruits, Jello flavors are mostly made of common fruits. As a matter of fact, Jello tastes fantastic with some mixed fruits. We have seen Jello used over cake as well as part of the dressing. We did not like this particular combination but well, people have diverse preferences.

Originally, Jello refers to gelatin made by the brand Kraft food. Well, the brand name got so popular among the consumers that even normal gelatin is now termed as Jello. So basically, Jello is a dessert that is colorful, sweet and contains fruit flavors mostly. One can buy them directly or prepare them at home.

How Jello is formed?

Jello or gelatin is formed through the formation of bonds between the gelatin molecules. Now, these bonds are not like the quintessential covalent bonds rather the network is somewhat semi-strong that makes the gel-like structure. The main component of gelatin is the collagen. The collagen comes from pig or cow fat usually. However, for vegans nowadays, you will also find Jello made from vegetable fats as well.

Can you freeze Jello?

The moment of truth now! The burning question of can you or can you not freeze Jello. Well, the answer is yes you can freeze Jello. If you freeze Jello, the quality of the product will not deteriorate however, the taste will! So in short, freezing Jello will not ruin it but will face some changes. The frozen Jello is safe for you to consume.

The next follow-up question would be should you freeze Jello? The reason why we have questioned whether or not one can freeze Jello is to increase its shelf-life. Unfortunately, freezing Jello will not increase the shelf-life of it. The shelf-life would remain as it is. Now we have seen people who freeze Jello to prepare jello shots for the parties. That is actually not a very good idea because the jello shots are usually consumed with alcohol and alcohol does not mix well with frozen jello. The freezing temperature of alcohol and jello are different. Hence, the consistency won't be the same.

What happens after freezing Jello?

Since the bonds are semi-strong in nature, it is natural that the bonds within the molecules might break or reform. This is what happens when you freeze Jello. The consequences are not precisely bad but the experience might be.

There is a chance that the taste of your Jello will deteriorate once you freeze them. As mentioned before, gelatin is formed through the bond formation. Through freezing, you are basically playing with the temperature. The low temperature makes the bonds between the molecules of gelatin break apart.

After this, the Jello loses its structure and looks not so visually appealing. We would suggest not freezing Jello specifically if you are going to serve that for a party. The outlook of the dispersed Jello will not look appetizing at all to the guests. But yes, the condition of the Jello quality will not deteriorate after freezing. You will face two repercussions of freezing the Jello basically; one is that the Jello will not look good from the outside and two; the taste will not remain the same.

How Jello might go bad?

A dessert that includes a high level of sugar and water is bound to get spoiled after a certain period of time. Keeping the Jello cups inside the fridge will not ensure the longevity of the Jello. It will become rotten anyway when the time comes. Since we are on the topic of freezing the Jello, we have already discussed that the outlook changes when you freeze it however the quality doesn't. But after a definite interval of time, the outlook and quality both will change for the Jello.

So, how to determine when the Jello becomes inedible? The rule of thumb is to throw away the Jello after 7 to 10 days of preparing it. Be it homemade Jello or a Jello cup bought from the store, you shouldn't eat them after 10 days. This brings us to the shelf life of Jello. Yes, the Jello will sustain up to 7 to 10 days only! It will get rotten or spoiled after that no matter in which way you store them. The Jello might go bad before this time frame as well. This might happen due to the constant change of temperature.

The longevity also varies based on the type of ingredients used for the Jello. When you taste Jello and feel a bitter or sharp taste instead of sweet one, you will realize it's time to throw away the Jello. If you don't want to risk it by consumption, you can check for watery liquids taking up the gelatin space. If this is happening, you would know that the Jello has become inedible. Sometimes if you store Jello for more than 15 days, you can find molds appearing on them. Be aware of that situation and do not eat that Jello in any way! That might also lead to food poisoning.

If you buy sealed Jello cups, the Jello will remain intact for more than 10 days actually. Once you open it, you can no longer save it for more than 10 days. It is better to buy small cups of Jello and not open them until you eat full of it. Otherwise, there is no point in wasting food.

Tips on increasing the shelf-life of Jello

In an ideal situation when you store the Jello properly, you will see that the Jello will last for 10 days. But usually, the taste turns bitter within 6-7 days only. When you buy Jello from the store, it is wise to store them in the refrigerator. Simply put them on the cups and cover it up with a plastic wrap. This will keep the moisture away from the Jello. Do not take out the jello unless you want to eat it. If you constantly change the temperature, the condition of the Jello will not remain intact.

Another important aspect is that to know when to store in the refrigerator and when not to. When you buy from the store and if you see that the Jello is not refrigerated, it is better to keep them out of the fridge in sealed containers. But if you buy them from the store fridge, it's wiser to refrigerate them then. Wherever you store the Jello, make sure that the temperature does not go beyond 23 degree Celsius. In that case, the longevity of the Jello will not be that high despite keeping them in a sealed container.

Some Jello mixes for you

When you have leftovers of Jello at your home, how about trying out some delicious desserts for the dinner? In that way, you won’t be wasting the Jello as well and you get to know some wonderful desserts.

Coconut Rum Jello shots

Become the favorite party host by serving some coconut rum jello shots to the guests. Our favorite combination is using peach and pineapple flavored Jello mixed with some water and rum.  You can find the detailed coconut rum recipe from here.  

Jello cake

Jello cake

Be it red velvet cake, cheesecake or simply chocolate cake, Jello well with everything! You just have to choose the right flavor. For instance, for cheesecake use blueberry flavored Jello as the icing whereas for chocolate cake, you can go for strawberry or guava flavored Jello. You can try making the Jello cake from Kraft. This tastes great and gelatin is the core ingredient in this cake.

Jello yogurt pudding

Jello yogurt pudding

Jello yogurt puddings are just as tasty as they look. Chefs focus on the color, garnishing and taste when it comes to creating Jello yogurt puddings. You can get as creative as you like with colors and flavors. This strawberry yogurt Jello pudding is easy to prepare and looks vibrantly colorful. You can definitely give it a try.

Final Verdict

So to summarize, yes you can technically freeze Jello but you won’t get any benefit from it. The Jello will lose its viscous structure and will not look as appetizing as before after freezing.  So our verdict would be not to freeze Jello as it has consequences in terms of look and taste.
5/5 - (17 votes)

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Jeannie Smith

With a bachelor’s degree in food science, Jeannie is current with all the latest dietary and nutri...

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