# Can Jello be \*re\*set? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 11, 2003, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-jello-be-re-set/174483 "2003-05-11T12:15:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2003, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-jello-be-re-set/174483/1 "2003-05-11T12:15:30Z")
Okay, I screwed up. I was supposed to let the jello ‘thicken’ before adding fruit and pouring into the mold. I got distracted, and when I remembered the jello it was already completely hard. I was wondering: I know Jello melts when it gets warm, but is it reset-able? Could I microwave this solid lump, stir in the fruit, and then have it turn back into a solid in the fridge? Does anyone know? Or, if I try, will I be forging new grounds for the world of science? ---
**Author:** ![findokf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/97f17d/32.png) [@findokf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/findokf)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-jello-be-re-set/174483/2 "2017-06-12T15:51:37Z")
Hello, 2003. Here’s the answer for your question so future googlers will know: yes, you can reheat jello and re-set it but make sure you do it on a low heat since there’s sugar in it. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-jello-be-re-set/174483/3 "2017-06-12T16:59:10Z")
Why would it have to be low heat? You can boil it and no harm will come to the sugar, since that’s how you make it the first time around. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-jello-be-re-set/174483/4 "2017-06-12T17:05:02Z")
OK, before anyone comes in with the zombie jokes, that was the _good_ kind of bump, one that adds new relevant information to a thread. Welcome to the SDMB, **findokf** , please stick around and contribute more. EDIT: And of course someone named **CookingWithGas** would advocate for boiling something 🙂 Really, I think that how you heat it, and how much, will depend mostly on what sort of container it’s in. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-jello-be-re-set/174483/5 "2017-06-12T17:51:18Z")
Gelatin is an animal protein, the same thing you see that looks like gelatin when you put cooked meat in the fridge and it gels. I use it for glue and reheat it many many times and it always resets, however I don’t have sugar in mine so you may not want to get it too hot. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-jello-be-re-set/174483/6 "2017-06-12T18:00:39Z")
Actually, I’d be more concerned about boiling the gelatin. 212F is at the upper range of gelatin’s tolerability. Higher heat (which is going to be possible since your mixture has sugar in it) or holding the liquid at 212F for an extended period is going to weaken the gelatin’s ability to firm up. ---
**Author:** ![Weisshund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba8739/32.png) [@Weisshund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weisshund)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-jello-be-re-set/174483/7 "2017-06-12T19:59:45Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > Why would it have to be low heat? You can boil it and no harm will come to the sugar, since that’s how you make it the first time around. Perhaps it crystallizes with reheating? ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-jello-be-re-set/174483/8 "2017-06-12T21:58:43Z")
Sugar will carmelize if heated too hot, so I would be careful heating. Did you need answer fast? ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-jello-be-re-set/174483/9 "2017-06-12T22:09:55Z")
Sugar carmelizes at 340 F. If you’re heating a solution of gelatin in water, it can’t possibly get that hot unless all the water boils away. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-jello-be-re-set/174483/10 "2017-06-12T22:59:21Z")
If you’re heating sugar dissolved in water, the water will basically never exceed the boiling point. But the starting material is solid gelatin, so it might be possible to heat the bottom of the pan past the boiling point before the rest of it melts. Certainly this could happen if you heat the pan first and dump in jello chunks later. ---
**Author:** ![jsolensky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bc79bd/32.png) [@jsolensky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsolensky)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2022, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-jello-be-re-set/174483/11 "2022-02-03T07:42:23Z")
It has nothing to do with the sugar…at all. It needs to be low heat because high heat (boiling) will destroy the proteins that allow Jell-o to set in the first place. 104 is the minimum temp to dissolve gelatin. 212 (boiling) is way too high. I think 120-130 seems reasonable…120 is the average temperature of hot tap water. ---
**Author:** ![jsolensky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bc79bd/32.png) [@jsolensky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsolensky)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2022, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-jello-be-re-set/174483/12 "2022-02-03T07:43:52Z")
Boiling doesn’t harm the sugar. It harms the gelatin. ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2022, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-jello-be-re-set/174483/13 "2022-02-03T11:11:30Z")
The lower temperature of harm is due to the protein. Harming the protein may well harm some sugar at the same time… Mallard reaction ? protein + sugar = caramel ? flavour. But yeah the jelly being a solid is trapping the stuff down there near the heat source, so convection is not effective… the heat is trapped down there , so the stuff at the bottom gets a too high density of heat… it gets hot down there instead of it all just warming up as one. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2022, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-jello-be-re-set/174483/14 "2022-02-03T12:49:52Z")
> [@Isilder](#): > > Mallard reaction ? Mallard reaction: [http://images.shoutwiki.com/nothingiscanon/thumb/2/2d/Duck.jpg/250px-Duck.jpg](http://images.shoutwiki.com/nothingiscanon/thumb/2/2d/Duck.jpg/250px-Duck.jpg) Maillard reaction: [![](https://www.seriouseats.com/thmb/wW3w2c6RfGF40zzXuH-154Eh9lM=/1500x1125/filters:fill(auto,1)/ __opt__ aboutcom __coeus__ resources __content_migration__ serious_eats __seriouseats.com__ images __2015__ 04__Anova-Steak-Guide-Sous-Vide-Photos15-beauty-736633d3c3374147b8e1a78194e95dda.jpg) ](https://www.seriouseats.com/thmb/wW3w2c6RfGF40zzXuH-154Eh9lM=/1500x1125/filters:fill(auto,1)/__opt __aboutcom__ coeus __resources__ content_migration __serious_eats__ seriouseats.com __images__ 2015 __04__ Anova-Steak-Guide-Sous-Vide-Photos15-beauty-736633d3c3374147b8e1a78194e95dda.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2022, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-jello-be-re-set/174483/15 "2022-02-03T14:54:29Z")
Where were you guys when I actually needed you? 😉 I see I never gave an update: I decided to take the easy way out. I cubed up the jello, mixed it with the fruit chunks and a whole lot a cool whip and called it a dessert. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2022, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-jello-be-re-set/174483/16 "2022-02-03T14:56:41Z")
> [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > I decided to take the easy way out. I cubed up the jello, mixed it with the fruit chunks and a whole lot a cool whip and called it a dessert. And nearly 20 years later, you still remember this? I’m impressed. ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2022, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-jello-be-re-set/174483/17 "2022-02-03T15:10:26Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > And nearly 20 years later, you still remember this? I’m impressed. My memory is fantastic for useless stuff. You want to know what my locker combination was back in seventh grade? OTOH, what the hell did I come into the kitchen just now to get? ---
**Author:** ![jsolensky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bc79bd/32.png) [@jsolensky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsolensky)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2022, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-jello-be-re-set/174483/18 "2022-02-15T16:28:00Z")
Yes, gelatin is the protein. Sugar can withstand such high heats…may not degrade at 120 -degrees which is enough to dissolve gelatin. Maillard reaction…missed the “i”…we got ducks below.