# How do you make jello?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-jello/49993>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 14, 2001, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-jello/49993 "2001-01-14T14:49:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2001, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-jello/49993/1 "2001-01-14T14:49:07Z")

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I would like to try to make my own sugar free jello as I want to use another sweetner then nutrasweet - can I just get that unflavered gelitin stuff, add flavor, water, and sweetner?

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**Author:** ![lucie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ed8c4c/32.png) [@lucie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lucie)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2001, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-jello/49993/2 "2001-01-14T19:24:27Z")

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Yup. Knox makes unflavored gelatin (still an animal product, fyi), and you can use it to gel your own stuff. Many fruit juices will work as a natural alternative. Not sugar-free, of course, but no processed sugar need be involved.

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**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2001, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-jello/49993/3 "2001-01-14T20:54:06Z")

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Lots of stuff on the Web for “Knox gelatin fruit juice recipes”. Here’s one.  
[http://www.boston-baden.com/hazel/Jello/jello3.html#kgel](http://www.boston-baden.com/hazel/Jello/jello3.html#kgel)

Basically, it’s one packet of Knox unflavored gelatin, 1/2 cup of cold fruit juice, and 1-1/2 cups of boiling fruit juice. (Don’t use pineapple or kiwi juice.) Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold juice, wait 5 minutes, then stir in the boiling juice (the idea is to have the gelatin completely dissolved, same as Jello in a box).

You could add the word “diet” to the Search terms.

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**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\
**Post date:** [January 15, 2001, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-jello/49993/4 "2001-01-15T15:54:49Z")

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I’ve wondered sometimes if one could fidaddle with pectin, and come up with a nice NON Animal-based jello. Anyone tried that? Sorry for the hijack.

Cartooniverse

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**Author:** ![Sleepy\_Weasel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Sleepy\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleepy_Weasel)\
**Post date:** [January 15, 2001, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-jello/49993/5 "2001-01-15T16:02:44Z")

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What would be the fun in that?

My motto is, “If there ain’t a critter in there somewhere, YOU eat it, tenderfoot!”

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**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\
**Post date:** [January 15, 2001, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-jello/49993/6 "2001-01-15T16:02:59Z")

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Most vegetarian “jello” is made from agar, made from healthful seaweed… Pectin would get you plain old jelly, agar gets you a gel kind of thing. Agar is very commonly used in Asia, you can find all kinds of agar-based gels at asian markets.

Another alternative is corn starch, which will give you a “pie filling” kind of goo. Personally I prefer a corn starch goo to an agar goo, but try both.