# Jello mold suggestions **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 20, 2007, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jello-mold-suggestions/427157 "2007-11-20T04:55:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jello-mold-suggestions/427157/1 "2007-11-20T04:55:49Z")
I’m going to my cousin’s for Thanksgiving, and I need to bring a side dish. My mother always brought a Jello mold, but she’s passed away . . . so I’m going to keep the tradition alive by making one myself. The only problem is that I’ve never made a Jello mold, and I hate the simple ones with just pieces of fruit in them. So who has suggestions for a really impressive mold that even a newbie can make? ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jello-mold-suggestions/427157/2 "2007-11-20T05:30:20Z")
I have two. Hang on a minute while I get my recipe box… Red Jello 1 lg pkg raspberry Jello 2 c hot water 1/2 pint sour cream (1 cup) 1 can whole cranberry sauce Green Jello 1 lg package lime Jello 2 c hot water 1 small can evaporated milk 1 cup sour cream 1 pint cottage cheese 1 can crushed pineapple Guaranteed to be authentic 50’s Jello recipes from my grandmother. One is for Thanksgiving and one is for Christmas–you pick which. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jello-mold-suggestions/427157/3 "2007-11-20T07:02:01Z")
[Pumpkin Mousse](http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pumpkin-Mousse/Detail.aspx). This one from [AllRecipes.com](http://AllRecipes.com) requires plain gelatin, which I don’t think Jell-O makes. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jello-mold-suggestions/427157/4 "2007-11-20T17:36:54Z")
I got this one off the internet, but it’s almost verbatim what my mommy used to make. She’d put the nuts on top. CRANBERRY JELLO SALAD 1 can jellied cranberry sauce 1 (3 oz.) box raspberry Jello 1 1/4 c. boiling water 1 sm. can crushed pineapple, drained 1/2 c. chopped walnuts Add boiling water to cranberry sauce and Jello. Stir well. Add crushed pineapple and stir. Nuts can be used to top Jello salad or mixed with pineapple. Chill for a few hours. This recipe can be doubled and put into a 9 x 13 inch dish. ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jello-mold-suggestions/427157/5 "2007-11-20T18:11:19Z")
If you would rather be assigned a different dish next year, I recommend this Jello mold - [http://www.yankeehalloween.com/qwiggle/brain-lg.html](http://www.yankeehalloween.com/qwiggle/brain-lg.html) ---
**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jello-mold-suggestions/427157/6 "2007-11-20T19:23:24Z")
I’ve made one for holiday meals that involved melting red hots in the jello, but beyond that it’s really just fruit (and walnuts) in jello. This recipe seems similar. [http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,1943,156187-236204,00.html](http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,1943,156187-236204,00.html) Mine is from the Woman’s Day Encyclopedia of Cookery which I don’t keep here at work. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jello-mold-suggestions/427157/7 "2007-11-20T20:08:37Z")
Pass around the Circus Peanut Jello! just the thing for a festive holiday spread! (Insert Barf Smiley Here) Circus Peanut Recipe You will need: 7 ounces (about 30) of Spangler Circus Peanuts 1-6 oz package of orange flavored gelatin 1-16 oz can of Mandarin oranges, drained\* 2 cups of boiling water 1 3/4 cups of Mandarin orange syrup and cold water 2 cups of whipped topping - You may substitute 16 oz of canned crushed pineapple, drained Directions: Cut the Spangler Circus Peanuts into small pieces Dissolve the orange gelatin in the boiling water Add the pieces of Spangler Circus Peanuts, stirring until dissolved Drain the syrup from the Mandarin oranges, adding enough cold water to equal 1 3/4 cups Add to gelatin; chill until partially set Stir together the Mandarin oranges and whipped topping; fold into the gelatin mixture Pour mixture into a 13 x 9 inch pan Chill until firm Yields approximately 18 - 3 oz servings ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2007, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jello-mold-suggestions/427157/8 "2007-11-27T19:38:23Z")
Heh - I know this is too late, but for future reference… The recipe [here](http://www.fabulousfoods.com/recipes/dessert/misc/melbabrain.html) , for a peach melba gelatin dessert, is actually pretty good - we made it this past Halloween as described - i.e. in the brain mold. How appropriate that I stumbled across this thread while searching for “barf smiley”. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jello-mold-suggestions/427157/9 "2007-11-28T00:55:43Z")
I’ve read that some chemical in pineapple prevents Jell-O or any other gelatin from solidifying properly. True? ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jello-mold-suggestions/427157/10 "2007-11-28T01:03:11Z")
[QUOTE=Walloon] I’ve read that some chemical in pineapple prevents Jell-O or any other gelatin from solidifying properly. True? [/QUOTE] I use crushed pineapple (not fresh), cream cheese and whipped cream in my 3 layer jello and I use half the water in that particular layer. It seems to firm up fine although I did hear something about fresh pineapple and have never seen it used, so perhaps the rumor you heard is true. ---
**Author:** ![IrreverentTone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@IrreverentTone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IrreverentTone)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jello-mold-suggestions/427157/11 "2007-11-28T02:06:46Z")
Canned pineapple and/or canned pineapple juice is perfectly safe to use in jello. Fresh will prevent it setting. If you Google _pineapple jello_ you will get scientific detail. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jello-mold-suggestions/427157/12 "2007-11-28T09:03:51Z")
I found a scientific explanation (though not at the Jell-O site): > [@](#): > > The bromelain enzyme in the fresh pineapple degrades the gelatin protein; digests it into a bowl of amino acids — still nutritious!! During the canning process, pineapple is heated to a temperature high enough to denature the bromelain enzyme (a protein itself) making it functionless. Thus, the gelatin protein molecules remain intact and insoluble.