Mid-Century Cooking from the Jell-O Cookbook

The New Jell-O Book of Surprises detail

Detail from The New Jell-O Book of Surprises. CHF Collections.

“Seventeen million women...will accept no substitute for Jell-O. There is no match for Jell-O’s quivery-tender texture, that delicious tenderness that Jell-O always holds.”

Ever wonder why marshmallows suspend in Jell-O but some fruits just don't stick? CHF staff consulted the museum’s 1930 Jell-O Cookbook to provide a history lesson on this ubiquitous pantry staple, discussed its chemical composition, and hosted a sweet, savory, and three-layer tasting of some of Jell-O's stranger mid-century applications.

Discussion and tasting were ongoing throughout the evening.

This project was supported by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage through the Heritage Philadelphia Program.

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