Pet Peeve - Part 5

OK, now for the fifth and final issue I have with the free Jello Shot recipe I found online. Once again, the recipe I am talking about is very typical of the free recipes found online:

IT IS DRINKABLE: Jello shots:

"INGREDIENTS
3 packages of Jello containing sugar
2 1/2 cups vodka
3 1/3 cups water

INSTRUCTIONS
Bring the water to a boil and remove from heat. Slowly stir in the Jello until dissolved. Wait 3 minutes, then stir in the vodka. Pour into individual shot-size cups and freeze.

Via: http://jello-recipe.blogspot.com"

So today, my final issue with this recipe is - Why "freeze" them? This part really has me puzzled. I am guessing the writer really meant to say to chill them (as in the refrigerator), but many people would look at this and think they would need to freeze them.

As I write in my eBook, you can use your freezer for a few minutes (maybe 10-15) to accelerate the cooling process, but gelatin sets, it does not freeze, and freezing the water in your gelatin is going to ruin them. Either they will basically be fruity ice cubes when you serve them, or if you let them thaw before you serve them they will be grainy.

However, if you do freeze them - don't throw them out! Just pop them in the microwave for about 10 seconds per shot, watch them closely, and just as soon as they liquefy bring them back out (they will still be below the boiling point of ethanol). Then put them in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours until they once again set properly.

I have a whole section in my eBook, "Making Gourmet Jello Shots," where I explain not only the science behind gelatin and why and how it sets, but also have numerous tips for how to get it to set more quickly. I have, in cases, gotten the setting time down to an hour and 45 minutes. While I do use the freezer, I never allow my Jello Shots to freeze while setting. You can freeze your Jello Shots after they have fully set - this allows you to keep them longer. Simply pop them in the fridge for a few hours before serving.

So that's the end of my pet peeves with this Jello Shot recipe. To recap, the problems I have found were:

• The recipe does not tell you what size of packages to use, and
  
• It tells you to wait to stir in the vodka when you don't need to, and
• It doesn't tell you how many servings it makes, so you don't know how many batches it will make, and
• It doesn't tell you how strong they will be (and these come out pretty strong), and
• It tells you to freeze the Jello Shots and you shouldn't.
  

Hey, it's a free recipe, but you get what you pay for. That is the basic reason why I wrote my eBook - because there is a lot more information available - that you might not even know you are missing - if you look for it.

Judd
www.MakingJelloShots.com

Pet Peeve - Part 4

On to the fourth of FIVE issues I have with the Jello Shot recipe I found online. The first was what size of packages to use, and the second was why wait to stir in the vodka, and the third was that the recipe didn't tell you how much it makes, so you don't know how many batches you need.

To refresh your memory, the recipe I found (which is not atypical of those found online) is:

IT IS DRINKABLE: Jello shots:

"INGREDIENTS
3 packages of Jello containing sugar
2 1/2 cups vodka
3 1/3 cups water

INSTRUCTIONS
Bring the water to a boil and remove from heat. Slowly stir in the Jello until dissolved. Wait 3 minutes, then stir in the vodka. Pour into individual shot-size cups and freeze.

Via: http://jello-recipe.blogspot.com"

The fourth issue, and the one I want to discuss today, is - How strong are these Vodka Jello Shots? Again, maybe you aren't worried about this, but hey, I would think you might want to make your Bachelor Party Jello Shots really strong while you might want to make, say, wedding reception Jello Shots more weak.

So, with this recipe As it turns out, if you used 80-proof vodka, this recipe makes shots which include the equivalent of .779 ounces of 80-proof alcohol per 2 oz. serving, or around 15.6% ABV. That is actually rather strong for a Jello Shot, and some people won't like that intensity. I personally prefer formulations yielding about 1/3 of an ounce of 80-proof alcohol per shot, or about half the intensity of this recipe.

In my eBook, "Making Gourmet Jello Shots," not only do I give you Weak, Average, and Strong versions of each recipe, but I also spell out precisely how much alcohol will be in each shot, allowing for evaporation and such. This is the basis of my 80-proof APSTM (Alcohol Per Serving) calculation. I also teach you how to calculate it yourself, should you make substitutions and such, and I teach you how to find out exactly how much alchohol, should you want to push the limit, you can put into any given alcoholic Jello Shot recipe without 'breaking' it.

It's nice to know people like to put up free Jello Shot recipes - hey, that's where I got started. But it's also good to know that there is a lot more information available - that you might not even know you are missing - if you look for it.

Judd
www.MakingJelloShots.com

Pet Peeve - Part 3

So to continue: I found the following Jello Shot recipe online, and I have FIVE different issues to pick with this recipe. The first was what size of packages to use, and the second was why wait to stir in the vodka.

The recipe I had found was:

IT IS DRINKABLE: Jello shots:

"INGREDIENTS
3 packages of Jello containing sugar
2 1/2 cups vodka
3 1/3 cups water

INSTRUCTIONS
Bring the water to a boil and remove from heat. Slowly stir in the Jello until dissolved. Wait 3 minutes, then stir in the vodka. Pour into individual shot-size cups and freeze.

Via: http://jello-recipe.blogspot.com"

The third issue isn't that big of deal I guess, but I am just used to always providing this information in my eBook. That issue is - how many will it make? Maybe you aren't worried about this, but hey, I would think you might want to know if you need to make a double batch or not.

I include servings made with every recipe in my my eBook, "Making Gourmet Jello Shots." According to my calculations, this recipe will make roughly 25 to 26 2-oz. servings. It would have been nice to know that, I think.

Judd
www.MakingJelloShots.com

Pet Peeve - Part 2

OK, so what else bothered me about that Jello Shots recipe? Let's look at it again:

IT IS DRINKABLE: Jello shots:

"INGREDIENTS
3 packages of Jello containing sugar
2 1/2 cups vodka
3 1/3 cups water

INSTRUCTIONS
Bring the water to a boil and remove from heat. Slowly stir in the Jello until dissolved. Wait 3 minutes, then stir in the vodka. Pour into individual shot-size cups and freeze.

Via: http://jello-recipe.blogspot.com"

I told you I had FIVE different issues to pick with this recipe. I'll discuss the second one today.

Why do you have to wait to stir in the vodka? My guess is, the author probably was trying to keep the alcohol from evaporating.

However, as I point out in my eBook, if you take two minutes to stir in the gelatin (my recommended time), then by the time you are done stirring the gelatin into the boiled water the hot water-gelatin will have cooled off substantially, to around 100 degrees Fahrenheit, or about 38 degrees Celsius. This is well below the boiling point of ethanol - 173 degrees Fahrenheit, or 78.6 degrees Celsius - so little to no alcohol will be lost due to the heat of the solution.

So, you don't really need to wait. But, even I would normally split the water in this recipe and boil only half of it, keep the other half cold, and add the cold water along with the alcohol. This is a common practice in my eBook, "Making Gourmet Jello Shots."

I'll get to my next pet peeve regarding this recipe tomorrow.

Judd
www.MakingJelloShots.com

Pet Peeve - Part 1

OK, this blog post I saw today illustrates a few of my pet peeves about the Jello Shot recipes you might find online - the recipe that looks simple but isn't necessarily and, in fact, will likely ruin your Jello Shots.

This is for a classic vodka Jello Shot.

IT IS DRINKABLE: Jello shots:

"INGREDIENTS
3 packages of Jello containing sugar
2 1/2 cups vodka
3 1/3 cups water

INSTRUCTIONS
Bring the water to a boil and remove from heat. Slowly stir in the Jello until dissolved. Wait 3 minutes, then stir in the vodka. Pour into individual shot-size cups and freeze.

Via: http://jello-recipe.blogspot.com"

Off the top of my head, I find FIVE different issues to pick with this Jello Shot recipe. I'll start with the first one today.

My first question to you is - what size of "Jello Packages" do you need? In my area, gelatin most commonly comes in 6 oz. packages, but it also is quite common in 3 oz. packages. In this case, since the recipe calls for roughly 6 cups of fluid, the answer would be 3 oz. packages.

While you could use 6 oz. packages - and there is just enough hot water in this recipe to dissolve that much - you will be wasting money and may find your shots to be too hard. You would know this if you read my eBook, "Making Gourmet Jello Shots."

I'll get to the next issue tomorrow.

Judd
www.MakingJelloShots.com

Never cry over spilled guts: Musical Monday vol 3.

Never cry over spilled guts: Musical Monday vol 3.: "Then Sunday afternoon me, Dave & Pearl went out to Kyle & his girlfriend Amanda's place for Thanksgiving #3. Delicious food, numerous jello shots, and I got to drink mead for the first time!"

I've mentioned it before - Jello Shots are starting to show up at more and more functions! Making Jello Shots is coming in handy, and how much more traditional an event than at Thanksgiving? In fact, I brought a bunch of Jello Shots to my own Thanksgiving dinner!

If you are looking for something interesting and new to do, consider making gourmet Jello Shots for your next event!