An American mathematician by the name of Tom Lehrer has been said to have been the 1st to create the jello shot in the early 1950s while working for the NSA, where he developed vodka jello as a way to circumvent a restriction of alcoholic beverages on base, but this claim has not been confirmed as yet.
The maximum alcohol content is somewhere between 19 and 20 oz. of vodka per 3 oz. package of Jell-O powder, or about 30% (ABV) alcohol by volume.
Alternatives
A few gelatinous desserts can be manufactured using agar instead of jello, allowing them to set far quicker and at higher temperatures. Agar, a vegetable product made from seaweed and is used especially in jello powder mix for a quicker setting time and Asian jello desserts, but also as an alternative that is acceptable to vegans and vegetarians. Agar is more closely related to pectin and other gelling plant carbohydrates than to ordinary gelatin.
There is one other vegetarian alternative to gelatin which is carrageenan. This alternative sets harder than agar and is often used in kosher style cooking. Though it, too, is a type of seaweed, it does not to have a bad smell when being cooked as agar sometimes has.
Chemistry
Fresh pineapple contains the enzyme bromelain which must can never be allowed to mix with the jello shot mix as this enzyme will prevent the jello from setting, this is common in most citrus and tropical fruits. Papaya and pawpaw contain the enzyme papain, kiwi fruit contains actinidin, and figs contain ficin- all with similar effects. Cooking denatures the enzyme, rendering it inoperative
Making a Jello shot is like making regular Jello but instead of adding water, alcohol is the major fluid added instead. The mixture is then poured into glass or plastic shot glasses or tiny cups instead of using big bowls.
For a basic selection of jello shots a simple jello shot recipe has been drawn up for you to make at home. The recipe is as follows:
1 - 6 ounce package of gelatine ? any flavour of your choice
16 fl ounces or boiling water 6 fl ounces cold water 10 fl ounces 80-proof Alcohol - 40%(ABV) or higher
Grab yourself a mixing bowl and add the gelatine powder together with the boiling water. Let the jello mix sit for approximately one minute to fully dissolve the gelatine. Stir for another minute to get the mix well circulated then let the gelatine cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in cold water and alcohol.
Place the shot glasses, jello moulds or cups and place onto a tray in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Tips Depending on the strength of alcohol, you need to adjust the ratio of alcohol to cold water to ensure that the jello sets properly. Use the following ratios to ensure proper setting jello shots:
13 ounces of 30-50 proof alcohol - 20/30% abv - to 3 ounces cold water 10 ounces 80-100 proof alcohol - 40/45% abv - to 6 ounces cold water 6 ounces 150-200 proof alcohol - 75/100% abv- to 10 ounces cold water If you would like more "potent" shots, you can amend the recipe a bit. This variation makes 6 large cups with 2oz (2x"shots") of alcohol each, or 12 small cups with 1oz of alcohol each, yet still sets hard and tastes great.
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