Victorian Jelly: Jell-O

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The history of gelatin desserts, before and during the Victorian era, teaches us so much about how our ancestors prepared foods. We know Jell-O was far from the first commercially prepared, labor-saving gelatin in a box.

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So… how was Jell-O new?

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Jell-O Ad circa 1900 (as far as labeled on Pinterest).

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Jell-O: The New Dessert

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According to Jell-O’s history, this All-American brand debuted in 1899. These two advertisements appeared widely throughout New York and Pennsylvania.

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Note the major differences between Jell-O brand’s advertisements, and previous boxed gelatines like Cox’s:

Flavors. 1899 flavors included lemon, orange, raspberry and strawberry. No longer must housekeepers (wives) flavor and sweeten their jellies.
Colors. Instant fruity shades. No need for added food coloring.

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Jell-O, the New Dessert. Advertised in Record-Argus of Greenville, Pennsylvania on February 22, 1899.

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“What cost 10¢ in 1899 would cost $3.37 in 2021.” ~ Inflation Calculator

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Four Victorian Jell-O Flavors: Lemon, Orange, Raspberry and Strawberry.

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Jell-O for Dessert, an advertisement in The Democrat and Chronicle of Rochester, New York on February 19, 1900.

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Jell-O advertisement from Golden Age. Image: Pinterest.

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Newspaper Recipes with Jell-O

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The Genesee Pure Food Company employed effective marketing efforts for their Jell-O brand. The following recipes, published in newspapers, promoted Jell-O.

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Wine Jelly made with Jell-O brand gelatin. From The Weekly Gazette of Colorado Springs, Colorado on January 1, 1903.

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Jell-O with Tapioca recipe published in the St. Paul Globe of St. Paul, Minnesota on January 1, 1903.

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Banana Cream with Jell-O recipe published in The Des Moines Register of Des Moines, Iowa. Dated January 5, 1903.

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The first decade of the 20th century belong officially to the Edwardian Era. Scholars often blend the two together. We’ll include the 1903 recipes, above as “Victorian.”

The next recipe hails from 1928, solidly beyond the Victorian era. But it’s another example of newspaper recipes using Jell-O brand–an ongoing marketing tool employed by the Genesee food company, makers of Jell-O.

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Recipe for Apple Snow Jell-O, from The St. Louis Post-Dispatch of St. Louis, Missouri on April 20, 1928.

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Kansas Winter Exhibition Shows off Jell-O

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Jell-O brand promoted at Kansas Winter Exposition. From The Topeka Daily Capital of Topeka, Kansas on February 5, 1905.

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A Bit of Contemporary Jell-O Trivia

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Lime, Jell-O’s “new” flavor, debuted in 1930. Apparently people in Utah like lime Jell-O the most of anybody.

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Kristin Holt | Victorian Jelly: Jell-O. Image: Salt Lake 2002 Winter Olympics pin: Green Jell-O. Pin: for sale presently on eBay. Quote: "The people of Salt Lake City consume more lime-flavored gelatin than any other city in the United States." ~ Jell-O Gallery.org

Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Pin featuring Green Jell-O, currently for sale on eBay.

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Utahans love their “Jell-O salads.” As if the Jell-O brand name stood alone on market shelves.

What do Utah cooks do with all that green Jell-O? Are you picturing a wiggly rectangle of plain green? Perhaps speckled with grated carrots? (Yep. Check out that famous Olympic pin.)

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Best Green Jell-O Salad (Mormon Jello Salad). Image: Pinterest.

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Everything You Wanted to Know: Victorian Jelly

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Have you caught up on all the Victorian-era details? “Jell-O” is only about 125 years old. Cooks on both sides of the Atlantic made jellies for their 19th century dining tables. Thickening methods began in the most natural of ways. Victorian-era inventors soon delivered the gelling essence in food factories. The time- and labor-saving inventions became fast favorites with housekeepers.

Don’t miss a bit of the history! See links for each of article in this blog series, below.

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