JELL-O MONTHLY
February 2017
THE JIGGLY HISTORY OF JELL-O
So everyone who’s in the know agrees that Jell-O is a translucent, jiggly, wiggly, colorful, fruity, fun, yummy bundle of goodness. I mean, come on, it’s practically known worldwide, and to do that it has got to be good. But have you ever taken the time to think about where it originated? I pondered the possibilities before finally just googling it, and today I am going to share my findings with you. So let’s take a few minutes to thank the people who brought us this fantastic fruit elastic!
Jell-O was born thanks to a cough syrup manufacturer named Pearle Wait in LeRoy, New York, in 1897. At this time, gelatin was already known of and was used by french soldiers as a source of protein during the English Blockade. It was not very popular, though, because it did not taste good and making it was a long and difficult process. In fact, it tasted so bad that when it was first invented it required 88% sugar just to make it palatable!
Unfortunately, Pearle didn't make much money from his invention and was soon broke. He sold it to Francis Woodward for only $450 in 1899, and when he had the same luck as Wait, Woodward tried to sell it for only $35! Woodward decided to keep trying anyways and by 1902, Jell-O was known all across the U.S.
Today, Jell-O has evolved into a worldwide sensation and is available in many dozens of flavors, from Color-Changing to Pina Colada. There are Jell-O shots, Jell-O pop bottles, Jell-O wrestling, and lots of other Jell-O things, and we can thank Pearle Wait, Francis Woodward, and lots of other people for them. So the next time you mush your tongue or sink your teeth into a spoonful of Jell-O, you have them to thank!
Fast forward to 1960. Sales started steadily decreasing, and Jell-O was in trouble. Many Jell-O dishes became foods for special occasions instead of everyday snacks. Jell-O hired Dana Gioia to turn things around, and she came up with Jell-O jigglers. These were Jell-O molded into fun shapes and eaten as a finger food. These fun commercials featured Bill Cosby with some kids, saying how good Jell-O was and having fun. They saved Jell-O, and that is why it is still around!
By Brady Anderson