Gel and jelly, words for a fragile solid that
is largely water, and gelatin, the name of
the protein that can gel water into a solid,
all come from an Indo-European root
meaning “cold” or “to freeze.” The jelly
maker freezes liquids with molecules
instead of icy temperatures.Other Jellies and Gelées;
Manufactured Gelatins
The first jellies were meat and fish dishes, but
cooks soon began to use animal gelatins to set
other ingredients into pleasing solids,
especially creams and fruit juices, and
prepared gelatin became a standard ingredient
for the pastry cook, who also uses it to give a
melting firmness to some mousses, whipped
creams, and pastry creams. The most familiar
jellies in the United States today, both made
from manufactured gelatin powders, are
sweet, fruit-flavored, fluorescently colored