desserts, and “shooters” fortified with vodka
and other spirits. More refined preparations,
often named by the French gelée, take
advantage of the fact that other ingredients
can be added at the last minute when the mix
is barely warm and about to set, so fresh and
delicate flavors can be preserved in the jelly:
such things as champagne or the “water” from
a seeded tomato.
Gelatin Production Most manufactured
gelatin in the United States and Europe comes
from pigskin, though some is also made from
cattle skins and from bones. Industrial
extraction is far more efficient and gentler on
the gelatin chains than kitchen extractions.
The pigskins are soaked in dilute acid for 18–
24 hours to break the collagen’s cross-linking
bonds, and then are extracted in several
changes in water, beginning at just
130ºF/55ºC, and ending around 195ºF/90ºC.
The low-temperature extracts contain the