Jello is a favorite amongst children and a great add on to desserts. Jello shots are a party favorite and there’s no such thing as too many jello shots.
But if you end up making jello shots for a party of 50 and only 20 people show up, you might left with a good amount of jello shots and other food that would go to waste if you don’t freeze it. But can you freeze jello?
You cannot freeze Jello directly without ruining its consistency. However, you can work around the crystallization process to freeze it and eliminate the process of thawing it before consumption.
Freezing Jello Or Jello Shots
Since gelatin is a prime component of jelly, it works by binding together the sugar and water particles, getting a texture that is soft solid and has a gel-like feel.
If you are thinking of freezing jello shots, the gelatin that binds together the alcohol and the sugar particles crystalizes which ruins the binding between the particles.
When it is thawed the texture is ruined and you will get something that is a watery consistency. And no, it would have a weird taste, so you cannot present it as an alcoholic drink to guests or even consume it yourself.
Putting Jello In Freezer To Quicken Setting Process
If you are making jello shots in the final couple of hours and would want it to be ready when the guests begin to arrive, you might think of popping it in the freezer to quicken the setting process.
You can put the jello in the freezer for 15-20 minutes.
You shouldn’t keep it in for long because if the temperature of the jello reaches below the point where it cools, it would lose the texture and the low temperature will impact the bonds between the molecules.
Options To Freeze Jello
Making jello or adding a gelatin substance to turn alcohol to a jelly-like consistency is a chemical process.
This means that when you heat the water on the stove and add the jelly or gelatin particles to it, the chemical reaction allows to form bonds between the particles.
When this substance is cooled down, it has a gel-like consistency which is quite enjoyable. And it is best consumed within 1-2 days as the gelatin bonds begin to break off and the jello will begin to get watery if kept for longer.
But, if you have no choice but to freeze it, you might want to doctor it up to make it consumable or try other options to store it appropriately. Here are some of the options to store Jello:
1. Store It In The Refrigerator
If you are left with jello, you might want to consider putting it in the refrigerator. Jello in the refrigerator can last 5-7 days before it starts getting watery and losing the gelatin binding.
So, if you can consume the jello or the jello shots within 5-7 days, there is no need to freeze it as it can be safely stored in the refrigerator.
2. Make It A Slushie
If you have no option but to freeze the jello shots, you might want to add some Kool-Aid or Gatorade to the jello.
This way, the mixture’s gelatin content goes down. These shots can be consumed as frozen, so there is no need to thaw the jello.
If you are not thawing the gelatin and consuming it as a cold dessert, you would enjoy it thoroughly because if not thawed, the bonds do not break, and the taste would not be impacted.
Plus, even if the jello when thawing slightly turns watery, it can be consumed as a slushie.
Can You Freeze Gelatin Used In Mousse?
Since gelatin is the main ingredient in jello, freezing it messes with its consistency.
However, if the gelatin is used in a low amount like in desserts such as mousse, you can freeze it.
However, when you thaw it, you might notice a change in the texture, and it wouldn’t be as light and airy as it was when it was fresh. It might be grainy in some parts because of the gelatin.
Can You Freeze Gelatin Cheesecake?
If you wish to freeze cheesecake, the change in texture and taste wouldn’t be because of the gelatin.
Since the cheesecake is made of dairy, when it undergoes freezing, it has a textural change even if it doesn’t have a high level of gelatin.
So, you cannot freeze cheesecake, not because of the gelatin, but because of the dairy component of the desert.
Summing Up Freezing Jello
You cannot freeze leftover jello because the chemical process of making the jello which forms the bonds between the molecules becomes undone.
If frozen jello is thawed, it would become a watery mess and not have the enjoyable taste or gel-like consistency.
You can keep jello in the fridge safely for 5-7 days. So, if you think that you can consume the leftover jello within this time, it is better to store it in the refrigerator than take the risk of freezing it up.
If you have no option but to freeze it, you should add some juice like Gatorade or Kool-aid to the jello mixture to lower the gelatin levels in it. Then you can freeze it up and consume it as an iced dessert.
If you want to pop the jello in the freezer to make it set quickly, you can do so, but not for longer than 15-20 minutes.
