If you are curious about Jell-O, you may be wondering whether Jell-O is a solid or a liquid. This is a commonly asked question as Jell-O is one of those strange foods that can be hard to classify.
Jell-O is a popular kind of food that many people still enjoy today. It can be bought in grocery stores or made at home very easily with just a few ingredients.
One of the reasons why so many people are confused about Jell-O is the fact that it takes many forms. You get Jell-O in the form of a powder, but it becomes a liquid when you are making the actual Jell-O.
Then the Jell-O will set up into a semi-solid mixture when it is complete, going through a confusing process of being solid and liquid. Keep reading to find out whether or not Jell-O is considered to be a solid or a liquid.
Jell-O Is a Colloid
If you have never tried Jell-O before, you may be wondering if Jell-O is a solid or a liquid. Jell-O is considered to be a colloid, which is a term used to describe the solid gelatin particles which are suspended in the water.
This creates a unique type of food that is similar to both a solid and a liquid but is actually neither one. This is because Jell-O starts as a powder, then it becomes a liquid and then becomes a partial solid and its final form.
This is unlike the majority of foods as most foods are either a solid or a liquid. But it is hard to say exactly what Jell-O is as it could be classified as either one yet is neither one.
Jell-O is generally considered to behave more like a liquid as it is so soft that you can easily spoon through it. It is not easy to pick up like a solid would, so in that sense, it also acts more like a liquid.
The people who make or eat Jell-O know that it is really not classified as either a solid or a liquid when you make it.
What Makes Jell-O?
If you enjoy eating Jell-O, you may be wondering what makes Jell-O as it is quite a mysterious food. This is something that is hard to put into any category as it could be classified as a dessert or maybe a snack food.
It is also made quite minimally with only a few ingredients that you can easily find. Those people buy Jell-O in ready-mixed boxes that all they need to do is mix with a liquid to create the final product.
Gelatine
Gelatin is the main ingredient in any kind of Jell-O recipe as this is what helps the Jell-O to set up into that jiggly mixture. Gelatin is made from the marrow of animal bones that are extracted during a specific process.
It is an ingredient that can be both dry, liquid, and solid, depending on what stage of the process it is in. It easily melts in liquids and will eventually set up, the particles being suspended in the liquid to create a semi-solid mass.
Because of this, you cannot make Jell-O without gelatin, as this is the ingredient that sets it up. Without the gelatin, Jell-O would just be a liquid that is never able to become solid in any way.
Water
Besides the Jell-O make sure that you get in stores, you will need to add water to this mixture to create the Jell-O. You will usually add a mixture of cold and hot water to help the Jell-O mixture dissolve as well as the gelatin.
During this stage, the Jell-O is going to be a liquid as it will need to cool down for the gelatin to help it set up. You absolutely have to have water for Jell-O in order to actually make the finished product, though you may be successful with different kinds of juice as well.
Final Thoughts
Jell-O is considered to be neither a solid nor a liquid but is often referred to as a colloid. Which is used to describe something that is in between solid and liquid, as the gelatin particles are solid but are suspended through the water.
Jell-O also goes through a process of being liquid and becoming semi-solid, making it neither a solid nor a liquid overall.