However, thanks to the invention of the pressure cooker in 1862 by a Frenchman named Denis Papin, there was at last a method that helped to rapidly accelerate breaking down the bones for the gelatin.īy this time, the popularity of gelatin had already spread to America and in 1845, the first patent for producing gelatin powder was granted.įrom there, things continued to speed up and by the end of the 19th century, gelatin was in widespread production and available in a variety of different forms, including powders, blocks, sheets and leaves. The first known mentions of it as a food additive appeared in Great Britain during the Middle Ages, where the extracts were used in the flavoring of meats and sweetened desserts.Īs ingenious as this discovery was, it proved to be very expensive and time consuming, which limited the use of gelatin to the wealthier members of society. Once it cooled, it could be consumed and, from that point on, the use of gelatin spread. Gelatin has been a part of human history for at least 8,000 years, but it was the ancient Egyptians who first perfected methods to reliably extract it from the bones of animals. The strain of corn possessing these properties was first discovered in China at the turn of the 20th century.

It is a byproduct of waxy maize (corn) that has a special property which allows the cornstarch to turn sticky or glue-like when heated. It was developed in 1948 by the National Starch and Chemical Company (now Ingredion) which was originally founded in 1895 by a man with the unusual name of Alexander Alexander. The forerunner of Instant Clear Jel was Clear Jel. So now that we’ve got the basics out of the way, let’s take a deeper dive into each of these two amazing ingredients! In addition, Instant Clear Jel is not intended to be used in recipes that require high heat or reheating (like canning) but do best at room temperatures, refrigeration or freezing for things like pie fillings. That said, the primary difference between Instant Clear Jel and gelatin is that Clear Jel does not require heat to thicken, but only the addition of liquid whereas gelatin must have liquid added to it and be heated. In this article, we’ll talk about why that is and what the best uses are for each of them so that by the time you’re done reading (hopefully) you’ll understand exactly why that is. However, over the years, there have been many derivatives of it that have become available, each with specific uses.Īnd while it’s true that both Instant Jel and gelatin are thickening agents, the two are not the same and should not be used in the same way. There’s no doubt that gelatin is a miraculous ingredient that has a wide variety of uses, both in and out of the kitchen.

While it’s true that gelatin is the main ingredient in everyone’s favorite fruit-flavored treat, it’s not the only thickening agent out there. If you guessed gelatin, you’re half right. Aside from being delicious, what do Jello and apple pie filling have in common?

Convert gelatin sheets to powder