Who are the country`s biggest Jell-O eaters? With the citizens of Des Moines just behind, the people of the Salt lake City-Boise region take the prize.
”They say it`s because all Mormons take green Jell-O to potluck dinners,” quips Salt Lake Tribune food editor Donna Morgan. Green Jell-O is so popular there, in fact, that when the newspaper sponsored a Jell-O cook-off last July, the categories were ”salad, main dish, dessert and green.”
Back in the Midwest, however, there`s another trend. My aunt, June Christian, age 79, says, ”I`ve been making Jell-O for 63 years, and I`ve come to realize people just don`t like green that much.” So last year she changed the ”nest” for her famous Jell-O eggs from green to yellow.
To make the eggs, Aunt June uses actual eggshells for molds. Here`s how.
Punch a dime-size hole in the top of each egg, hold over a bowl and
”shake it real hard,” she says. The white and yolk will slither out. Wash out the empty shells, then gently boil them for a few minutes to kill any bacteria. (You can start saving shells weeks ahead.)
”Next make your different color Jell-Os,” she says. ”I like cherry and grape.” How do you pour the Jell-O in through those little tiny holes? ”Oh, you don`t pour it, honey. You dip the shell right down in the warm Jell-O and let it bubble in by itself.”
Now stand the eggs, hole-end up, in an egg carton and chill them overnight. The next part is tricky.
”Take the eggs, in the carton, and set them in a little warm water in the sink, maybe just a minute.” This softens the gelatin along the shell, which you then peel back to let the egg slip out.
The nest itself is easy. Make green or yellow Jell-O with crushed pineapple. ”Set it up in a pretty punch bowl,” Aunt June says. ”You don`t have to add the pineapple, but it makes the nest look a little more like straw.” Then place the eggs gently in the nest and serve. –
Penny Ward Moser
