The Jello and Pineapple Storyby Laura Martin

It was Christmas

• Grocery stores were closed.• I had hungry guests arriving. • I started cooking lots of food.• I started making my mandarin orange, walnut,

dried cranberry, raspberry jello mold.• I realized I forgot to buy the mandarin oranges.

• Oh No!

Lucky for me, I had fresh pineapple on hand…

Or was I not so lucky?

• I mixed up the mold, added chopped fresh pineapple and put my mix in the refrigerator to set.

• 2 hours later I checked on my mold……..

It was still liquid!!!

My mold looked like mixed fruit soup.

WHAT HAPPENED???

Well,

After looking at the expiration date on the box of jello I used (it was OK) and running to Google, I found:

Pineapple contains a protein degrading enzyme called bromelain.

Jello contains gelatine which is a protein.

BINGO!

I must have missed this lesson in Chemistry Lab.

Here is a video showing what happens:

•http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1sdN_v2Wbw

• Now, Betty has found a way to remedy this!•http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nfes2DEl

68• No FRESH Pineapple

• YAY, Betty!

Why does canned pineapple work?

Because heat kills the bromelain enzyme, and canned pineapple is heated as part of the canning

process.You can read more about the chemistry here:

http://chemistry.about.com/od/foodcookingchemistry/f/pineapple-jello.htm

As for me, live and learn always. No jello mold this year for Christmas.