Jello Shots

That is why Jello shots have become a popular party treat. It reminds us of our good ol' days as kids playing with our Jello but the Jello shot adds a grown up twist on our old favorite.

Many people buy Jello shots pre-made. These tend not to taste quite as delicious and can have a lower alcohol content than home made Jello shots. For some reason people shy away from making these delicious party treats. It is a little more involved to make these than your standard Jello, but not by much.

Ingredients you'll need for standard Jello shots:

Box of Jello - Flavor of your choice.

Vodka - Can use other alcohols or flavors of your choice to make more interesting flavor combinations. Alcohol can make the firming process of gelatin take longer. Keep this in mind if you start to up the proof of the alcohol.

Water - If your tap water has a weird taste I recommend bottled/purified water to eliminate any added and unwanted flavors.

There are things I personally recommend when making Jello shots.

First is the containers. These are easily found in most grocery stores but I have found if you go to bulk food store or stores that focus on food service supplies you can find these in large quantities and for cheap. I personally purchase my containers at Smart & Final. Most people recommend using the little 1oz. paper cups as they can be torn away. I do not like these as they usually they are little folded paper cups and do not have smooth edges. This leave little crevasses for the Jello to cling once solid and makes it so you have to tear the cup to get your Jello out. I like to use the little flexible plastic 1oz cups usually for condiments that you can also purchase lids for. I recommend these as once you fill them you can place a lid on them and stack them in your fridge saving lots of space. Lids help to cut down on any getting knocked over and making a mess in your fridge and keep anything from landing in the Jello if you are making them a couple days in advanced of your party or will be transporting them to a party. Also if your Jello is stuck inside you can squeeze the cup to release the Jello. Some people recommend using non-stick spray or oil on your cups to allow Jello to slide out more easily. I do not as this can add unpleasant flavor to your Jello.

Second would be a turkey baster or the meat syringes for inserting marinade into meat. These work better than trying to pour or spooning Jello into the little cups. Less sticky mess, less waste and more control where your Jello goes. I use the meat syringe without the needle probe attached. This allows me to squirt in the Jello into the cups with accuracy.

To make the Jello is easy, like making Jello. But there is a trick to keeping your alcohol content as high as possible. First you will want to boil your water and add Jello packet according to box instructions. Now here is the trick. Once you boil your water and Jello is disolved, let it sit out and cool. Adding your alcohol immediately to the hot Jello will allow it to evaporate the alcohol faster. I generally wait till at least there is no steam coming from my Jello before adding my alcohol but I wait till it is still warm but not too hot to stick my finger in it for a second. Once it has cooled add your alcohol. I leave my alcohol room temperature before adding to the Jello. Follow the instructions on the box but instead of adding water, you are replacing it with your alcohol. Stir in alcohol well.

Once your alcohol is added it is time to fill your cups and refrigerate till set. I set out my cups on a cookie sheet, fill with Jello using my meat syringe, place lids and stack another layer of cups on top, fill, place lids, repeat till done. The cookie sheet will catch any drips (keeps your counter clean) and makes it easy to move the Jello shots to the fridge.