I have officially moved everything out of the kitchen in Meme and Grandaddy's house. One of the last treasures to leave were in the cabinet above sink that I had to climb a ladder to reach, so needless to say it wasn't exactly the most commonly used item in the kitchen within the last decade. It was this large variety of individually sized tin molds. Being made of tin means they can be used for hot or cold dishes including cakes, breads, or most popularly Jell-O. The shapes range from seashells to rings, and hearts to pinwheels.
My favorite part is on the "Mary Ann's Shell Cake Pans 1921" where it is written "Minnie Daniel"¹
Who is that Family Member!
It's time for our first ever round of "Who is that Family Member!" The segment where I give you a little breakdown of my family tree and spill a little bit of tea so you can have some sort of frame of reference for who I'm talking about. I'll give you everyone's name, and in parentheses I'll add other names they might be known as.
Catherine Laseter (Me) 1997
My mother: Cathy Crenshaw Laseter (Mom) 1960
Her mother: Charlen Miles Crenshaw (Meme) 1925
Her mother: Frances Daniel Miles (Grandmother Miles) 1901
Her father: Charles Daniel (Grandaddy Daniel) 1870
His sister: Minnie Daniel (Aunt Minnie) 1877
Minnie Daniel was my grandmother's great aunt, who wasn't particularly great to her and her sisters. Aunt Minnie did not like Meme's father, Howard Miles, which is fair because he did gamble away Grandmother Miles' inheritance. What was not fair, however, was how her feelings about him affected the way she treated the girls. Aunt Minnie, as the holder of the remaining Daniel Family Money, refused to help Grandmother Miles financially, partly because she felt she shouldn't get more than she was originally willed, and partly because she was understandably concerned that any more money would just continue to be gambled away. I personally did not know her, so I cannot act as a character witness to conclude if it was more one or the other. All I can say is that it definitely was a hard situation to try and find the best thing to do for everyone involved.
... but also how could you not want to give these precious girls everything in the world?
Anyway, back to these tin molds.
HISTORY OF JELL-O
Instant gelatin was invented and made popularly available in 1897 by Pearl B. and May Davis Wait in the form of the now incredibly famous brand "Jell-O." This was a vast improvement of the laborious process from the early Victorian era that involved a calf's foot and a cook who was not faint of heart. This was much easier to come by if you were rich enough to have a large kitchen staff, making gelatin dishes a status symbol. I'm sure the elite of the 1850's would be thrilled to learn that their favorite class signifying meal/centerpiece is now so common that it is a staple in elementary schools, hospitals, and all-you-can-eat buffets.
The popularity of gelatin dishes grew after the turn of the century with the rise of industrialization. With all the new technology coming into the kitchen, including gas stoves and hot water pipes, instant gelatin made itself at home as an almost futuristic addition. The new century housewife favored efficiency and with Jell-O all she had to do was add the pack to hot and cold water. It was quick, she didn't have to use any of her limited sugar because it was pre-sweetened, and she no longer had to throw away leftovers, just throw them into the mix! I imagine the feeling of awe at the convenience would be similar to the introduction of the microwave into households.² One of those things where you'd look at it and go "Wowie, I am living in the future!"
Most of these molds are from post World War II though, when Jell-O regained popularity as a "return to the good old days." Which roughly translates to "before all these women entered the workforce because the boys were off at war." This is when what we usually think of as Jell-O dishes came into fashion. The brand sold a larger variety of molds in different shapes and sizes, as well as booklets detailing hints like what floats and sinks in Jell-O, and of course cookbooks dedicated to different flavors. My grandmother preferred lime Jell-O with canned pineapple chunks which she would make in individual sizes for bridge club.
Trying Them Out
Last night I decided to make Jell-O because it was just killing me that I hadn't used them yet. I didn't throw any leftovers in there because a) I'm making these in 2020 not 1950 and b) I'd eaten the last of the leftovers for lunch.
For starters they really brought to light how different "instant" is in 2020 than it was in 1900. Even though I knew they needed to set in the fridge for four hours, by the time the second hour was over I'd convinced myself that because it was in the mold it would take way less time so I might as well go ahead and try turning one out.
It did not come out immediately, but no big deal because cakes do that all the time so I should just loosen the edges with a knife then shake it until it comes loose right? Well the frustrating part was how the jiggle of the Jell-O felt surprising similar to the way a pan feels when the cake is starting to turn out, which lead to several false thoughts of "its almost there."
So a quick google said to dip the bottom of the pan in a bowl of warm water for 10 seconds and then turn it out onto a plate. Unfortunately, my earlier thought process of "this is a smaller pan so it will not take as long" had not stuck around. So when I turned it out on a plate it was too soft and looked a little like a beached jelly fish. Fortunately for you, I forgot to take a picture in all the rush. The second attempt went better because I just dipped it into the water for a second and flipped it out. However, because I had poked around the edges with a butter knife with what one might call "too much enthusiasm" it fell into multiple pieces.* This convinced me to call it quits for the evening.
Today turning them out went significantly better. I did have to let them be in the warm water for about 10 seconds now that they were fully set, but they all came out with only a little bit slumping! They are as delicious as orange Jell-O always is. Funnily enough the mold highlighted earlier (the Minnie Daniel one) fell apart the most. You'd think a girl would've gotten the hint when the pan said it was for cake huh? Scroll to the bottom for side by sides of each one next to their molds.
A couple of tips for others who want to try making Jell-O the pretty yet difficult way.³
Wait over night. It really does work better if they are completely set.
Try using a skinny appitizer knife around the edges. It's smaller than a regular table knife and also you'll fell slightly fancier.
Don't try to move them from one plate to another with your hands. I now have orange fingers and they fell apart some. Try using a metal spatula.
Eat it with your freshly orange pinky in the air to show the world that you are as fancy as the Victorian upper class!
Gelatin foods have had quite the journey, hitting just about every selling point it could. Starting as a very upper class "in the now" food of the Victorian era, then transitioning to being the futuristic penny stretcher of the new century, followed by the nostalgic option in the 1950s, and finally finding itself as the fun yet frustrating activity that I decided to take on at 9:00pm in 2020. The way we think about treasures that have such a varied history is very much dependent on what it was like to use it when we are introduced to it. Treasures often last longer than people, and our perception of them are more telling of the world they exist in at the moment than the life they've lived before us.
-Catherine
¹ I can't figure out what it's written in so if you have any idea what would mark tin like that for about a hundred years let me know
² Admittedly, I was also not around then, but I do feel this way about the Coca-Cola Freestyle machine but that's not as similar a product
³ As opposed to the regular way where you make it in a bowl and eat directly out of that same bowl every time you open the fridge
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