The University of Jell-O

              

Well, well, it looks like Jell-o has mass marketed these fun University Mold Kits for the football season this year!  Woo-hoo! Apparently, they made a hand-full last year, but upped the big college team kits to 16 for this season. But are these awesome looking Jiggler kits really going to be great at your tailgating/watch party event, or are they too frustrating and should only be used as a novelty MIB (that's Mint In Box for all you non-collector nerds) decoration?

Well, it seems that there is a lot of debate about this very question all over the interwebs.  Some say that the Jell-o would stick in the hard plastic molds and they wound up just scooping them out and into a paper cup, thus loosing all the school pride details that the mold promises to provide. However, some of those who got frustrated with the product admitted that they did not spray the molds with cooking spray between each use, and others said they added more water/liquid than the Jigglers recipe suggested.  That being said, those who were unsatisfied that followed suggested procedures to a 'T', reported that they still had problems getting the Jell-o out of the molds with all the details fully intact.

Now, that being said, the reviewers that I've seen at various places online (like Amazon) have given this product an overwhelming thumbs up.  The ratio of yayers to nayers is about 100 to 1.  Some of the proponents have even listed tips for easy removal, including using a toothpick instead of a knife to get the Jell-o to release easily, and making sure to spray the molds with every use.  Another tip, is to let the liquid Jell-o cool down a bit before pouring it into the mold.  And the last handy-dandy tip I've read about is after the Jell-o has set, put the bottom tip of the mold tray down into some hot water for a couple of seconds (not too long or you will get some watery goo instead of a detailed logo.

I haven't tried these tips, but it seems that using a combination of the sort will get you some Jigglers that look exactly like, or at least somewhat like the pictures on the box or on Amazon.

Let's talk about the color schemes based on OU and Ohio State.  The red (crimson/scarlet) is easy for both of these.  You can use strawberry, cherry, dark cherry, blackberry or whatever reddish Jell-o you prefer. But unless Jell-o has come out with white or gray "flavors" recently, you are going to have to get creative.

Oh, wow, how 'bout that?  They evidently HAVE come up with a way to do a "cream" colored Jell-o! And it is conveniently in the flavor of Pina Colada, for those looking to add some adult beverages to their University molds.  Yay for Sooners!  If someone has actually tried this flavor, please let me know what you think in the comments below.  There are recipes all over the internet about how to make unflavored white gelatin using evaporated milk, but that's more for layering between other flavors for decoration, not as a standalone non-flavor.  That's just gross.

Ok, now do you think we'll get this lucky with Buckeye gray?  Not exactly.  We'll need to tweek an original flavor a bit.  According to The Columbus Dispatch, this is the way to get the gray: Hey look, I rhymed! 

Ingredients

2 boxes (3 oz. each) grape-flavored Jell-O gelatin 
1 box (3 oz.) lime-flavored Jell-O gelatin 
1 can (5 oz.) evaporated milk 

Combine 1 1/2 cups boiling water with the three boxes of gelatin and the evaporated milk. 

Ok, so now you got all your Jell-o University Mold Kit colors/flavors covered for the Sooner or Buckeye games!  Now, the question I know some of you are dying to know the answer to - Will it work for Jell-o shots?  The answer - it will, but it may not be worth the effort.  According to many people who bought these mold kits for this very reason, most have decided to just use the collegiate molds for desserts, and stick with the paper cup method for the shot version.  The main reason? Because the molds are too small and not worth the minute amount of liquor one would get from each logo block.  They claim to only get about half of an average Jello-shot in each one.  So yes, you may be able to make Jell-o shots in these molds, but whether the time, effort, and amount is worth it, is totally up to you.

They can also be used for non-Jell-o-y things such as ice cubes, chocolate, and whatever else you would normally use a plastic mold for.

Whatever you are using the molds for, be sure to get them soon, because these University kits are being sold for a limited time only!

Happy Tailgating!!!