Gelatin

Gelatin is made from ground-up animal by-products, including hooves and bones. According to Knox, the ubiquitous maker of gelatin products, their gelatin, which comes in 7-gram/¼-ounce packages, will gel 2 cups of liquid. I find that one package of gelatin measures 2¼ teaspoons, so 1 ⅛ teaspoons are needed per cup of liquid.

Powdered gelatin needs to be softened in cool water for at least 5 minutes before being heated to dissolve it, which enables it to be effective as a thickening agent. According to the Lipton tea company’s research department, “While it is true that extensive boiling will denature unflavored gelatin... normal use in recipes, including boiling, will not adversely affect the product.”