Adventures in Jello Shots!

In an effort to revamp and re-inspire both this blog and my writing self, I have decided to expand the content I share here on my tiny little piece of Internet real estate.  Today, for example, I will be sharing a fun little "recipe", if you will, that I once saw at a friends house, and decided to research and attempt on my own.  Here goes. 


Jello Shots in Fruit Rinds!

What you will need:

• Jello Mix (I used a few different flavors)
• Oranges (or any fruit with a thick rind - you can use Lemons or Limes, though the flavor may come out slightly more sour)
• Water
• A Large Bowl (to collect fruit goop)
• A Sharp Knife
• Vodka

To start, you want to cut all of the oranges in perfect halves.  Try to keep your slices straight, as this will prevent your Jello from spilling later.

Next, gut your oranges.  This is probably the hardest part of the entire process, as you do not want to put any holes or slits in your rinds (also causing spillage later!).  It's helpful to have a big bowl next to you while doing this, so you can throw all the fruit guts aside.  I used a serrated knife to help scrape out any excess fruit.  Place the rinds aside so they can dry out a little.

Once your fruit rinds are clean, lay them out on a baking sheet.  This will make transporting them into the refrigerator much easier, once they are filled with liquid. 

After that, make Jello!  For this, you can mainly follow the directions on the box, but substitute some of the cold water for vodka.  For example, if the Jello recipe calls for 1 cup of boiling water and 1 cup of cold water, put in 1 cup of boiling water, 1/2 cup of cold water, and 1/2 cup of vodka.  I used Orange and Watermelon Jello.  Party on.

Next, simply pour your Jello into the fruit rinds.  Make sure you fill them until they are almost spilling over - Jello tends to shrink once it hardens.  You can then move your fruit rinds into the refrigerator.

Most Jello will take 5-6 hours to set.  I made these about 8 hours before the party I was bringing them too, and the Jello was really not quite hard enough.  To be safe, I would definitely make these the day before I needed them.  Once your Jello has hardened, you can cut them just as you would a normal orange.  Little trick: place the knife in the freezer for a few minutes before cutting - this will prevent the Jello from sticking to the blade, and lifting it out of the orange rinds.

And voila!  You have Jello shots!  These are crazy impressive for parties, and not even that hard to make.  Plus, they taste delicious.  Feel free to change the amount of vodka you put in your Jello to your personal preference, and enjoy!