How do you make Jell-O from scratch rather than from a box??!
Answers: for some reason my physics teacher asked us for a recipe that we need for todays lab... weird...
Here's some information I found:
http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/gelatin/Deta...
Gelatin was originally made by boiling down animal bones or cartiledge, but now most commercial gelatin is extracted from pig's skin.
To use commercial gelatin and make your own jell-o, dissolve 1 package of gelatin in 2 cups of water. Most chefs will choose a fruit juice (other than pineapple, which will not allow the gelatin to set) for the liquid, although other liquids like beef or chicken stock, or alcohol like champagne, can also be used. Measure out your two cups of liquid, take off a 1/4 cup of it and heat in a small dish in the microwave. Add your gelatin and stir until dissolved. Add to the remaining liquid and mix to combine. Chill and it should be set in 4 hours.
Here is a link for the recipe from recipezaar:
http://www.recipezaar.com/37415
I think this is what your teacher wants to shock you with:-
The gelatin you eat in Jell-O comes from the collagen in cow or pig bones, hooves, and connective tissues. To make gelatin, manufacturers grind up these various parts and pre-treat them with either a strong acid or a strong base to break down cellular structures and release proteins like collagen. After pre-treatment, the resulting mixture is boiled. During this process, the large collagen protein ends up being partially broken down, and the resulting product is called gelatin. The gelatin is easily extracted because it forms a layer on the surface of the boiling mixture.
Knox gelatin
http://www.kraftfoods.com/knox/
Good Luck