As presented on the old Sony.com Beakman's World site.

"Yo! Welcome to my humble commode. Today we'll be learning about one of nature's most magical foods - gelatin! But foist, be making yizself dis here list."

• Package of unflavored gelatin
• Cup of apple juice
• Bowl or gelatin mold
• Sauce pan
• A grown up!!

1. Put the apple juice in the sauce pan and heat it until it's boiling.

2. Once the apple juice is boiling, turn off the heat and sprinkle in the package of unflavored gelatin.
3. Let the gelatin soften a minute and then stir it into the apple juice.
4. Pour the mixture into a bowl or gelatin mold.
5. Put it into the refrigerator for about an hour, until it's solid. Eat up!!

"Look at it wiggle! How does it do dat? Gelatin is made from a protein that answers to the name, collagen. It's made from the bones of animals. When you dissolve the gelatin in the hot apple juice, the collagen has itself a little breakdown. But, as the mixture cools, the collagen gets its act together and forms into a pattern that traps the liquid -- turning into a liquid and a solid at the same time! Hence the jiggle! So, there you have it, another work of art. Until next time, this is Art Burn saying, 'Hey, get outta my web site!"

A gel (pronounce "jell") is a special kind of mixture containing both a solid and a liquid. The solid part, such as gelatin, forms a network that traps the liquid part. Gelatin is not the only substance used for forming edible gels. Agar, made from seaweed, is also commonly used in prepared foods. You can find agar in an Asian food market.

For an interesting experiment try preparing your gelatin dessert using fresh pineapple juice instead of apple juice. Or add chunks of fresh pineapple to your apple gelatin. Try the same thing with canned pineapple juice or chunks. The gelatin containing the fresh pineapple juice or chunks will not set!

Why? Because pineapple and some other fruits contain enzymes which break apart proteins like the collagen in gelatin. When the fruit is canned, it is heat treated, which destroys the enzyme. This enzyme is similar to the one in meat tenderizer. Try sprinkling a layer of meat tenderizer on a chunk of gelatin dessert. Allow it to sit for about 10 minutes. What happens? (Don't eat the gelatin with the meat tenderizer on it.)