Food: Sweet: Jello
jelly tops   (+6)  [vote for, against]
spinning jellies

put the central spindle of a bog-standard spinning top though a firmly set fruit jelly (any flavour but make mine a raspberry) and use as a central table decoration for children’s parties. children could take turns making it spin.

when the time comes for the children to go home, it is traditional for them to take away a little bag of sweets and goodies. pop in a hand-made fruit jelly yo-yo for them as an extra treat. bringing jelly technology to a sitting-room near you - you are a child once only.
-- po, Jun 14 2003

A top like this... http://www.babygift...mages/thomastop.jpg
The hand-pumped kind (not so common in the US), which will run for ages if you keep it pumped up. [DrCurry, Oct 04 2004]

...or a top like this? http://www.mrpunchs...log/9_12_06a-01.jpg
Spun once manually, runs down much faster. [DrCurry, Oct 04 2004]

jelly as I know it. http://suzanneh.com...nary_food/jelly.jpg
[po, Oct 04 2004]

Jello Biafra http://www.lapsus-g...e/lover/lov2844.jpg
[thumbwax, Oct 04 2004]

Po, you're a nutter.

In USA jelly is what we call jam. I think they call jelly Gell-o but I'm not sure.

Delete this anno when clarified.
-- egbert, Jun 14 2003


I most certainly will not delete your anno, you soft dollop <g>
-- po, Jun 14 2003


[marked-for...] : Magic (!?)

Er... anyway, so does the jelly spin? If so, you do realise that some enterprising young tyke will spin the top so fast that the jelly will break-up and fly all over the shop.

For this reason, this gets my vote.
-- Jinbish, Jun 14 2003


when I work out how to knit with jelly, you will be the first to know. you like horizontal stripes, don't you Steve?
-- po, Jun 14 2003


I would recommend making the jelly/Jell-O in situ around the top: piercing the jelly afterwards would result in damaging what little structural integrity it has, and the thing would break up and fly apart as spun.

There is a stronger jelly mix, using less water, that Jell-O promulgates as jigglers - this recipe would probably survive a bit longer as a top or yo-yo.

Or, of course, you could always use a jelly-fish, which ought to last for quite a while.
-- DrCurry, Jun 14 2003


Aa encased pineapple slice might improve structural integrity.
-- FarmerJohn, Jun 14 2003


I am having trouble visualizing the idea as [po] describes it. What's a "bog?"

In the US we have jelly. It is similar to jam except it has no seeds and a very consistent smooth texture. Grape jelly is the most common that I see. I think jelly is made from fruit juice or pureed and strained fruit. Jam is more like mashed fruit and has the seeds and a bit varied, and softer, texture than jelly. Preserves has discernable pieces of fruit and the most varied texture, more like fruit chunks cooked in a syrup. Then there's conserves but I really have no idea what distinguishes those and, of course, marmalades. I like jam the most but rarely eat it.
-- bristolz, Jun 14 2003


as egbert says jelly is I believe what you would call jell-o. a dessert made from gelatin(e) and fruit flavoured. a traditional English trifle is made with jelly, fruit pieces, bits of sponge with layers of custard and cream - mmmm.

I agree with DrCurry, the spindle of the spinning top should be inserted into the jelly before it sets. his 1st link is the type of spinning top that I was imagining.

bog-standard is just a slang phrase meaning ordinary.
-- po, Jun 14 2003


Jello is made with gelatin and jellys and jams from pectin, at least they are here.
-- bristolz, Jun 14 2003


isn't that what I said, bris? jell-o - yes.

shaped like a round bowl, only for this, it would be upturned.
-- po, Jun 14 2003


<tears out hair>
-- bristolz, Jun 14 2003


perfect
-- gnomethang, Jun 14 2003


Put the jelly from [po]'s link inside the top from [DrC]'s first link. Perforate the shell of the top. Spin faster and faster until the structural integrity of the jelly breaks down and it empties through the holes.

Wipe the jelly off your face and have it with this croissant.
-- lurch, Jun 14 2003


I just tried it with a power drill and samples impaled on a 1/8" drill bit (about 3mm bit for third world countries). - Jelly (as in peanut-butter-and jelly sandwich) comes apart immediately. Jello (as in overfed, fat kid) stands about 500RMP, Haribo Gold Bears (as in unfaithful Germans) stand at least 3000RPM.
-- kbecker, Jun 15 2003


Those haribo candies are good stuff.
-- madradish, Jun 15 2003


lurch, that was fun. the way I conceive this, there is no middle shell just a jelly / jell- o. the kids can nibble at it to change the dynamics of the spin. its only a temporary arrangement anyway.

kbecker, long live the scientist! <g>
-- po, Jun 15 2003


//In USA jelly is what we call jam. I think they call jelly Gell-o but I'm not sure.//

Um...dude? The US has jam and jelly, jam is made by boiling fruit, and jelly is made by simply smashing the fruit in machines. Jam is smoother, easier to spread, but, jelly is much sweeter.

Oh, and right on bristolz, jam rules!
-- friendless-person, Nov 25 2003


no.
-- po, Nov 25 2003


Darn! I thought it was like a halter top made of that rubber stuff they make jelly bracelets and jelly shoes out of, only edible.
-- ye_river_xiv, Jul 04 2006



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