A few days ago I banged my finger on the headboard reaching for the lamp(don’t ask!) and broke a nail below the quick. It had taken a while for that nail to reach a length I enjoy but not so long that I couldn’t use the keyboard. My mind being a storehouse for many kinds of random memories, I saw the Knox Gelatine box in my mind. Not a completely irrational connection because what came back was the promise that Knox would give a user long fingernails.(They didn’t mention toe nails. What happens in aging toenails anyway? No gelatin needed!)
But since Jello had made dessert as easy as mixing Jello powder, water and sugar, why would there have been Knox in our cupboard in the 1950’s? The answer came immediately back–tomato aspic. For the readers too young to have suffered through years of tomato aspic, I share an image
The picture shows little bits in with the tomato juice and Knox, probably celery. My mother’s often omitted the crunch so it was basically tomato Jello. Fortunately this was considered a holiday treat, so I didn’t have to eat it very often.
As for Knox gelatine, the current package omits the image of the cow, source of the gelatin. A bow to the times, I guess, for consumers who would prefer not to know. Jello was wise enough to never feature the cow on the label in the first place.
Saved By Words 
Was this jello plain then? I’ve only seen flavored packets. It’s called jelly here.
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Yes it had no flavor.
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I hope your nail feels better soon, that can be very painful!
(I have never had to eat tomato aspic, fortunately. )
Best wishes, Pete.
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Nail is on the bend. Aspic recipe retired forever in my house.
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I couldn’t stand the stuff. Thankfully, as you said, Mom didn’t serve it often. I think this fits into that category of things (hello fruitcake) that very few people actually like.
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And in my family only I ever liked mincemeat pie.
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Candy corn is another. It was the first thing I gave way if it showed up in my Halloween bag.
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My siblings and I would pile our stash out on the floor after our Halloween trips and swap candy with each other. I happily grabbed all the licorice jelly beans.
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My mother made Jello cherry rings containing fruit cocktail. I loved them. Tomato would be horrible.
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I loved Jello with fruit cocktail too. You are right about the tomato.
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I remember this all too well!
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Glad I am not alone. Funny what remains in our brains.
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Yes, indeed!
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Sounds a bit gruesome…
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It wasn’t as bad as it sounded. Just impatient for it to grow back.
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Oh
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Goodness that really doesn’t sound appetising at all Elizabeth! Jelly here has always been as a dessert with stewed fruit & icecream or custard.
Although we do have Brawn availabe from the Deli which is different meats in aspic that is sliced as an accompaniment to cheese & crackers. I personally am not a fan of it.
Blessings, Jennifer
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I am glad you share my hesitancy about the aspic!
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I do like beet jello. Otherwise, I tend mostly toward fruit jello.
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Never heard of beet jello. That is intriguing.
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I puree the beets and add them to raspberry jello along with a touch of horseradish. Pretty good.
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Hope your finger is better. It is interesting how our thoughts move 🙂
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