What Makes Jello Wiggle?
- Anjali Carl
- Nov 3
- 3 min read
What do Jello's wiggle, pudding’s silky texture, and ice cream’s smoothness all have in common? Hydrocolloids. These are the molecules that help build the texture of food, turning liquids into foams, gels, and creams.
So what are hydrocolloids? Hydrocolloids are substances that forms a thicker solution when mixed with water. The name means “water” (hydro) and “tiny particles suspended in water” (colloid). Most hydrocolloids are large chain-like molecules that unfold and interact to create a web-like network when mixed with water. Hydrogen bonding occurs between water molecules to keep everything connected.
Certain hydrocolloids crosslink to form bridges between chains and increase firmness. And some, such as gelatin, exhibit thermoreversibility, a condition where the hydrocolloid melts when heated and resets when cooled.
As the mixture reacts chemically or cools, that network sets in place, wrestling in a structure that will hold its shape but still be soft to touch.
Hydrocolloids don’t change the water; they just organize it and create structure where there wasn’t one before. This network traps water resulting in different textures such as:
A pourable sauce (gravy thickened with cornstarch)
A smooth gel (panna cotta set with gelatin)
A firm texture (a gummy with pectin)
This is why they are so useful in cooking. A small amount of hydrocolloids can change the texture and mouth feel of foods.
Natural hydrocolloids come from plants and animals. They evolved in nature to perform specific functions such as storing water or creating protective barriers. Ancient Egyptians first extracted gum arabic for cooking about 5,000 years ago. Common natural hydrocolloids include:
Gelatin arises from collagen in animal bones, connective tissue and skin. It is temperature sensitive- firms up when cool and melts when heated
Agar comes from seaweed. It sets at room temperature but needs to be re-heated in order to melt. So it can stay solid at room temperature
Pectin is found in fruits, especially in apples and citrus. Pectin is what makes jam gel. When cooked with sugar and acid, pectin molecules trap liquid to create that spreadable consistency we love in jams and jellies.
Guar Gum comes from guar beans and can be used in yogurt and salad dressings.
Xantham Gum is made through bacterial fermentation and is very good at creating stable sauces
While most natural hydrocolloids are used in most foods, there are synthetic colloids. Mostly, these are used for industrial reasons, but some have been occasionally used in food as well. Methylcellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and HPMC (hydroxypropyl methylcellulose) are examples of chemically modified forms of plant cellulose.
Food companies may use synthetic ones because they are more consistent, cheaper to produce in larger quantities, or more stable. However, despite coming from different sources, hydrocolloids all form similar functions to hold on to water and provide structure.
And that’s what is so interesting about hydrocolloids. They show how much overlap there is between ancient ways of cooking and modern food science.
Whether it’s simmering fruits into jam or creating agar spheres, the same chemistry is being tested.
Anjali Carl is a junior at Cedar Park High School in Cedar Park, Texas.They have been excited about food science since making ice cream in a third-grade science class, and now enjoys baking and recipe development. Through their Girl Scout Gold Award project, they created two cookbooks focused on reducing food waste for food pantries and college students. They plan to study food science and eventually become an ice cream chemist.
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