Today's question is this: what happens when you put Jell-o in an ice cream maker?

I woke up with this question in my mind, and it was such a powerful and burning question that it didn't take too long for me to have a batch of Jell-O in the works so I could test it out.

Now, let me pause to answer some questions that you might have. Namely...why? Why did I want to see what would happen when I put Jell-O in an ice cream maker?

Well, let me answer your question with three simple words:

Summer
Fun
Because.

Luckily, I had my ice cream maker drum in the freezer (you know, in case inspiration might strike) so I didn't have to wait the interminable chilling period. All I had to do was make some Jell-O, wait for it to set (a much more manageable chilling period), then pop it in the ice cream maker to see what would happen.

I set to work. I grabbed some orange Jell-o that I had in the cabinet, and made it per the instructions. Nothing special or fancy in my methodology.

I let it chill. While the Jell-O chilled, I dreamed of slushy jell-o flavored delights that awaited me at the end of this experiment.

Finally, when the Jell-O was cooled and set, I plopped it into the ice cream maker. I say "plopped" because it really did come out of the bowl in one unit, and made such a sound when it landed in the ice cream maker's drum.

Then I set the ice cream maker for 18 minutes.

At first, the Jell-O began to form lighter, slushy-looking bits.

But as the churning progressed, it began to lighten in color all over.

When the churning was done, all of the Jell-O came out of the ice cream maker in one impressive unit.

I transferred the mixture to a bowl and gave it a stir, and here's what it looked like.

And then I gave it a taste.

So what does Jell-O made in an ice cream maker taste like?

It tastes like a Jell-O Slushie. I say this as a good thing. It's almost like Jell-o met and had a baby with Italian ice: a thick, viscous, sweet, slushy baby.

What makes the Jell-O Slush special is not necessarily the flavor, which is pretty much standard Jell-O...but it's more the texture. It is like a thicker version of Italian ice or sorbet. It's a great summertime treat texture.

So, my vote is this: if you're into Jell-O and want to give it a hot weather makeover, serve it as slush. All you need is an ice cream maker.

I think that this Jell-O Slush would also taste great combined with vanilla ice cream, or served with whipped cream. I haven't done it yet so I can't report, but I feel pretty confident that both of those variations would be Good Things.

There you go! If you put Jell-O in an ice cream maker, you will get smooth, wonderful, sorbet-like Jell-O Slush. And you'll be happy you did.

Here's the recipe. You can also find a simple printable version here.

Jell-O Slush

I box Jell-O (your flavor choice)
An ice cream maker

Chill the ice cream maker drum, if applicable.
Prepare the Jell-O per the package instructions. Let it chill in the refrigerator until set and cold.
Place all of the Jell-O in the drum of your ice cream maker.
Set to churn (I set my ice cream maker to churn for 18 minutes).
Once you're satisfied with the texture, transfer to a bowl.
Enjoy immediately, place in the fridge if you will enjoy the Jell-O Slush within the next hour or two, or store in the freezer for longer term storage. It will lose some of its softness in the freezer.