This is the real deal, although, by the late 19th century, few cooks were using the old method of making homemade gelatin -- powdered gelatins were readily available. Beware that different feet provide different strengths of gelatin, probably based on age. (More than you needed to know, I am sure.) In any case, it is worth testing the strength of your homemade gelatin before going ahead and using the recipe below.
3 cups calf's foot gelatin (see recipe above)
1 cup lemon juice
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1. In a medium saucepan, melt the gelatin over low heat until it is liquid. Remove from heat. In a separate saucepan, combine the lemon juice, water and sugar and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is melted. Combine the lemon syrup and the melted gelatin and pass the mixture through a jelly bag until clear or until no sieved material remains in the bag.
2. Divide the gelatin into separate bowls and color as desired. Pour into chilled jelly mold. Let each layer set completely before adding the next.
Excerpted from Fannie's Last Supper: Re-creating One Amazing Meal from Fannie Farmer's 1896 Cookbook by Chris Kimball. Copyright 2010 by Chris Kimball. Excerpted by permission of Hyperion.
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