"When processing glue from animals- hides, tissues, bones, there would be some byproducts in the grease and soap industry which were quite important. This was either waste material, which was quite difficult to dispose of or to convert it to usable materials. So soaps, greases, oils were extracted during the process and marketed in those special niches.
Recipes from the box of Cooper's Gelatine.
"The same testing and qualities were associated with the production of gelatin. Peter Cooper was one of the earlier producers of edible gelatin in the US. He packaged it in small boxes so that individuals would buy these boxes at the grocery store. Inside there often was several formulas to prepare your own gelatin dessert at home- how much gelatin do you use, how much water, how much fruit flavoring, etc. So in a sense it was the original gelatin dessert in home production.
A coupon for Cooper's Gelatine.
"Up until Peter Cooper began supplying gelatin in the US, most of this also was imported from European countries and it was imported in a sheet form that was very thin, much like the thickness of this box, and the homemaker would soak the sheet in cold water and then it was ready for use. Peter Cooper refined that to provide a granular or ground material which was much easier to use.
An advertisement for Cooper's Gelatine.
"The production of gelatin and hide glue is quite similar in its process but gelatin is produced under regulations requiring an edible product. But in the end result, you have similar materials.
Recipes from the box of Cooper's Gelatine.
"As time went on, more material from the tanning industry were used. They would take the trimmings – the leg pieces and the neck pieces - and use that to make glue and gelatin. To keep this material in a fresher condition, it was heavily salted at the slaughterhouse when they took the hide off and then salted again at the tannery to maintain a usable product and a higher quality glue. The same was true of gelatin.
An advertisement for Cooper's Gelatine.
"When making gelatin, they used only the freshest quality raw material because it’s from a live tissue and has potential for bacterial growth. Glue was manufactured by adding a preservative. He was one of the first people to use a preservative to keep the quality of glue fresh. With gelatin, it’s not possible to add preservatives because its an animal product. But in making gelatin, it simply required a very clean environment and produced under FDA and USDA guidelines."
