Measuring Gelatin


I’m working on a post for my new clear gummy recipe and the recipe template program I use has a pull-down menu for units that doesn’t include “envelope” (it has “packet” but that means different things to different people). I measure Knox unflavoured gelatin for the gummy by the envelope (you can use store brand, but I’ve found Knox to have better clarity, and I buy it in large packs from Amazon).

To be accurate for recipe purposes, and to assist those of you who aren’t buying it in envelopes or are in other countries where the envelopes may vary, I figured I should look up how much is in an envelope. Knox’s official website says, “1 pouch is about 2 1/2 teaspoons (7g) unflavoured gelatine. If a recipe calls for 1 tablespoon, use 1 pouch of unflavoured gelatine. Each pouch will gel 2 cups (500mL) of liquid and up to 1 1/2 (375mL) cups of solids.”

But that website is kind of old, and the Kraft version of the website doesn’t state the amount per envelope at all (other than if you do the math that an 8 oz box of 32 envelopes means 0.25 oz per envelope, which is about 7g).

Thus, being the skeptic-minded person I am, I went and measured. I emptied an envelope into one of my little shot-glass measuring cups, then tapped and spun it gently to get a level surface. I had some trouble getting good photos, but as you can see, there’s no way that’s 2 1/2 tsp. It’s not even 2.

Gelatin in measuring glass with flash

This photo taken with a flash shows that it's slightly over 1 1/2 tablespoons but a bit under 2 teaspoons.

Gelatin in glass measuring device without flash

This photo without a flash makes it look closer to 1 1/2 tablespoons but the top layer is glowing a bit.

Having seen it with the naked eye, I’d call it a bit under 2 tsp.

I then measured it by weight on our digital scale, pouring it from the shot glass into a little glass dish that I’d tared out to zero first. It flickered between 5g and 6g at first until it settled on 6g. Just to be thorough, I got a fresh envelope and weighed that: 8g (but that includes the paper). Then I tared the shot glass, and poured the fresh envelope into that. That flickered between 6g and 7g. It is possible that enough stuck inside the shot glass when I poured it into the second glass dish to have lowered the first measurement.

The official weight per envelope is 7g. There isn’t a significant difference, so I’ll concede to the official weight as 7g per envelope, but there’s no way it’s 2 1/2 tsp. Even the second envelope was still a little under 2 tsp for volume.

Therefore, if you’re going to measure your own gelatin for any of my recipes (and since I just noticed Amazon’s out of stock of the bulk envelopes I may have to convert to the cans myself), here’s how you should count it:

1 envelope of Knox gelatine = 7g or just under 2tsp.

So for basic gummy, which uses 4 envelopes: 28g or about 2 1/2 tbsp.

I’m very interested in finding out what measurements people get elsewhere for the envelopes. So if you have a moment to spare, check them out and let me know!

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22 Responses to Measuring Gelatin

  1. Sophia says:

    What about gelatin purchased at the bulk barn? I am making marshmallows and wondered how much I would use as the recipe calls for 3 envelopes of gelatin. Thanks

    • Hi Sophia, you'd just do the math using the information above and weigh out what you need on your kitchen scale or measure it out in tsp. So for 3 envelopes, that'd be 21 g (0.74 oz), or about 6 tsp.

  2. ashley says:

    Thank you so much for doing the work and changing the packets into grams!! You saved me some time tonight!

  3. Melissa says:

    Hi! I just stumbled on your article. I completely agree – I am a fairly experienced home cook, but gelatin has always been a mystery to me. the measurement on the packet mystefied me whenever recipes would call for something other than a "packet" or "envelope" – so I decided to measure like you did, and came up with not exactly 2 tsp (very frustrating!) but I kinda went with the 2 tsp for simplicity sake. I am delving in deeper now upon learning of the health benefits…after just 2 weeks of 1-2 Tablespoons/day an year old rotator cuff injury is feeling SOOOO much better! I'm so excited now I am telling everyone who will stand still to listen. So now, since so many suffer arthritis and/or injuries and want to know more – I must know how much to tell them to take. Since I bought the bulk jar, but many stores only carry the packets, I've been telling friends 2 packets = 1 Tbsp which is more or less correct, since 4 tsp. = 1 Tbsp. but I agree, weighing would probably be the most accurate method to get best results.

    • AustynSN says:

      Uhm…. no. 3 tsp is a Tbsp, not 4.

      • Liz says:

        That depends on your country. In Australia one tablespoon is twenty mis, or 4 teaspoons. In the US I understand that one tablespoon is 15 mls, or 3 teaspoons. It is something you have to watch when using recipes from another country!

        • Yes you're absolutely right, the Aussie tablespoon is 20 ml and the North American is 15 ml. The UK tablespoon is 17.7 ml.

          I should amend this piece to make that clear…I've mentioned it elsewhere on the blog in referencing Australian recipes, and I have an Aussie tablespoon from my Australian inlaws precisely for that reason!

          I'll amend things after the move…bit swamped right now getting my stuff overseas. 🙂

          • Lenik says:

            uf…and I thought I figure it out. But not yet after reading your post. My recipe calls for 8 sheets of dr. Oetker gelatine, I have bulk…would you know, how many teaspoons I need. I figure this out: dr 6 sheets is 10g. , it means that 8 sheets will be 13.28 g.(on line conversion says it is 4.3 teaspoons.) but now how do I know which teaspoon they mean??? 🙂 any help? thank you

          • Oh good question…I honestly don't know as I haven't used leaf/sheet myself before. I would assume it measures quite differently. But here's a conversion I found for you: http://www.food.com/about/gelatin-431

  4. Jicheng says:

    How many gram for 1 packet ?

  5. Sarah says:

    20gm gelatin powder how much water should we pour

  6. Becky says:

    Hello, I want to make a jello mold for Thanksgiving and I would like the middle one to be unflavored with Knox gelatine. How much
    gelatine do I use compared to a Large box of jello?

    • Sorry I only saw this now…I'm not 100% how much volume a Jello box makes and I no longer have access to Jello products, but I'd generally go by weight as a rough guide. So if your Jello box is X grams, I'd use that same amount of unflavoured gelatin (keeping in mind that the Jello contains sugar and such as well).

  7. Pierina Rodrigues says:

    I need 40 grams of gelatine sheets but we don’t sell that here we only have Knox how much do I need to make 40 grams

  8. Liana says:

    Has anyone had luck making licorice? The consistency I’m looking for is more stuff than gummy bears.

  9. Lori says:

    I have a 16oz box of Jello how many packs of knox gelatin will I need to make finger jello?

  10. Rose says:

    How do you make your gummies?

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