Pork pies are a quintessentially British food. These savory baked pies originated in Melton Mowbray Leicestershire in the early 19th century. They consist of hot water crust pastry and a filling of pork and pork jelly. However in recent years, many pork pie aficionados have noticed that the jelly filling seems to be disappearing from modern pork pies sold in supermarkets and bakeries. This has sparked a heated debate among pie enthusiasts – why is there no jelly in pork pies anymore?
A Brief History of Pork Pies and Pork Jelly
To understand the jelly controversy, it helps to know a bit about the history of pork pies. Pork pies were first created in Melton Mowbray in the 1800s as a way to preserve fresh pork. Pie makers encased small chunks of uncured pork in a hot water crust pastry. The heat from the pastry cooked and preserved the pork inside.
Pork jelly became an integral part of the pork pie in the 1830s. Pie makers found that adding melted pork stock to the pie filling allowed it to set into an appetizing jelly when cooled. The jelly kept the pie moist and added extra pork flavor By the 1860s, jelly was considered an essential component of a proper Melton Mowbray pork pie
For over a century, pork pies made with jelly became popular across Britain. Regional variations emerged but a classic pork pie always contained jelly. The Melton Mowbray pork pie even achieved Protected Geographical Indication status from the EU in 2008.
When and Why Did Pork Pies Start Losing Their Jelly?
It seems the disappearance of pork jelly from modern pork pies began in the late 20th century. As pork pies became mass-produced for supermarkets rather than handmade in bakeries, manufacturers looked for ways to cut costs and increase shelf-life. Unfortunately, traditional pork jelly was often one of the first casualties.
There are a few reasons why jelly started vanishing from mass-produced pork pies:
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Difficulty of production – Proper, natural pork jelly takes time and effort to make. It involves boiling down pork bones to extract gelatin and collagen. Mass production bakeries found it easier to skip this step.
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Cost cutting – Real pork jelly requires extra pork ingredients. Making pies without jelly boosted profit margins for manufacturers.
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Food safety – Natural pork jelly needs preservatives to prevent spoilage during transportation and storage. Companies found it safer and cheaper to leave out the jelly.
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Consumer expectations – As modern tastes changed, some consumers saw jelly as old-fashioned or unappealing. Manufacturers responded by producing more pies without it.
By the 1990s, jelly-free pork pies became the norm in many supermarkets and shops. To traditionalists, these solid meat pies lacked the unique texture and flavor of the original Melton Mowbray style pork pie.
The Response from Consumers and Pork Pie Makers
For people who grew up eating traditional jelly pork pies, the new jelly-free versions were a disappointment. Pork pie enthusiasts complained that mass-produced pies were inferior without the moist, flavored jelly filling.
As consumers demanded a return to the original style, some pie makers responded positively. Artisan bakeries revived the old methods for creating perfect pork jelly. Companies like Walker’s, Pork Farms, and Mrs King’s also introduced new lines of pork pies with jelly.
However, many major supermarkets continued selling jelly-free pork pies as their standard offering. They promoted these as a more modern and convenient option for shoppers. This has frustrated purists trying to find a decent jelly pork pie in the supermarket.
The Case for Bringing Back Jelly in Pork Pies
So should we fight to get jelly back into all pork pies? There are good arguments on both sides of the debate:
Reasons to keep jelly
- Brings back the classic Melton Mowbray taste and texture
- Adds moisture and longevity to the pies
- Provides the flavor enhancement of pork broth
- Satisfies tradition-minded customers
- Upholds British culinary heritage and pride
Reasons jelly isn’t always necessary
- Some modern recipes don’t require it
- Consumers have a choice between jelly/no jelly pies
- Easier and cheaper to produce pies without jelly
- Food safety and hygiene standards have improved
- Reflects changing tastes and lifestyles
Perhaps the ideal solution is to provide options. Shops could stock traditional jelly pork pies alongside more contemporary versions without jelly. This would allow customers to choose based on personal taste and nostalgia. Manufacturers should also be transparent about ingredients so buyers know exactly what they are getting.
The Future of Jelly in Pork Pies
It seems the disappearance of jelly from pork pies has caused an identity crisis for this treasured British food. Should we cling to traditional recipes or accept new innovations?
There are signs of a jelly revival. More pie makers are rediscovering the value of quality pork jelly for texture and flavor. Consumers are also becoming more vocal about demanding transparency and quality.
As the debate rumbles on, jelly remains an integral part of pork pie history and heritage. Whether we see a wholesale return to jelly or simply an increased choice of jelly/no jelly pies, this modest filling has an ongoing role in the pork pie story. For many Brits, the jelly version remains the definitive pork pie experience recalling fond memories of times gone by.
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FAQ
What happened to jelly in pork pies?
Should pork pies have jelly?
Can you buy pork pie jelly?
Do Melton Mowbray pork pies have jelly in them?
Why does pork pie have jelly?
The jelly could also be partially made up of the fats or juices from the meat itself. When you leave fat to cool, it turns hard. This is essentially the process within the pork pie (but it is much less unpleasant to eat than meat fat itself). The jelly in a pork pie helps to keep the meat from drying out.
Why is pork not recommended to eat?
This is not true, some cuts like sirloin and pork rump steak, for example, are very healthy, even healthier than beef and chicken. Only the fattest cuts like bacon and crackling should be avoided.
Does British pork pie have jelly?
No, British pork pie has jelly specifically added to it in liquid form after the pie itself is cooked, through a hole left in the top crust specifically for this purpose. There used to be a good reason to add the jelly to the meat pie: food safety. In the time before refrigerators, it was hard to keep meat without some spoilage.
Can you put jelly inside a pork pie?
When meat cooks, it tends to shrink in size. That is why jelly, whether that’s in the form of clarified butter or pork stock, is used inside a pork pie. After the meat has been added, the butter or stock (or other jelly-like ingredient) is then added around it, in hot liquid form.