Food is very trendy. One trend I have recently observed is that congealed salads are coming back. I love any kind of congealed salad. My mama always had one in the refrigerator when I was growing up. Her mama, my Mamaw, always had one as well. I prepare them occasionally, but my boys never really cared for them. Steve always said they were dessert.
I lost count of how many I made for the movie “The Help.” I purchased six bundt-shaped Jell-O molds from Tupperware. I had one, but the size and shape had to be identical. When they arrived, I found that the one I had was a little bit larger than the newer ones. One neat feature is a removable center that, when removed, allows the mold to easily come out without having to bother with dipping the mold in warm water to release the prepared salad.
Every time there was a congealed salad for the movie, I had to have six prepared in case they needed a back-up. I also added some extra plain Knox gelatin to help in keeping the molds firm. Nobody was going to eat them anyway, so all I had to worry about was how they looked.
The first congealed salad I made was orange Jell-O with mandarin oranges, cherries and crushed pineapple. I made the mixture for all six at one time. The molds were placed on the counter ready for preparation and heading for the fridge. I poured the first mold and continued with the second when I realized there was some gelatin mixture on the counter.
Remember the neat, new addition of the removable center that I told you about? Well, I forgot to check to make sure that it was popped in securely — it wasn’t. When I picked up the first mold, it fell out, and the entire mold ran out on my counter, down my kitchen cabinets, into my silverware drawer and finally on my floor. Jell-O is not easy to clean up, particularly when you have added extra gelatin for firmness. By this time, the second one was beginning to ooze out of its mold, too.
What a catastrophe! I had a good cry while cleaning up what ended in possibly having to paint the kitchen. I didn’t prepare a congealed salad for my family for a very long time. When they needed one for a food scene in the movie, I shuddered, checked to make sure the mold center was secure and prayed for no more malfunctions.
When I tell that story now, it is funny. But let me assure you, it was not funny then.
Today, I have some of my favorite congealed salad recipes. Hope you will give them a try.
BLUEBERRY CONGEALED SALAD
2 (3-ounce) packages mixed fruit Jell-O
2 cups boiling water
1 (15-ounce) can blueberries
1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1 (8-ounce) carton sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans
STRAWBERRY PRETZEL SALAD
3/4 cup butter, softened
3 tablespoons plus 1 cup sugar, divided
1 2/3 cups finely broken stick pretzels
1 (8 ounce) carton Cool Whip
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (6 ounce) package strawberry Jell-O
2 cups boiling water
1 pint frozen strawberries, thawed
MAMAW’S LIME JELL-O SALAD
1 (3 ounce) package lime Jell-O
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 flat can crushed pineapple, don’t drain
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 cup boiling water
APRICOT CONGEALED SALAD
1 tall can crushed pineapple
3 small boxes apricot Jell-O
3 (4 ounce) jars apricot baby food
1 (12 ounce) tub Cool Whip
2 cups buttermilk
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