Whatever Happened to Jell-o Salad?

When I was a kid, there wasn’t a potluck, barbecue, family reunion or holiday that came and went without a bevy of gelatin salads scattered across the buffet table. One of my great aunts called them “molded salad,” but I just thought they were the fifth food group (back when we had the four food groups instead of the ever-evolving pyramid.) But somewhere along the line during the passing from one century into the next, the molded gelatin salad has disappeared from it’s long-honored spot on the picnic table. But, why? Where?

As a kid, my favorite Jell-o dishes involved marshmallows and whipping cream (most likely Cool-Whip or Dream Whip – whatever happened to Dream Whip, by the way?) and it became confusing to me with the advent of healthy eating in the 1980’s when I was told that salads did not, as a rule, contain marshmallows and whipping cream. The dishes I disliked the most usually involved grated carrots or any sort of meat product suspended in the jellied sugar.

No kitchen was complete without a collection of shiny metal gelatin molds in the shapes of rings, fruit, and my favorite, the fish. They used to hold a place of honor as decoration along a wall or over a doorway. Now, I seldom even see those treasured molds at garage sales or thrift stores. Where did they go? Are they holding fishing lures in garages or serving as retro-planters on suburban patios?

What I do know is that I keep a half dozen boxes of flavored gelatin on my pantry shelves, thinking one day I’ll make the nostalgic salad. I’m sure my teenagers would be horrified (If my almost-seventeen-year-old daughter won’t eat meat, I doubt she’ll eat it suspended in gelatin and molded in the shape of a fish.) How can I explain to them that in their grandmother’s day, a well-turned out meal table included a hot vegetable, a cold vegetable, and a Jell-o salad?

If the nostalgic hankering hits you, or if you feel inspired to bring something “classic” to the Thanksgiving buffet, here is a simple recipe for Molded Gelatin Salad; who knows, maybe we’ll spark a comeback!

1 (3 oz.) package fruit-flavored gelatin
2 Tablespoons lemon juice or vinegar
1 �½ to 2 �½ cups well drained, cut up fresh or canned fruit, vegetables or sea food

Prepare the gelatin according to the package directions. You’ll want to add the lemon juice if you are using vegetables. When the gelatin mix is partially set, add the fruit, veggies, or sea food. You can pour it into a classic gelatin mold, a glass bowl, or individual bowls or goblets. Chill until firm/set. Although you can serve this out of the container, it’s much more dramatic and traditional if you unmold it on a plate with garnish and a sassy dressing made from mayonnaise, sour cream or, yes, whipping cream!