Comebacks we'd like to see: #15 -- Green gelatin as a salad
This post is part of our series ranking the top 25 bygone products and trends we'd like to see return.
A friend from Minnesota claims that among his state's peculiar distinguishing characteristics is that green Jello is classified as a salad. I had to admit that, in my childhood, I'd been similarly mystified. At church buffets, I'd eyed with suspicion the ring of shimmering emerald translucence surrounding, of all things, mayonnaise.
For years, I couldn't bring myself to take a scoop of this then common side dish, in which cucumbers, celery and carrots float in a horseradish-tainted green gelatin, much less garnish it with a dollop of Hellman's or Miracle Whip. But finally, probably under the watchful eyes of some relative who took great pride in her creation, I gave it a try.
To my surprise; I liked it. And just as quickly, it disappeared from the buffet tables. Like bell bottoms and madras plaid, the Jello salad had suddenly been declared passe, replaced with ethnic dishes or nouveau veggies like the jicama. My grandmother would have taken one bite of a jicama and declared it two hours of boiling short of edible. She, and those of her generation, were firm believers in soft food.
And there's nothing softer than Jello.
What buffet treats do you miss?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-16-2008 @ 12:37PM
Jane said...
My mother has a receipe made with green jello that is to die for! Philadephia cream cheese, pineapple and yes vanilla ice cream! It is always a family favorite and every holiday dinner!
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5-16-2008 @ 1:35PM
carol said...
I miss the sherbert-ginger ale punch.
I miss "fizzies" that you dropped into a glass of water that would magically turn into a soda-pop drink!
"King Srir" was along that line too.Kool-aide seems to have the corner on the current market, but do you remember"Funny Face"? How about Teabury Gum, Clove
and "Black Jack"?
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5-16-2008 @ 1:57PM
deRuiter said...
I adore Jello-salads, called "congealed salad" in the South which area raised the Jello-salad variations to an art form. Go into any Southern cafeteria today and you'll see a variety of individual portion "congealed salads" available, in jewel toned clear colors and cottage cheese or cream cheese tinted opaque pastel shades. I LOVE THESE. I still serve them. Two classics are the "perfection salad" with orange Jell-o, grated carrots and crushed pineapple, it sparkles like a jewel. The other popular old standby is lime Jell-o crushed pineapple, juice from the pineapple, and cream cheese. At The U. of Tenn in the 1960s they did a strawberry jell-o salad with lumps of cream cheese rolled in chopped pecans, and small bits of chopped prunes. Sounds odd but it is DELICIOUS! I serve a big Jell-o salad made in a ring mold (get the Tupperwear mold with the peel off portions which makes perfect unmolding painless!) on a clear glass cake stand at every holiday dinner. The Jell-o company has issued a spiral bound "Joys of Jell-o" cook book every year since the 1960s.
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5-18-2008 @ 9:50PM
Carlton Harris said...
Also another good Jello salad was great. You conbine you Green Jello with grated cabbage ( like you use for Cole Slaw) Add some grated carrots and pecans. We used to have that at home all the time.
5-16-2008 @ 11:10PM
mary said...
No comebacks here. You haven't been to a church potluck lately, or a Southern family carry-in. Wouldn't exisit without the ubiquitous Jell-o salad. No pasta salads for these folks, no siree. Macaroni and Jello-salads were good enough for grandma so they're good enough for us.
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6-16-2008 @ 5:27PM
Shelley said...
Fizzies, Black Jack gum, Teaberry gum, and Clove gum can all be purchased today. They are in a specialty candy store in Tulsa, OK, called "SweetTooth" and can also be found on the internet. There are also many other long-forgotten candies and gums that you can still find IF you just look for them.
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