The tropical burst of pineapple infuses this creamy, crunchy congealed salad. Besides pineapple, it has chunks of cream cheese, pecans, and crunchy bits of celery. My MawMaw served it every holiday and back then it was “the trendy dish” that everyone was preparing. Now its the one I’m re-introducing to my family.

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Recalling The Congealed Salad

The mention of the congealed salad may take you down memory lane to dinner at grandma’s, or you may not have any idea of what I’m talking about. Well, it’s a side dish made with flavored gelatin, fruit, vegetables, and/or nuts usually served in a molded shape. Perhaps its other name is more familiar, The Jello Salad.

This lime salad was something we looked forward to every holiday. In recent discussions of Mamaw Trahan’s congealed recipe with family members, we were having a little trouble recalling the ingredients. Then, my sister, Eleanor found out that our Aunt Martha had the recipe. She had managed to scribbled it down on a small envelope while our grandma dictated it to her. Usually, sweet Mamaw in her broken English would tell of her recipes as, “add some of this and some of that,” but this time Aunt Martha had all of the ingredient amounts listed. YAY!

Two things I remember most is the taste of lime and chopped celery. That’s right, celery! As a child, I couldn’t get past the thought of a vegetable in a fruit salad, but I’m over it now. I appreciate the fresh, crunchy bits with bursts of water when you bite into them that dilute the sweetness in the jello and pineapple. No worries if you aren’t a celery fan, just omit it altogether.

To Mold Or Not To Mold

A molded salad can be impressive, but not necessary. Most containers can be used for molding. Even cookie cutters make a pretty presentation. For this, make sure the jello salad’s finished shape is not too thick so the cookie cutter can pass through. Begin by turning the cold salad over onto a plate or wooden cutting board. Then, carefully remove the dish and cut out the shapes. Remove the unwanted mixture from around the cutter’s sides and slide it onto a serving plate pulling away the cookie cutter to expose its form. You can choose a corresponding shape to fit the season like the picture at the top.

Here are some helpful instructions to unmold your salad. First, lightly spray the container with cooking spray before pouring gelatin ingredients into it. Next, the congealed salad must be set and cold. Then place it in a shallow pan and pour hot water surrounding the outside of the mold. Using a small sharp knife, carefully separate the jelled salad away from all sides without breaking it up. Go down as far as you can with the knife loosening the salad. After a couple of minutes in the warm bath, place a serving plate or platter on top of the mold and flip it upside down. The congealed salad should come right out. If it doesn’t, repeat the process again.

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Cherry Or Lime

Isn’t this cherry flavored congealed salad pretty? I like the taste of cherry, but I’m partial to the lime because it reminds me of Christmases gone by.

I have to tell you about a little catastrophe in my kitchen. This salad above only lived a few minutes before falling into the sink. It happened while I was photographing its beauty. Yeah, I dropped it. Well, it actually slid off of the plate, but the lettuce saved it from being a total loss. Bless-ed lettuce! I scooped what I could into a bowl and it was delish!

“Seeing is believing, but sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can’t see.”

The Polar Express