Blueberry Jello Salad Recipe, Whats Cooking America (2024)

FAQs

What happened to Jell-O salads? ›

Jello salad fell out of fashion in the 1960s and 70s. The rise of Julia Child and the popularization of French cooking in the United States made the jello salad appear less elegant, and dieting trends eventually turned against sugary food like Jell-O.

As World War II began, they were a way to "prove to you and your friends that you can still do luscious entertaining in spite of shortages and rations," as one wartime recipe for "Olive Relish" (olives, pickles, celery, and vinegar in lime Jell-O) declared.

Empty whipped topping into a medium sized bowl. Sprinkle Jell-O over the top and fold in so it is well blended. Add cottage cheese and pineapple and fold into Jell-O mixture. Chill for about 4 hours so that the jello softens and slightly sets up.

In a large bowl, combine chicken, celery, red pepper, green onions and remaining blueberries. In a small bowl, mix yogurt, mayonnaise and salt. Add to chicken mixture; gently toss to coat. Refrigerate until serving.

Jell-O shifted to single-serve cups and more convenient options as competition for snacks and desserts grew. Kraft in the early 2000's shifted the focus of Jell-O's advertising away from kids and toward adults. It pitched sugar-free Jell-O, for example, as a treat for Atkins dieters.

There are a few reasons: Jell-O is easy to swallow and digest, making it suitable for patients who have difficulty eating solid foods or have digestive issues. It's smooth texture and mild flavor make it more tolerable for those with sensitive stomachs or who are recovering from surgery.

After World War II, when food shortages and rationing ended, gelatin became a creative kitchen tool, as well as a shortcut. Congealed molded dishes quickly earned a place at the table as impressive salads. According to Clark, mid-century meals had more courses than we serve at home today.

Bromolain in pineapple, papain in papaya and actinidin in kiwi are all enzymes capable of breaking down proteins, hence the warning that these fruits cannot be used in Jell-O. But canned fruits are fine because the pasteurization process they undergo destroys the proteolytic enzymes.

Though Jello is low in fat, it has a high sugar content, making it high in calories. While occasionally having it in as a treat may not cause harm, in the broader picture, it does not make for a nourishing, healthy snack option.

Key Takeaways: Fruits That Ruin Gelatin

Proteases are enzymes that break chemical bonds in proteins, such as collagen in gelatin. Pineapple, kiwi, papaya, mango, and guava are examples of fruits that cause a problem. Heat inactivates proteases, so cooking fruit before adding it to gelatin prevents any issue.

Why is jello so expensive? ›

The demand for Gelatin has been increasing in recent years due to its use in various sectors, including food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. This increased demand has put upward pressure on prices in the domestic market.

Macerating—soaking or steeping in liquid and/or sweetener—is one of the easiest and fastest ways to doctor up sub-par berries. Toss them in sugar, honey, or maple syrup, along with a little fresh juice or alcohol (an herbal liqueur, like elderflower spirit, would be great).

What Goes Well with Blueberry? Apricot, artichoke, banana, beetroot, blackberry, celeriac, celery, coconut, corn, daikon, elderberry, feijoa, ginger, honeydew, kiwi, lemon, lettuce, lime, lychee, mango, nectarine, orange, papaya, peach, pumpkin, radish, raspberry, rhubarb, spinach, strawberry, watermelon, zucchini.

Adding lemon to any blueberry dessert is a classic and arguably essential move; the acidity of the citrus brightens the sweet berries, making lively what can sometimes be dull. It doesn't necessarily work in reverse. Most lemon-focused desserts want to stay that way, guarding the fierce tartness of the citrus.

But in the decades after World War II ended, the problems that JELL-O had initially solved went away. Cheap food items did not impress a wealth-building American society, and wartime staples became repellant. In the 1970s, JELL-O languished as a children's snack and hospital dessert.

Beginning in 1902, to raise awareness, Woodward's Genesee Pure Food Company placed advertisem*nts in the Ladies' Home Journal proclaiming Jell-O to be "America's Most Famous Dessert." Jell-O was a minor success until 1904, when Genesee Pure Food Company sent armies of salesmen into the field to distribute free Jell-O ...

The once hard-to-find ingredients were considered luxurious and exotic. The salad was a treat reserved for holidays and other special occasions, and named “ambrosia” after the food of the Greek and Roman gods. But it wasn't until the early 20th century that ambrosia as we know it came to be.

Fresh pineapple prevents gelatin from setting up because it contains a protease called bromelain that digests the links formed between collagen molecules that make the liquid turn into a gel. Canned pineapple doesn't have the same effect because heat from canning inactivates bromelain.