Strawberry Banana Jello Dessert

Light, juicy, and sweet, this chilled “retro” dessert is perfect for any hot summer day.

I grew up eating congealed salad in many forms, thanks to my Granny’s recipes that were then continued to be used by my mother. Sweet and full of fruit, these were often the dishes I looked forward to at all major holiday buffet tables. Some were even creamy from sour cream. The only downer was when Granny included nuts. She put nuts in almost every dessert, a major faux-pas in my young opinion.

The term “congealed salad” never struck me as odd. Greens in a bowl? Tossed salad. Jello with fruit? Congealed salad. It wasn’t until I got married that I discovered how bizarre this concept could seem to those who were not raised with it.

The congealed salad hearkens back to the early 19th century, although congealed foods could be found as early as the Medieval era. The trend had a lot to do with industry and the change in women’s labor. I highly recommend reading the full story here. Regardless of its roots, Jello “salad” fell out of grace by the 1980s.

As my family likes to hold to tradition, we are still eating some of these same recipes today. And as with all things (have you even seen what is passing for fashion right now??), the “retro” in food is coming back around again. Perhaps congealed salads will once again grace the tables of families in the near future.

What You Need

• Strawberry Jello
• Frozen strawberries
• Crushed pineapple
• Banana
• A whisk and a pretty bowl to pour into for setting/serving!

Let’s Make It!

Be sure NOT to follow the instructions on the jello box. In this case, add 2 cups of hot water and whisk until the Jello powder is dissolved.

Let the mixture cool a bit so that it does not cook the fruit. Feel free to pop into the fridge for a quick chill, but keep a watchful eye! You don’t want the jello to actually start setting, just to cool. Once the temperature is acceptable, stir in the fruit.

The last step is to pour the mixture into a dish and put in the fridge to set. As previously mentioned, my family really holds to tradition, so there is a heavy cut glass bowl that my mom always uses for holiday jello salads. It makes for a pretty showing, as you can see the bright color through the glass.

Storage

Congealed salad keeps well in the fridge for a week or two, but it does tend to get watery from the fruit. It is best eaten sooner rather than being kept for too long.