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The Fine Art of Making Jello Salad

Nov 27th, 2007 by Kathy

I grew up eating strawberry jello salad at Thanksgiving. My kids are doing the same. I remember some early years where that was all they ate for the T-day feast and I’d think “Thank God for the jello salad”. I love the palate satisfying world my mother’s holiday recipes evoke. True comfort food. Kathy mentioned she might like to have the recipe and I couldn’t be happier to share it.

Rule #1 (and really the only rule): Don’t use the cold water amount listed on the box. My sisters and I have traded more than a few Thanksgiving phone calls questioning why the jello didn’t set. The answer is always too much water.

Mary Mack’s Strawberry Jello Salad

1 6 oz (large) box Strawberry Jello
1 10 oz bag frozen strawberries (thawed overnight in the refrigerator)
Sour cream for spreading
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Stir 2 cups boiling water into gelatin in medium bowl at least 2 minutes until completely dissolved. If using whole strawberries, chop in a processor so they distribute nicely throughout the jello. Stir in strawberries and their juice along with 1 cup cold water (this is half of the water listed on the box). Pour half of mixture into a serving dish. Place dish in refrigerator until set, approximately 2 hours. Leave remaining half at room temperature. Spread a thin layer of sour cream over the set gelatin. Pour remaining half of gelatin mixture on top. Top with pecans. Refrigerate until firm.

And, in case you’re wondering, Caitlin & I like nuts, Leil doesn’t.

Posted in Cooking | 12 Comments

12 Responses to “The Fine Art of Making Jello Salad”

on 27 Nov 2007 at 2:31 am1katrin

indeed for a second i was wondering about the nuts being only on one side, but thinking of my own family immediately made clear to me WHY it must be this way… seems it’s the same about food everywhere
on 27 Nov 2007 at 5:14 am2adrienne

You make it look so easy lol. It looks soooo good. TOO good for 6am if you get my drift! LOL
on 27 Nov 2007 at 5:36 am3patti

That is so funny- at first I thought it was for the look-artsy or something! But that would work well in my family because Luc just doesn’t like nuts!
on 27 Nov 2007 at 6:00 am4Mama Urchin

Is your mom’s name really Mary Mack? We’re into celtic-ish music around here and I cant tell you how many versions of that song we have floating around.
on 27 Nov 2007 at 7:35 am5Kathy

Oh, this is GREAT! Thanks so much. I have some jello molds that I picked up at flea markets, so I’ll give this a try.
on 27 Nov 2007 at 8:38 am6Administrator

Mama Urchin: Yes! My name is actually Mary Kathleen. I have a wonderful picture book version of that song. People like to sing it whenever I use my credit card
on 27 Nov 2007 at 3:05 pm7Ava

We have a big joke about my mother making Jell-o salad for Thanksgiving as my brother-in-law never had any until he visited our house for the first time. However, my mom makes hers with Miracle Whip (don’t ask) for that extra special tang. Yummy!
on 27 Nov 2007 at 5:37 pm8Janice

This post brought back fond childhood memories. My Aunt Edna would make a similar jello salad.. I’m not certain of the particular flavors, I think cherry, with a layer of sour cream or something. Being Atlantans and all.. the secret ingredient was of course.. coca-cola.

Which brings to mind another fond Atlanta memory.. http://www.marymacs.com/ (I’ll bet there’s still a jello salad on the menu there.)
on 27 Nov 2007 at 8:49 pm9Elizabeth

Wow this brings back memories! My mother made her jello in a ring shaped mold with fresh whipped cream in the middle (luckily it didn’t last long enough for that to be a problem!). She mixed a packet of raspberry and a packet of cranberry jello for that “Thanksgiving” taste
on 29 Nov 2007 at 2:32 pm10Jennifer

This is my alltime favorite holiday dish. I make it 3 times a year. I add crushed pineapple (drained) and the pecans in the mix. It is so delicious! People always question me on the sourcream….This year I even added a layer of sourcream on top. Yum, Yum!
on 30 Nov 2007 at 4:58 pm11Beadknitter

Just stumbled across this today. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe. I’ve never made jello salad before, but have always wanted to try it (still looking for something I can bring to the inlaw get togethers that everyone will like-sigh). I will give it a shot at the next Park party.
on 30 Nov 2007 at 7:16 pm12meg

my mom never made jell-o, so when I had it (at each and every potluck we went to) I always thought it was soooo special. ha! I’ve never had nuts in it though, in my parts mini marshmallows always topped it off.