I like to think that all families have one really weird dish. My family’s for instance is something called “Yum-Yum Salad” which dates back to at least 1947. My great grandmother Vennie’s homemade cookbook has recipes dating all the way back to 1919, so its possible that her recipe is a century old! Yum-Yum Salad is a dessert that was part of a gelatin phenomena which produced some of the strangest culinary creations I’ve ever seen. In essence, it is bits of pecans and crushed pineapple suspended in cream cheese mixed with lime Jell-O that is served liked a slice of jiggly cake. That doesn’t sound too bad, but imagine lime Jell-O with pickle juice, tuna, vegetables, and mayonnaise. No thanks…
Jell-O salad recipe clippings dated 1976 from the General Foods Cooperation. Courtesy of Martha Nelson.
So how did we get here?
Jell-O is made of sweeteners, food coloring, flavoring, and gelatin. Gelatin is what gives Jell-O its gelatinous consistency, and is a form of collagen derived from animal issue. Before industrial technology came along, rendering gelatin was a lengthy process that required a lot of time and effort, which is why it came to be a status symbol. Only the wealthy had the time, money, and staff to make gelatin. The brand Jell-O was founded in 1897, and one of their first pitches to the general public was: eat like the rich for cheap.
Gelatin dishes came into being in Medieval Europe and were served as ornate show pieces by elites. The first savory aspics (jelly with meat) were created in the late 18th century, which was the time of the Enlightenment. Science was and intellectual thought were becoming more widespread, and this interest would persist into the Victorian era. Gelatin and its awe inspiriting properties naturally became a part of one of the largest trends of the Victorian era: domestic science.
Jell-O and Jell-O entrées gained ubiquity and greater popularity during war times and the Great Depression. This is in part because Jell-O salad allowed housewives to extend their leftovers. During this time of hardship, food had to be rationed, and it was important that none of it was wasted. The duo of using more parts of animals (hooves, bones, ears) to make gelatin and using leftover scraps made Jell-O salad a part of the “Homefront” effort to make do.
Jell-O salads were also really easy to make and had very simplistic recipes that was basically just adding a lot of things into water, chilling it, and then serving. The presentation is what made the meals elaborate. Salads were like art and functioned as artistic edible centerpieces of meals. Roses were cut from radishes and iceberg lettuce leaves were used as garnish and a way of serving salad.
When I was growing up (and still sometimes) you would find a Jell-O salad of some sort at: wedding receptions, funerals, church socials, etc. When I went to Mama Bedie’s for Thanksgiving or Christmas I bet there were five or six Jell-O salads. Almost everyone would bring one. They apparently were easy to make and they looked pretty. What else could you ask for? I did not like/eat the Jell-O salads with meat in it; never made sense to me. I did not like them with pecans either, although I like pecans. Jell-O with fruit was my favorite. – Ronald Nelson (my grandfather)
Savory Jell-O salad recipes from “The Household Searchlight Recipe Book.” At peak popularity, standard cookbooks devoted entire sections to gelatin dishes. Courtesy of Martha Nelson.
In honor of my grandparents, Ronald and Martha Nelson, who love of burnt orange and orange juice I decided to try and make my own Jell-O salad dessert that doesn’t involve spam, celery or mincemeat:
Mandarin Dreamsicle Salad
Jell-O Ring:
- 1 elven ounce can of mandarin oranges
- 1 six ounce box of orange Jell-O
- 2 cups hot water
- 1 cup cold water
Bring 2 cups water to boil and then in a separate bowl add six ounces of Jell-O mix. Stir for 2 minutes, then add 1 cup of cold water. Pour into Jell-O mold, add oranges, and let set till firm.
*Be sure to add nonstick spray to the mold before pouring*
Dreamsicle Ring:
- 1 three ounce box of orange Jell-O
- 1 cup hot water
- 3/4 cup cold water
- 6 ounces of Cool Whip
Bring 1 cup hot water to boil and then in a separate bowl add three ounces of Jell-O mix. Stir for 2 minutes, then add 3/4 cup cold water. Put in fridge for 30 minutes or until cooled (not firm). Gently fold in ~6 ounces of Cool Whip until mixed. Pour on top of Jell-O ring, and then put in the fridge for 4 hours or until completely firm.
To remove: Dip mold into hot water or warm the mold briefly. Get a serving plate or cake stand and flip dessert onto it.
By: Sarah Armosky