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Why are so many gelatin salads so… pink?

serving-applesauce

Nothing about this looks like applesauce, except perhaps the lack of cohesive structure.

Applesauce Mold
Author: The Seattle Times
Ingredients
  • 1 package (3 ounces) cherry flavor gelatin
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 2/3 cup (6 ounce can) evaporated milk
  • 1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 jar (16 ounces) applesauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
Instructions
  1. Dissolve gelatin in boiling water.
  2. Combine evaporated milk and softened cream cheese, blending well. Add cheese mixture to gelatin; beat until smooth. Chill until mixture begins to thicken.
  3. Add mayonnaise and lemon juice, beat with electric mixer or rotary beater until smooth.
  4. Combine applesauce and cinnamon; fold with nuts into the gelatin mixture. Pour into a 1-quart mold and chill at least 4 hours. Unmold.
3.2.1311

 

recipe-applesaucemold

I like the advice in this. A buffet dinner is best with “two molds for easier handling.”

jello-mixer

Maybe this is why there’s always a Jello salad at potluck dinners: because the newspaper forty years ago said there always needs to be two!

mayo

As weird as it sounds, mayonnaise is pretty good in a Jello salad, even a fruit-based one. It adds some lemony flavoring and creaminess. (Of course, the cream cheese helps with that.)

applesauce

Applesauce, on the other hand — I’ve never added this to gelatin.

molded

Oh well. Time to taste the pink blob of stuff!

“Hey Buzz, see if you can find something related to apples, or something pink.”

And so he came downstairs wearing one of my shirts.

tasting-ready

“You said something pink.”

“I know I own more pink than you, but come on.”

“It matches the applesauce mold perfectly!”

“… Fine. Eat.”

tasting-satisfaction

“Sweet!”

“What does it taste like?”

“Cherry Jello with some walnuts. What’s it supposed to taste like?”

“Uh… applesauce, I think.”

Verdict: Sweet, but uninspired.

From the tasting notes:

The fake cherry flavor mostly overwhelmed the applesauce and cinnamon, but there was a bit of texture from the pulp. It wasn’t special, although it tasted OK.

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