Here’s a salad you might want to serve at a Christmas buffet or dinner. For a potluck, you will need to keep it well chilled on the way. That won’t be too difficult if you are in a climate with a heavy winter chill. This salad is one of those salads that are light and fluffy enough so that they might pass for a dessert. It has just a little bit of tanginess, which might be a nice contrast to all the sweets we’re surrounded by at Christmas.

On the internet I saw a recipe using favored gelatin that sounded enticing, and I decided to make several alterations to my liking. One major difference is that I used a different flavor to combine with the cranberry flavor. What do I like about my version? Flavored gelatins have a lot of imitation flavorings and artificial colors. My version has natural flavor and no added coloring. Also, my recipe provides a choice of sweeteners, which allows for choosing the natural option of honey or a preferred sweetener for diabetics. The sugar-free gelatins I have seen at my usual store are sweetened by aspartame, which is said to have some bad effects. A 2021 article entitled “Reasons to Avoid Aspartame at All Costs” on a website called activebeat.com lists ten different very serious possible side effects to consider before consuming aspartame.

My recipe contains canned whole-berry cranberry sauce. Canned cranberry sauce generally doesn’t have any artificial coloring. However, I should probably mention that it usually does contain high fructose corn syrup to sweeten it, which should probably not be consumed regularly. It has been eliminated from many products. Here is what the allieddigestivehealth.com website has to say: “Reducing HFCS [high fructose corn syrup] reduces your risk of weight gain, fatty liver disease, diabetes, and heart disease.” It seems to me that an occasional indulgence  would not be a health danger. The cranberries themselves are good for your health.

Gelatin doesn’t seem to be as popular as it once was, but it’s believed to be good for us, unless overdone. It contains collagen, calcium, proteins, and antioxidants. It is thought to be helpful for bones, joints, skin, and gut health and possibly blood sugar, according to an article called “Health Benefits of Gelatin” on the webmd.com website. The article, written by a WebMd contributor, is said to have been “medically reviewed” by Dana Paul Baby, MD, in February of 2023. Perhaps we should look for more recipes containing plain gelatin.

Here is my salad recipe:

ORANGE-CRANBERRY CELEBRATION SALAD              Serves 10 to 12

3 packets (1/4 oz. each) or 3 tablespoons plain gelatin

*20-oz. can crushed pineapple, drained, juice reserved

6 oz. frozen concentrated orange juice, defrosted

14-oz. can whole berry cranberry sauce

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup (1/2 pint) whipping cream

2 teaspoons vanilla or almond extract

5 tablespoons honey, or 6 tablespoons sugar or equivalent sweetener, separated

Optional – Half slice of orange or tangerine, a maraschino cherry, or a sprig of mint

*You may want to place can in refrigerator ahead of time to accelerate firming of gelatin

Directions:

1. Defrost frozen concentrated orange juice.
2. Whip cream with 2 tablespoons honey, sugar, or equivalent sweetener and 2 teaspoons vanilla or almond extract until stiff peaks form. Refrigerate.
3. Put cranberry sauce in small bowl and stir well, to make it more mixable.
4. Drain crushed pineapple thoroughly, reserving juice. (Do not use fresh. It will not allow the gelatin to thicken.)
5. Heat 3/4 cup of the pineapple juice to boiling point. Place 1/4 cup cold pineapple juice in large glass bowl. (If you are short on juice, add some water.) Sprinkle the gelatin on the cold juice and stir to dissolve.
6. Add the boiling juice and stir to dissolve gelatin completely. Stir in 3 tablespoons honey, or 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) sugar or equivalent sweetener. (Honey is sweeter than sugar.)
7. Stir in the defrosted orange juice, the pineapple, cranberry sauce, and sour cream. Chill in refrigerator, if it hasn’t begun to thicken.
8. As soon as mixture begins to thicken, fold in the whipped cream. (Reserve and refrigerate separately a dollop of whipped cream for garnish, if desired).
9. Transfer mixture to appropriate serving bowl. Refrigerate.
10. When salad is thoroughly chilled and set, add garnish if desired. Start with a dollop of whipped cream in the middle and top it with a half slice of orange or tangerine, a maraschino cherry, or a sprig of mint. If using a slice of orange or tangerine or a maraschino cherry, drain it well on a paper towel first.

For a printable copy of the recipe, CLICK HERE.