This festive cranberry salad made with fresh cranberries, pineapple, mandarin oranges, cherry gelatin, and pecans is a sweet side dish with turkey or a dessert dish to be eaten alone.
Holiday Side Dish
This beloved side dish has been a staple at our Thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings and any time we have fresh cranberries. It has become a cherished holiday tradition. A wonderful aunt, who is an exceptional cook, first introduced us to this recipe. One Christmas, she surprised us with a stunning crystal bowl filled with this vibrant red cranberry salad for our celebration. The dish was beautiful, festive, and delicious, leading us to make it every holiday since.
Gelatin in Cranberry Salad
This cranberry salad is also called cranberry Jell-O salad or even cranberry relish. However, we never call it by its real name, but everyone knows what you mean when you say Aunt Jane’s cranberry salad! It works well as a side dish, fruit salad, or dessert. Fortunately, it is lighter than some traditional holiday desserts, which is always welcome after a large meal.
Vary the Ingredients to Suit Your Taste
This salad has lots of fruit listed in the recipe, but you can vary the amounts if you like one ingredient more. You can also omit the pecans; the recipe will still be delicious!
Working with Gelatin
It is essential to have the Jell-O at the correct consistency before adding the fruits. If it has not thickened enough, the fruit will float to the top of the Jell-O, and none will be in the bottom of the dish. It takes about an hour or more in the refrigerator to thicken enough.
When the Jell-O is at the correct consistency for adding the fruit, its texture is like thick egg whites or a soft jam. Set a timer to remind you to check the Jell-O after 45 minutes. If not ready, then check again after 15 more minutes. At this point, it should be thickened or soon will be.
Also, boil the water before adding it to the Jell-O. Hot boiling water is what activates the Jell-O.
How to Serve Cranberry Salad
Serve this cranberry salad side dish in a clear or white bowl. White always enhances beautiful food, while clear bowls let the red color show.
Other Serving Ideas for Cranberry Salad
Here are some other ideas for serving this beautiful cranberry salad:
- Pour the thickening gelatin into individual serving bowls. After you add the fruit, serve each person in a bowl.
- Place the salad into a large silicon mold. Then, turn the molded shape onto a platter and scatter fruits around the base.
- Use small individual molds to make the gelatin salad. Then, turn each small molded salad onto dessert plates and garnish with greenery.
Other Congealed Salads
If you like this cranberry salad, here are some others you might enjoy:
Cranberry Salad
Ingredients
- (2) 3-ounce packages cherry gelatin (Jell-O used in this recipe)
- ½ cup sugar
- (2) cups boiling water
- 1 ¼ cups fresh cranberries, finely chopped (or use chopped frozen cranberries)
- (1) 8-ounce can crushed pineapple, undrained (canned in juice)
- (1) 15-ounce can mandarin oranges, drained and lightly chopped (canned in juice)
- ⅔ cup pecans, chopped
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the Jell-O and sugar and set aside.
- Heat the water to boiling in a microwave-safe bowl for about 3 minutes. Pour boiling water over the Jell-O and stir until dissolved. Let cool for a few minutes; then place the Jell-O in the refrigerator to thicken.
- Sort through the cranberries and discard any soft ones. Measure out 1 1/4 cups of cranberries, wash them, and let them drain. Use an electric chopper to finely chop them.
- Drain the mandarin oranges and then chop them into pieces.
- Chop the pecans.
- Remove the Jell-O from the refrigerator when it has thickened but not completely set. This may take an hour or longer. Keep a check starting at 45 minutes.
- Add the cranberries, pineapple, oranges, and pecans. Stir until the fruit and nuts are distributed throughout the Jell-O.
- Place it back in the refrigerator until set, about 3 hours.
Notes
Pineapple
Do not substitute fresh pineapple in this recipe, or the gelatin may not set.Options for Reducing Sugar:
- Omit the sugar ingredient.
- Use sugar-free gelatin. Substitute 2 boxes of sugar-free cherry Jell-O for the regular cherry Jell-O and omit the listed sugar from the recipe.