On hot summer days, cool and refreshing gelatin salads can hit the spot, so when I saw a recipe in a hundred-year-old cookbook for a gelatin salad called Luncheon Salad I decided to give it a try. Luncheon Salad is a delightful, bright, slightly tart lemon gelatin embedded with apple, celery, and pecan pieces. It is made using unflavored gelatin and lemon juice, which makes the gelatin much more flavorful than gelatin made from a box of “lemon” gelatin.
Sometimes recipes in old cookbooks have unusual names that doesn’t describe the food. This is one of those cases. Why was the recipe called Luncheon Salad? The recipe was in a cookbook published by Susquehanna Valley Country Club (Sunbury, PA). Did they serve this salad at country club luncheons?
Here’s the original recipe:
I am not sure how large envelopes of unflavored gelatin were a hundred years ago, but the packets I had said they should be combined with 2 cups of liquid. Since this recipe calls for 3 cups of liquid, I used two packets of gelatin.
Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:
Luncheon Salad (Apple, Celery, and Pecan Gelatin)
2 envelopes (0.25 oz each) unflavored gelatin
1 cup cold water
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
3 tart apples, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
Put the cold water in a bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin on top of the water, and let soak for 5 minutes; then add to the boiling water and stir to dissolve. Stir in the sugar and lemon juice. Refrigerate until the mixture begins to stiffen, then stir in the apples, celery, and pecans. Wet a 5 – 6 cup mold with cold water, then pour the mixture into the mold and chill until firm (at least 4 hours).
To serve: Quickly dip the mold in hot water, then unmold onto serving plate.
They were a status symbol, too, reflecting people who had refrigerators.
That’s a good point. Until you mentioned it, I hadn’t thought about how gelatin was a status symbol a hundred years ago.
I have heard of savory jello salad and even savory jello (maybe from you). I’m not totally sure I’d like it, but I will have to try it someday.
This gelatin salad is a slightly tart salad becuase of all the lemon juice, but I don’t think that I’d exactly consider it savory. I tend to think of savory salads as gelatins that contain meat broth and pieces of meat. I think that they are also called aspics.
I am intrigued by the final comment of “This mixture may be served in cases made from bright red apples.” I interpret it to mean hollowing out an apple and using it as a serving dish, but that is just speculation. How does one make a “case” from an apple?
That was my thought, too. Somehow I can’t picture many people today wanting to eat a gelatin salad served in hollowed out apples – though I’ve seen numerous hundred-year-old recipes for various stuffed fruits and vegetables. I remember that I once did a post on ice cream served in hollowed out oranges with jack-o-lattern cut-outs.
I remember those jello salads from school lunch, filled with shredded carrots and cabbage and who knows what I have to say, they were universally hated by us kids! I have never dared to eat this as an adult.
🙂 That’s a very strong sentiment – clearly not a good jello salad.
What can I say? It was school lunch!
well, i like the combo of apples celery and pecans…
cheers
sherry
It’s a nice combo – and I have really enjoyed this jello salad. The molded gelatin made quite a few servings so my husband and I have eaten it at several meals, and I find like it more each time I eat it. I think that I’ll definitely make it again – though probably will just put it in a bowl and skip the mold. The use of fresh lemon juice makes this gelatin very different (in a good way) from boxed lemon gelatin.
Your Luncheon Salad looks like a refreshing delightful food for these hot summer days.
It was yummy.