Vintage Jell-O Recipe: Ginger Upper Salad

Kimbesa enjoys making vintage Jell-O recipes. In the summertime, this one is a hit!

Refreshing Lime and Ginger Ale Jell-O

Jell-O made with ginger ale. It's not a new idea, but it's a good one—and this sweet recipe leaves lots of room to make your own version.

I make mine with lime Jell-O and diet ginger ale. (I like Canada Dry, but you can choose any brand you like.) And I like to add pears, but you can vary both the fruit and the Jell-O flavor to suit your own taste, or what your family likes best.

There's something about the lime flavor that makes this dessert hit the spot with the right combination of tangy and sweet.

The soda gives it some zip, which is refreshing for summer, or any time you want a different twist on an old favorite.

Ingredients

• 1 (3-oz) box lime Jell-O
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 cup ginger ale
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 cup diced pears (canned or fresh)

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, dissolve the Jell-O in boiling water. Add the ginger ale and lemon juice, and chill until very thick.
2. Meanwhile, drain and cut up the pears.
3. When Jell-O is thickened, fold in the pears. Spoon into a mold if desired. Chill until firm.

Tips for My Gingery Jell-O Recipe

• Be sure to use dead-ripe pears if using fresh ones. Canned pears work just fine, too.
• Test your favorite fruits and Jell-O flavors. Any combination that sounds good will make a good Jell-O salad (but don't used fresh pineapple, as it contains enzymes that prevent the gelatin from firming up).
• Test different brands of ginger ale, too. If you're in Michigan, for example, you might use Vernor's and see if you like it.
• Stir a bit of ground ginger, or minced candied ginger, into the Jell-O along with the water for an even bigger zing!
• Serve with a dollop of real whipped cream to complement the gingery flavor. A dusting of ground ginger on top would be fun, as well, if you really want to kick it up a notch!

The great thing about Jell-O is it can be a salad or a dessert. It can be as plain or as fancy as the occasion. And you have lots of room to experiment with different combinations.

More Vintage Jell-O Recipes

• Breaking the Mold: The Vintage Approach to Jell-O | Jell-O recipes, Jell-O desserts
  Breaking the Mold: The Vintage Approach to Jell-O | a gallery of ideas on Pinterest
• Make a jello mold: A retro rainbow dessert – SheKnows
  Molded gelatin, once thought of as a "vintage dessert", is still as popular as ever! Here's how to make a Jell-O bundt dessert of your very own. Retro recipes never go out of style.
• Grandma's Vintage Recipes: CREAM CHEESE-LIME JELLO SALAD
  This one goes back in time. Cream cheese, Jell-O and Minot.

Is ginger upper Jell-O for you? Do you like unusual salads or desserts?

Genjud on May 18, 2013:

I love this salad, we had it a lot growing up on the farm.

Wanda Fitzgerald from Central Florida on May 14, 2013:

This looks really good. I'm definitely going to make it. My family loves Jello and ginger ale.