Mom's Cranberry Jello Salad

By Kathryn Washburn Breighner

The first recipe on our site has to be one from our Mom, Rose Washburn. Mom always made this Cranberry Jello Salad for our huge holiday family gatherings. It's a favorite in our house, too, and we are having it today. I always think of Mom when I make this!

1 pkg red jello, less 1/2 cup water
1/2 pkg fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2-3/4 cup sugar
1 apple
1 orange
1 small can crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup celery

Peel orange and separate into pieces. Loosely chop celery and apple. Freeze these three ingredients for at least 30 minutes. Individually in a food processor, chop the slightly frozen celery, apple, and cranberries. Then puree the orange segments.

Mix jello and sugar in an 8" square pan or dish. Add in hot water and stir until the jello and sugar are dissolved. Add in the chopped fruits, walnuts, and pineapple. Refrigerate until firm, approximately four hours.

Mom always served this with a topping she called "Dip Shit." Her recipe was to blend 1/2 cup of Miracle Whip with 2 t. sugar and 2 t. lemon juice.

When Perry sent me a copy of this recipe a few years ago, he noted that this recipe can be doubled for a 13 x 9" pan. We usually double the recipe because it does not last very long!