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Sunshine salad with orange slices in the center, served on a white plate.

Sunshine Salad: A Vintage Classic

Chef Jenn
Sunshine Salad is a nostalgic, vibrant gelatin salad featuring citrus fruits, shredded carrots, and mandarin oranges. Perfect for family gatherings, it’s a delightful reminder of simpler times. Serve chilled with grilled chicken or fish for a refreshing meal!
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Chilling Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 15 minutes
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Servings 10
Calories 49 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 envelopes Knox gelatin powder unflavored
  • 1 cup cold water
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • ⅓ cup white sugar
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup crushed pineapple with juice
  • 1 cup carrot shredded
  • 1 cup celery diced
  • 1 8-9 ounce can mandarin orange segments drained

Instructions
 

  • Sprinkle the Knox gelatin over the cold water in a large bowl and let it stand for 2-3 minutes.
  • Pour in the boiling water and stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved.
  • Add the white sugar, lemon juice, and salt to the gelatin mixture, stirring until the sugar is fully dissolved.
  • Stir in the crushed pineapple (with juice) and the shredded carrots.
  • Fold in the diced celery and drained mandarin orange segments, ensuring they are evenly distributed.
  • Pour the mixture into a gelatin mold or a serving dish and refrigerate for at least four hours or until it is firm.
  • Unmold the Sunshine Salad onto a serving plate if using a mold, or simply scoop portions from the serving dish.

Notes

Chef Jenn's Tips

  • You can’t rush the setting of this salad. You can speed things up a bit by popping the canned fruit into the fridge overnight and by chilling the serving dish or mold. But give it at least 6 hours in the fridge to set up.
  • For easy unmolding, briefly dip the bottom of the gelatin mold in warm water before turning it out onto a plate.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5cupCalories: 49kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 2gFat: 0.1gSaturated Fat: 0.01gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.03gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.01gSodium: 80mgPotassium: 96mgFiber: 1gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 2193IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 14mgIron: 0.1mg

A Note on Nutritional Information

Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.

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