Golden Salad

“Pineapple, orange, and carrots add the Midas touch as well as savor to this distinctive golden treat.”

Knox On-Camera Recipes, 1963

Golden Salad
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
¼ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup canned/fresh pineapple juice
½ scant cup orange juice
1/8 cup vinegar
1 cup well-drained diced canned pineapple
½ cup drained orange sections, cut in small pieces
½ cup coarsely grated raw carrots


1. Mix gelatin, sugar and salt thoroughly in a small saucepan.
2. Add pineapple syrup or juice. Place over low heat, stirring constantly until gelatin is dissolved.
3. Remove from heat and stir in orange juice and vinegar. Chill to unbeaten egg white consistency.
4. Fold in canned pineapple, orange sections, and carrots.
5. Turn into a 3-cup mold or individual molds and chill until firm.
6. Unmold by dipping mold in warm water to the depth of the gelatin.
7. Loosen around edge with the tip of a paring knife.
8. Place serving dish on top of mold and turn upside down. Shake, holding dish tightly to mold.
9. Garnish and serve.

Original Recipe
from Knox On-Camera Recipes, 1963
6 Servings
100 Calories per serving

Ingredients
1 envelope Knox Unflavored Gelatine
¼ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup canned pineapple syrup or juice*
¼ cup orange juice
¼ cup vinegar
1 cup well-drained diced canned pineapple
½ cup drained orange sections, cut in small pieces
½ cup coarsely grated raw carrots

1. Mix gelatine, sugar and salt thoroughly in a small saucepan.
2. Add pineapple syrup or juice. Place over low heat, stirring constantly until gelatine is dissolved.
3. Remove from heat and stir in orange juice and vinegar. Chill to unbeaten egg white consistency.
4. Fold in canned pineapple, orange sections, and carrots.
5. Turn into a 3-cup mold or individual molds and chill until firm.
6. Unmold by dipping mold in warm water to the depth of the gelatine.
7. Loosen around edge with the tip of a paring knife.
8. Place serving dish on top of mold and turn upside down. Shake, holding dish tightly to mold.
9. Garnish with salad greens and serve with salad dressing.

Comments: Wowie Zowie! (Freak Out!) This salad sure is. . .distinctive. Is distinctive a synonym for vinegary?

I’ve never used such a large amount of vinegar in a gelatin salad, and the result is as you would expect it to be – very acerbic. While I don’t think that the original recipe is something most would enjoy, one small adjustment to the liquid ratios provides a simple solution. In the updated recipe, I halved the amount of vinegar with the idea that it should be a piquant but not overpowering addition. With this change, this salad becomes a pleasant pairing with a heavier main course.

Other elements of the original recipe were more successful. The juices with added sugar create a flavorful but not overly sweet gelatin, and the combination of carrots, pineapple, and mandarin oranges adds both visual and textural appeal. The recipe is budget-friendly too, as the softness of the canned pineapple, oranges, and gelatin is countered by the crunch of the carrots, making the purchases of fresh oranges, a more expensive option, unnecessary.

My final comment about this recipe is about its size. After transferring the cooled gelatin to my 2.5-cup mold, I was surprised to find that it was less than full. The salad does contain six servings, but if you plan to use a decorative mold with a design that demands three cups of gelatin, you may want to consider using a two-cup mold or individual molds instead.

However you choose to present it, this salad adds all-natural, “golden” tropical colors to a winter meal.