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Orange Carrot Gelatin Salad is a tried-and-true recipe we enjoy a family gatherings that’s perfect for picnics and barbecues, but also for a Thanksgiving dinner. Filled with juicy pineapple and mandarin oranges with shredded carrots surrounding it in an encasement of orange gelatin, it’s certain to please kids of all ages!
I’ve been making this gelatin salad since I first married and had never really thought about the amounts and directions until our daughters married. Then it became abundantly clear that I needed to add this recipe to my site here.
It had always been one of those dump and make recipes that I never really thought about. But it’s always good to know for sure how mom and grandma used to make it, right?
This recipe is also a wonderful recipe to make with your kids or grandchildren. Just watch over them when measuring the boiling water, or do that part for them.
Ingredients for Orange Carrot Gelatin Salad
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Instructions for Making This Recipe
Gather all your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.
Prepare the Ingredients
Peel and grate the carrots.
I like to use a straight grater when grating vegetables, as it’s easier to clean than a box grater and it doesn’t take up as much space to store. I bought mine as a 3-piece set with fine, regular, and coarse edges. If you can find such a set, snatch it up, as they are hard to find.
Using a colander, drain the pineapple tidbits and mandarin oranges.
Be sure to save the juices that you drain for use later in a beverage of your choice.
Boil water in a tea kettle.
Measure out 7 large ice cubes and place in a bowl or measuring cup.
Assemble the Salad
While waiting for the water to boil, place the orange gelatin in a medium-sized serving bowl. Measure out the boiling water and pour into the bowl. Stir the mixture with a spoon or wire whisk until the gelatin has completely dissolved.
If possible, I try to stock up on Jell-O brand gelatin when it is on sale, but if not, it’s perfectly fine to use a generic or store brand gelatin.
Add ice cubes to the gelatin and stir until the ice has melted.
This step helps ensure a quick set and is important for this recipe.
Carefully stir into the liquid gelatin mixture the grated carrots and the drained pineapple tidbits and mandarin oranges.
Transfer the gelatin salad to a pretty serving dish. It may take a few tries to figure out the size you need for serving this salad. But consider a medium sized bowl to start and go from there.
Cover with plastic wrap and place the bowl in the refrigerator to set. Allow the salad to set at least 8 hours or overnight.
It takes a while for this salad to completely set due to the citrus in it. If time allows, I like to refrigerate overnight, which makes it a nice recipe to make for early preparation.
This gelatin salad will serve 6-8 people. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers, which will keep for up to 3 days.
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Orange Carrot Gelatin Salad
(As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)
Ingredients
- 3 oz orange flavored gelatin
- 1 cup boiling water
- 7 large ice cubes
- 1 1/2 cups carrots (coarsely grated )
- 16 oz pineapple tidbits (drained)
- 15 oz mandarin oranges (drained)
Instructions
- Gather all your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.
Prepare the Ingredients
- Peel and coarsely grate the carrots.
- Using a colander, drain the pineapple tidbits and mandarin oranges. (Save the juices for use later in a beverage of your choosing.)
- Boil water in a tea kettle.
- Count out 7 large ice cubes and place in a bowl.
Assemble the Salad
- While waiting for the water to boil, place the orange gelatin in a mixing bowl.
- Measure out the boiling water and pour into the bowl. Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until the gelatin has completely dissolved.
- Add ice cubes to the gelatin and stir until the ice has melted.
- Carefully stir into the liquid gelatin mixture the grated carrots and the drained fruit.
- Transfer salad mixture to a medium-sized serving bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to set. Allow the salad to set at least 8 hours or overnight.
- This gelatin salad will serve 6-8 people.
I finally got to make your Mom’s jello. My Mom used to make this for us in the late 50’s. I’m 76, and my brother who is 83, requested it. The only change is that, my mom didn’t add mandarin oranges, just the pineapple. But, what makes it extra special, is the sauce my mom used to make for it. Take the pineapple juice out whisk in Hellman’s mayo and you’ve got a delicious sauce to put on top. I also used my mom’s old copper mold pan. I can’t thank you enough for this recipe. My brother has been asking for this for ages.
Hi Ken, I’m so glad that you enjoyed this recipe and were able to make additions to it to resemble your mom’s. That is very special. I’ve never heard of adding the mayo sauce on carrot gelatin salad, so I may have to try that one day! Thanks again for sharing your experience!