Buttermilk Congealed Salad
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This buttermilk congealed salad recipe is the definition of a Southern delicacy. The fruity-flavored creamy Jello salad is so refreshing to dive into on a hot summer’s day.
You might be wondering what exactly is a congealed salad. Often called Jello salad, it’s a retro Southern treat that became popular in the 1930s when food was scarce and gelatin was cheap. Door-to-door salesmen carried a wide array of it and my grandmothers used to delight in purchasing a multitude of what was likely the only convenience food they could afford.
The popular Southern side dish is made with flavored gelatin (such as Jello), fruit, vegetables, and/or nuts. Some options include cream cheese and sour cream rather than buttermilk, chopped walnuts or pecans for an extra crunch, and celery or carrot for a refreshing alternative. People usually serve it in a molded shape but scooping it in an ice cream dish is just fine too!
Now, my version of congealed salad includes buttermilk, strawberry gelatin, and crushed pineapple. The combination of the tropical pineapple with the salad’s creamy and crunchy texture is divine. Congealed salad is very popular in the South, and in particular around the holidays, so I highly recommend giving it a go. It’s so easy to make with just a few simple steps.
You can also use whatever gelatin is your favorite, whether that’s peach, orange, cherry, lime, or strawberry like me. If you’re going for a Christmas theme, I highly recommend using strawberry, cherry, or lime jello. Enjoy!
If you love Jello make sure to check our some of my other recipes like Strawberry Jello Pie, Jello Poke Cake Recipe, Cherry Jello Pie, and Patriotic Jello Jars.
Recipe Ingredients
- Buttermilk
- Gelatin (I use sugar-free gelatin, but you can use whatever you prefer).
- Whipped topping (I use Cool Whip)
- Crushed pineapple can
Helpful Kitchen Tools
How To Make Buttermilk Congealed Salad
Place pineapple and juice in a pot.
Bring them to a boil.
Add gelatin powder.
Mix well, then remove the gelatin mixture from the heat.
Add buttermilk.
Stir ingredients together.
Now we’re going to let this cool for 20 to 30 minutes.
Next, stir in the whipped topping.
Until it looks like this!
Now refrigerate to your desired texture (I recommend at least four hours or overnight).
Now it’s time to serve!
I just pop my salad in glasses, but if you use a mold you can slice it like a cake.
You can also opt to add some on top if you like.
But I’m going to dig in as is! Yummo!
Storage
This congealed salad can be stored, covered, in the fridge for up to five days.
Recipe Variations
- If you like, you can add some chopped celery, chopped walnuts, or chopped pecans to your congealed salad. I’d add up to 2 cups in total.
- Another option is to add more canned fruit with the pineapple, like canned mandarin oranges or fruit cocktail.
- Remember you can use whatever jello you like. Lime jello is one of the most popular congealed salad flavors!
Recipe FAQs
What does congealed salad mean?
Congealed salad is a salad made from gelatin combined with fruit, vegetables, and/or nuts.
When did congealed salads first become popular?
Congealed salads first became popular in the Southern United States in the 1930s.
Can you freeze congealed salads?
No, it’s best not to freeze this buttermilk salad. Because it contains gelatin, it won’t freeze properly. Fortunately, it lasts up to five days in the fridge.
How do you unmold a congealed salad?
If you want to go the traditional route and use a mold or bundt pan, first spray the mold with nonstick cooking spray before adding the ingredients. Then to remove the buttermilk salad from the mold, I recommend placing it in a shallow pan filled with hot water. Take a sharp knife and carefully separate the salad from the mold around the edges. Then after a couple of minutes, turn the mold upside down and deposit the salad onto a serving plate. If it doesn’t come out, repeat this process.
Can you make this congealed salad ahead of time?
Yes, it’s best to refrigerate the buttermilk salad overnight. So making it one or two days in advance is actually recommended.
Is congealed salad the same as gelatin salad or Jello salad?
Yes, all of these salads refer to the same dish.
Ingredients
- 1 20-ounce can crushed pineapple
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 8 ounces whipped topping, thawed
- 2 small boxes gelatin of your choice y
Instructions
- Heat pineapple in juice and bring to a boil.1 20-ounce can crushed pineapple
- Add jello and mix well.2 small boxes gelatin of your choice
- Remove from heat, add buttermilk, and stir.2 cups buttermilk
- Allow it to cool for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Stir in whipped topping.8 ounces whipped topping, thawed
- Refrigerate to your desired texture. I recommend four hours or overnight.
Nutrition
You may also enjoy these other holiday salad recipes:
Fresh Fruit Salad with Lemon Honey Dressing
Grandmamas Holiday Fruit Salad
This recipe brings back alot of memories for me, when I was younger. When my VaVa (Grandmother in Portuguese) was alive, she made this salad. She called hers, “Ambrosia Salad”. She used pineapple w/juice, cottage cheese, gelatin (strawberry/banana), Cool Whip and fruit cocktail, it was delicious. Sometimes she added flaked coconut and marshmallows or try orange gelatin with mandarin oranges. Hope you all have fun with this recipe, the combinations are endless.
I made this salad for a funeral meal the other day and received rave comments from some who were there. I am so glad to have the recipe and look forward to making it many other times.
Also, I just read your comments about the Operation Christmas Child program and the news that you are going to be involved in it again this year. God bless you in your experiences. I have already begun shopping for items to go in the three boxes I am fixing.
I loved your story of you g-grandmother. I’m a g-grandmother also and this story gives me some ideas to share with my g-grans coming to my house. Their mother has told me no more candy. I wonder what she’ll think of Juicy Fruit gum? Thank you.
well, where to start. i just can’t decide which i like the best; what you call your ‘tangent’, the recipe, or the memories that it stirred in me. i think i’ll just put them all in a box in my mind; one called once apon (i’m a born and bred southerner, we do not say UPon) a time.
i can imagine both my mother and grandmother making this. my mother was a working mom, raising 2 girls on her own and she was a firm believer in having snacks for her girls when we came home.
often, she’d let us choose our favorite flavors, ingredients. mine was this one, but with pecan bits added. being mobilians we had access to plentiful, cheap (read free) pecans. sometimes we would have a more savory version that she served on weekends with lunch. she would use lemon jello and add thin slivers of carrots, celery and ham or bacon bits (this was before ‘bacos’ were invented, so it was fresh crumbled bacon). she made sure to ‘get vegetables in us’ every chance she got. (who knew something as yummy as carrot cake had VEGETABLES in it?). it was so good with hamburgers and homemade french fries! and we thought we were eating desert! lol
i can’t wait for your next post. it’s the first thing i look for when i turn on my computer and i’m never disappointed. God bless you and keep up the wonderful work!
OK, this recipe is getting made for our church picnic this Sunday! Any suggestions on servings, does it matter how long it stays in the frig (can I make it Sat night?). How about doubling the recipe – any issues?
OMG!! Christy, I have been looking for this recipe for years!! My Granny used to make this when we were kids!! Yummo!! Thanks so much!! I am so thrilled to have this recipe!!!
I am so glad you found it too Barbara!!! I hope you enjoy it!
Oh my goodness! This is “evil good!” I can eat the whole thing by myself – but I promise to share with my family. This time…but I’m not making any guarantees for the next time I make it.