2 envelopes unflavored gelatine
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 can (12 oz) apple juice
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 cup shredded carrot
1 cup sliced celery
1 cup finely shredded cabbage
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 can (4 oz) chopped pimiento
1. In small saucepan, combine gelatine, sugar, and salt; mix well.
2. Add 1 cup water. Heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until sugar and gelatine are dissolved. Remove from heat.
3. Stir in apple juice, lemon juice, vinegar, and 1/4 cup cold water. Pour into medium bowl. Refrigerate 1 hour, or until mixture is consistency of unbeaten egg white.
4. Add carrot, celery, cabbage, green pepper, and pimiento; stir until well combined.
5. Turn into decorative, 1 1/2-quart mold. Refrigerate 4 hours,or until firm.
6. To unmold: Run small spatula around edge of mold; invert onto serving plate. Place hot dishcloth over mold; shake gently to release. Repeat, if necessary. Lift off mold. refrigerate until ready to serve.
Makes 8 servings.
©Copyright 1973 by The McCall Publishing Co. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.
Vintage Recipe Cards 
My husband’s aunt actually made something very much like this and served it in a ring mold with a cup of Miracle Whip type topping to spoon on the salad. I enjoyed it!
This is my 88 year old Aunt’s standby potluck recipe. It’s actually really good. Think lemony sweet & sour coleslaw!
What fresh hell is this
Have you actually tried it? Or were you just pretending to be a child?
This looks absolutely disgusting
Be a child all you want. This made me laugh!
Had something like this all the time growing up! I actually loved it, even as a kid. Ours had no pimentos or green peppers, sometimes had shredded apples, and was usually lime flavored. I’m vegetarian now (gelatin is not vegetarian) but if I had a vegetarian version made with agar or something I would eat it again.
Had something like this all the time growing up! I actually loved it, even as a kid. Ours had no pimentos or green peppers, sometimes had shredded apples, and was usually lime flavored. I’m vegetarian now (gelatin is not vegetarian) but if I had a vegetarian version made with agar or something I would eat it again.
Wow. Gelatin and pimientos were hot in the ’60’s.
I’m sure it doesn’t taste horrible, but it absolutely looks it. I never understood the appeal of food encased in gelatin. It just looks sad. And trapped. And gross.
Never had this version, but love me some gelee, or jelly mould. Great in the summer
1950s husband comes home from work to this slop on the table, says “honey, I told you I’d unclog the kitchen drain this weekend.”
I remember this recipe — it was something called Aspic — I thought it was pretty good, but I also liked school cafeteria food too.
No no, aspic was tomato juice with unflavored gelatin and veggies added
actually, aspic is made with a meat stock and the base for meat or seafood. gelee (jelly) is similar and that is what Perfection Salad is. it is lovely and i had it at the famed Camelback Inn in Scottsdale, AZ. the idea is quite French and still used today by great chefs. check out the Netflix documentary about Great Chefs and you will see them make gelees. i don’t care for pimentos so i would probably substitute red peppers which would take care of the required pimentos and green peppers.
i like the idea of using apple juice…that is unique in this recipe and the acid is reversed quantity, i guess to make up for the sweetness of the apple juice. it is usually 1/2 c. vinegar:2 T. lemon juice.
love your remark about school food. two i recall that were superb….one was the best mashed potatoes with some sort of hamburger in gravy in the well of the potatoes. that was before instant when the cooks cooked (a long time ago) and since it was in the South, they knew how to make gravy.
The other was so weird….a sandwich of american cheese (which i cannot abide now) with mayo and one (1) hamburger dill in the middle. everyone ate around the pickle, saving it for last. i continued to eat this delight for many years as an adult but changed to cheddar. for some reason, it didn’t occur to me until late in life that i could afford to ‘pickle’ the whole darned sandwich. slow learner.
Reblogged this on Just A Mum and commented:
Just in case you were wondering where the salads where on my blog – shall we start here…….
Oooh looks tasty! Have reblogged to http://www.justamumnz.wordpress,com as I couldn’t resist this being my first salad recipe! lol
I’m making this for a retro ladies’ luncheon this Saturday. I’ll let you know how it turns out. Unflavored gelatin is a new frontier for me.
my husband had this as a kid. it made him throw up. just looking at the picture made him throw up a little bit again.
Ah, memories! My mom made perfection salad when it was a ‘special occasion’ meal, but usually in a ring mold with (as another poster described) a bowl of Miracle Whip in the center. We all liked it—-you might, too, if you could get over your preconceived notions!
This used to be a must have at our church dinners when I was a kid!
We make and enjoy Perfection Salad every Thanksgiving, although my family’s version is a bit updated from this one. It’s delicious! The recipe we use is here: http://www.food.com/recipe/perfection-salad-27320
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It looks like something that would attack you in the earliest levels of any random RPG.
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