Borsch & Soups

Orange jello ingredients

Retro orange sherbet jello salad with orange gelatin, orange sherbet and mandarin oranges, just like mom put on the holiday table every year. Throwback to mom’s orange sherbet jello salad side for the orange jello ingredients, orange gelatin with orange sherbet and mandarin oranges.

Orange sherbet jello salad on serving plate. This is the jello salad that was always on the holiday table growing up, especially Easter. It’s so refreshing and full of orange flavor and ridiculously easy to make. Of course, every year my mom would forget how much water to add and it always turned out a little different each time, but always good. I thought it was time this year to get the recipe written down, once and for all with the correct amounts, no more guessing. It’s just three ingredients and water.

My mom always made it in a cut glass serving bowl, I made it this year in a mold. I think I prefer the crystal bowl, easier and familiar. Step 1: In bowl, dissolve a box of orange jello in 2 cups boiling water, then stir in the juice from a can of mandarin oranges, adding water if needed to make 1 cup. Three photo process collage, adding orange sherbet.

Step 2: Add one pint of softened orange sherbet by spoonfuls, stirring until sherbet melts. Two photo process collage, adding oranges to jello mold. Step 3: Pour the mixture into a jello mold or serving dish and gently scatter the mandarin orange segments into the gelatin mixture. Step 4: Refrigerate overnight until set. Turn out mold on serving plate or just scoop and serve out of serving bowl.

I’m sure I’m not the only one who grew up in the 70’s with this mandarin orange sherbet jello salad. My dad always thought the intense citrus flavor cut through and complimented all the rich food on the holiday table. And we definitely never had whipped topping or pineapple or any other stuff in it. I liked it then and still love it now.