Buttermilk Congealed Salad (And A Multitude Of Tangents…)
Southerners LOVE congealed salads! We have recipes for them which include all manner of fruits AND vegetables. They are a throwback to days 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.
Now some of you are wondering what a congealed salad is at this point as that seems to be a Southern term. A friend of my mothers confessed she had never heard it in her life until she moved to Alabama and asked Mama once, “Why don’t you just call it Jello?”.
Well, that’s a good question. Why don’t we just call it Jell-O salad? I asked Mama and she replied
“Because it is a Congealed Salad”.
Everyone in my family loves congealed salads, but I specifically remember my great grandmother, Lela, eating them. She loved the strawberry ones best, such as this.
Lela was born in 1902 and so by the time I showed up, some seventy plus years later, she was already “on in years” as they would say. Life had not been easy to her but I am happy to say that her later years held considerable comfort as she lived with my Grandmama and Grandaddy.
Anyway, I am going off on a tangent again so I’ll get back to my point but stay tuned because I feel another digression coming :). Lela never knew how to drive and she didn’t leave the house much except to visit friends with my grandparents or for her weekly trips to Kroger with Grandmama for groceries. I’ll never forget how she got ready on those days. She would get on her good dress, put on her hose (Lela NEVER wore pants) and slip on her hard leather shoes that clicked loudly when she walked. She’d take a handkerchief and fold it perfectly to place in her coat pocket and hook her sturdy leather handbag on her arm. Then she’d stand in front of the mirror a few minutes, patting her curled white hair carefully in place.
Now, a key thing to know about Lela was that she loved to give things to people. She lived on a small social security check but Grandmama and Grandaddy took care of all of the household expenses so Lela insisted on buying a few groceries. There were three of us kids in my house and we came to visit at least once a week. Each week when she took the trip to Kroger’s, she bought every one of us our own bag of goldfish crackers and a small pack of juicy fruit gum. Each week. Goldfish crackers were quite new then and all the rage. Our family couldn’t afford things like that when we were little, much less a separate bag for each one of us! Lela did this for years and I can still see the smile she’d get as she got up from her chair to go to the kitchen and get us our loot.
As we grew older, the novelty of goldfish crackers wore off but the weekly endowment still held a lot of meaning for all of us. We began saving them in the pantry, while still chewing the gum. After a while, you can just imagine the goldfish crackers which accumulated at our house! It didn’t matter, we loved them whether we ate them or not. Even now, whenever I see a bag in my pantry or even in the grocery store, I think ‘Lela’s thinking of me’, and I buy juicy fruit gum for my kids every now and then because I know if Lela were here she’d get it for them every chance she got.
(Her son, Samp, once mentioned liking a particular can of soup. She began buying him two or three cans each week. He would make over it and smile and thank her and go home to put it in his pantry. He told my grandmother that he counted once and had over fifty cans!)
I’m sure I had a point here somewhere….oh this post was about Buttermilk Congealed salad, wasn’t it? Well you see back in the day, Kroger sold a strawberry buttermilk congealed salad just like this one. Lela bought her a little container of it each week. Oh, do you know what else she did? As they got home and unloaded all of the groceries, Lela immediately took every jarred item (pickles or what not), opened it, closed it again, and put it in the refrigerator. It took my mother quite some time to figure out why it was she did that but now we know. The jar of pickles clearly states “Refrigerate after opening” ~smiles~.
This recipe is from my mother’s cousin, Analoyce. Analoyce was a bit older than Mama and I remember her because as a child we lived next door to her mother (Myrtle Tipton) until I was seven. Myrtle was my great aunt and just a wonderful woman along with her husband, Tip. They had a barn and Tip always let us play in it anytime we wanted. For some reason, we liked swinging on their front porch swing more than ours, too, even though it was exactly the same and only a few yards away! I don’t remember very much about Analoyce other than she was very nice and always wore red, red lipstick. 
Wow, this is tangent day for me, isn’t it? Alright so back to the buttermilk salad. Very popular in the south, the taste is just such a divine treat. This is often made with peach or orange gelatin, just use your favorite.
1 can crushed pineapple (20 ounces)
2 C buttermilk
8 ounces whipped topping
2 small boxes gelatin (your flavor choice)
Heat Pineapple in juice, bring to a boil. Add jello and mix well. Remove from heat and add Buttermilk, stir. Stir in whipped topping. Refrigerate.
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Christy! Girl you have been busy! I was fixin to post a comment on your previous one and this came up. This is another great post! I swear you and I must be cousins. I have had those “conjealed salads” more times than I can count. I also love those names…I have aunts Berneice, Lorraine, and my mom is Evelyn. Oldies but goodies. When I named my girls my husbands grandpa asked why I couldnt just name them Mary. Something easy. LOL Sorry to ramble. I am so proud of you, congrats on being picked for foodbuzz. Lucky you and us!
I love your stories just as much as I love the recipes. Thanks for sharing them!
This is a great recipe…we have had this in our home for years and years. You might want to add the 2 packs of flavored gelatin to the ‘recipe’. Ü
This looks great, I hope it does’t taste like buttermilk.
That does look tasty. I love all your stories, even (especially) the ones full of tangents - it’s like we’re sitting together on a porch swing chatting about family! Man, I wish I lived in the south sometimes!
I grew up on a wide variety of congealed salads. I love the texture and flavors ran anywhere from an orange salad with pineapples to what we called Watergate Salad. It seems that most all congealed salads I’ve ever had contained pineapple either crushed or diced … I wonder what the jello/pineapple mix is all about?? hmmmm!
My family has a variety of these recipes too and they were always welcome at any table and fun too!
Sweet stories! I think you were more observant than the average child–I don’t think I would remember such detail about my great grands. Thanks for the recipe!
Again - another very similar recipe to one of my own! LOL (only we *do* use the words “jello salad”! heehee)
There’s just something about the texture that I love.
And I got mine from my grandmother too. She would make this when I was little and I loved it. Ours is to mix the jello with the crushed pineapple (no heating involved - and strawberry is my favorite too) then mix with cottage cheese and cool whip.
I bet they taste close to the same too, but I would miss my curds.
OH and a p.s. - I love the tangent stories too.
The stories behind the recipes are what give you something special.
I absolutely love the family stories. The history behind your recipes is delightful. This congealed salad looks sinfully delicious. I am eager to try it!
Blessings.
christy you made me cry! your story reminds me of my granny lola mae turner or “granny” to the kids. i miss her so much and your recipes and “ways” make me think of her EVERY time i go to your site..thanks i can’t stop crying now..but in a good way.
kristi craft
We had the ones made with Cottage Cheese too.. I love those things. We always called it as we saw it..hence it was always “Pink Stuff”. I never knew it as anything else till I was grown.
The stories are as delicious as the recipes
keep em commin please.
Mel
I have 2 points. One is that with all the cakes and cookies and fudge and diviniy, congealed salad is and always will be my favorite Christmas dessert! Crazy right? Two- I love these kinds of tangents! I cherish these kinds of stories even though they aren’t my family. I love old people and I especially love old people who love kids (some of the old people in my family didn’t for some reason) For a few years after my son was born, we had five generations alive! Unfortunately we only got one picture of the 5 of us together but it was in the Mobile Press! My mawmaw (great grandmother) passed last december leaving us still with four generations living but she had a great congealed salad!
Yum! I have never had this before. I think next time I definitely need to try it out..
I love the tangents….they’re always about family and I love family stories. Everyone has a story! I have a similar recipe to this one Christy, but I’m going to have to try yours out too. Mine, sadly, is only a “Jell-o salad”. (laughing now)
My grandparents are both from south west georgia and they called it congealed salad too! I guess it was because they were so close to Alabama. I’ve been wondering what to do with all of my boxes of jello!
Hmmmmmm - I wonder if my kids would eat this! This really brings back memories - my mom ALWAYS had some kind of ’salad’. Her specialty was the clear lemon aspic type of stuff with carrots and celery in it. I didn’t like it then, not sure if I’d like it now. But the salad you have posted looks really good! Thanks!
Thank you for another great recipe and tangent. Your stories are great.
This reminds me of something we use to have although I dont think it had buttermilk. I may have to try it.
I love strawberry jello! You can do almost anything with it… and I love it.
Swedie
I’m not originally from the south but I love this too - lol! Sounds AWESOME!
What a lovely story. I didn’t have any grandparents growing up so I love reading about other people’s grandparents.
When I was in pre-kindergarten (about 4 years old) we would have lunch each day served with a dessert. They used to always serve this strawberry flavoured dessert which I remember hating so much. It was not quite ice-cream (not icey and solid like ice-cream) but not quite jelly either, but it was like a soft fluffy creamy jelly. I hated it so much, I never ate it. I really don’t even know what it was, but when I saw this photo it immediately reminded me of that dessert! I wonder if it’s the same thing. It had no pineapple in it, but some other small red fruit pieces. It just looked exactly like what you’ve made. Light red/pink in colour with a bit of white specks in some places.
I have a similar recipe for a cranberry salad for Thanksgiving. Lots of fresh fruit, pecans AND Jello, makes for a wonderful garnish on Thanksgiving - AND its really good too. Would you like for me to send you this?
PS- You’ve inspired me. I am officially working on my own food blog. Can’t wait to get the ball rolling, I think you’ll really identify with some of my Southern Recipes.
Aww, girlie!! You have gone and messed up now;)!!! My great aunt Trudie makes this but she calls it Jig’em Jog’em(that’s how it sounds, don’t know about the spelling part). Do you have a recipe for a sweet blackberry cobbler? Aunt Trudie’s is good but just not as sweet as I’ve had of others, that weren’t as good as her’s in other ways. Also, I’ve got a couple recipes for ya to try if you want. One is a mystery pie, the other is a fruit pizza that I’ll guarantee kids will tear it up!! Oh yeah, I got a ‘coney’ hot dog recipe of my Gran’s that my kids love as much as they do your chicken planks;) If you want ‘em, I’ll email ‘em to ya.
BTW, I love my email subscription!!!
I’m from LA (Lower Alabama) and congealed salads are a staple at covered dish events. For some reason, I’ve never made one myself - I think I’ll make this one for Thanksgiving and give my family an unexpected treat. Thanks!
I, too, love your tangents. They recall memories of my own female relatives - Ruby Grace, Pearlie, Esther, Maudie, and so many more. I just love your blog - it’s the first one I check every single day, and I’ve tried so many of your recipes that my ever-widening behind is proof of their deliciosity. Is that a word???
I’m from the Midwest and we call this Pink Fluff.
So good in the summer at a picnic. Great site by the way.
My family loves congealed salads. They always remind me of Thanksgiving and Christmas. I’ve never had one with buttermilk…it’s usually marshmallows, sour cream, or cottage cheese. I will be making this Sunday for our church potluck.
Laura-Athens
I LOVE this salad! I never knew how to make it. Thanks!
I LOVE this type of salad and never knew how to make it. I am so happy to have the recipe now!!
Rosemary Mahoney
Goodness A-mighty did I get behind on these comments!!
Joan Oh I know exactly what you mean!! I love the old names, too! I have a grandmother Loraine and a step grandmother named Evelyn! I also had a great aunt Myrtle, then Anna Loyce, Great Aunt Lillian, and my grandmother is Lucille with her mother being a Lela Cordelia!
Joan, I hope you know how much it means to me to have you around here, I just love hearing from you!
Jessica Thank you so much!!! I still can’t believe y’all sit through all of my ramblings! Southern Plate readers are saints, I tell ya!
Iplay hmm I did add two packs of flavored gelatin…oh my now I’m confused. LOL
JoAnn I promise it doesn’t!!!! LOL!!! I know just what you mean, too!
Stephanie Man, I wish you lived in the south,too!!!!!! But I’d just feed you too much if you did…
Lindabelle I wonder also because all of my family’s congealed salads have them as well! LOL I bet it was that pineapple was so readily available and cheap. Even now some of those canned fruits are expensive! Most Southern food traditions go back to A. Cheap B. Easy to get!
Tamy Oh yes, they are so darn good, aren’t they? I always smile when I see your name……
Tomato Lady I was just a busy body who never sat still and had to be in on everything, really. Drove my mother crazy. She used to say “I hope when you grow up you have ten just like you!” Now she says “Well, you had two ten times more like you!”
Kings QueenThank you so much!!! Every time I see a comment form you I know I’m gonna be smiling when I read it! LOL You are so sweet, I am so fortunate to have you among my friends!
Jan I am blessed, really really really blessed! I hope you get a chance to let me know if you get to try it!!
Anonymous Aww Kristi, thank you. I know just what you mean. This past weekend we had our big family thanksgiving (another one on the big day, too) and they pulled out a video of Thanksgiving about fifteen years ago. I saw my Grandaddy walk right up to the camera, smiling and joking and talking like he always did. Then my great grandmother, Lela, talked to the camera too, she was smiling and joking…I miss them terribly but wow, do we ever come from a great family!
Okay. Tangent and it might not have been too applicable but hey….it was on my mind.
BillGent I think we all called it that! LOL
Mel I’ll keep em coming as long as folks keep reading! Thank you!
Rachel I know just what you mean! We have some fabulous desserts but I always head to the congealed salad and fruit salad (I am in LOVE with my Grandmother’s fruit salad). We had a few folks in my family who didn’t really like children too much either (step grandparents on my dad’s side, you don’t hear me say too much about them because, well I never knew them that well and they never had an awful lot to do with us – My paternal grandfather lives less than half an hour away and I haven’t seen him in about fifteen years!), and they always seemed so very strange in comparison to my grandparents who did! Trust me though, my Grandmama and Grandaddy and great grandmother more than made up the difference!
Don’t y’all just love how I give you WAAAY too much information! LOL
Amber Hey! Let me know if you do! Thanks!
Debbie LOL Now I AM laughing!!!!!
We just have to call it what Mama says….
Coz Mama is right!
Amiyrah OOOOOOOOOH I LOVE me some jello!!
I followed the recipe exactly, and found, while dishing it up, that there was a small layer of what looked like pineapple juice at the bottom of the serving dish. Is this the way it was supposed to finish?
I am going to make this for Christmas, I am so glad to have the recipe. I know that my Grandma made it when I was little. She made a buttermilk congealed salad I know..there was one that was strawberry and it had crushed pretzels but they may have been two different ones, she made all kinds! Thanks for the recipe!
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Southern Plate recipes and stories by Christy Jordan is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at www.southernplate.com.
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