It’s November. Thanksgiving arrives on November 28th. And the focus is food—all kinds of food. There seems to be one in every family—that special giggly molded “jellied” salad that appeared at every holiday meal—often bright red with canned fruit! Open your grandmother’s or your mother’s well-used cookbook, and the recipe for the family favorite might be tucked into the pages.
Instant gelatin, as it was first known, was a 20th century revolution—it was fast, economical, neat, and tidy! Popularity soared in the 1920s and 1930s—with homemakers stretching their ingredients as far as possible. Companies like Jell-O, Royal, and Knox jumped on the advertising bandwagon. Recipe cards from the companies were everywhere—promoting their products. Meekins found a few of the recipes and fun promotional booklets in a recent gift to the library.
Knox Gelatine promised “The Joy of Eating and the Happiness of Health” and pointed out that it was especially good for tempting the appetites of convalescents. Royal Gelatin assured shoppers that it was “Delicious—Wholesome—Healthful” and “Makes Rollicking Children.” Jell-O proclaimed itself: “America’s Most Famous Dessert. Delicious, beautiful and healthful!” Some of Jell-O’s recipe cards featured stories of magicians and kings where the happy ending always included the presentation of Jell-O, implying that Jell-O could work magic.
Did your family have a favorite giggly fruited salad? Do you remember one at your Thanksgiving meal? Do you still make a special one? Share your memories and/or recipes and photographs with Meekins in the comments. Daria D’Arienzo, Meekins Archivist. #throwbackthursday; #tbt
Posted to Facebook 11/14/2024
