Ginger Ale Adds Snap, Sparkle, And Pop To Your Jell-O Salad

Every region has a special food dish or two that is important to its culture. For the Midwest, it is Jell-O salad. Ever heard of it? The gelatin-based dishes have origins that date back to the Middle Ages, when it once represented wealth and power. Over the years, the unconventional food has ebbed and flowed in popularity, despite its notable comeback in the 1950s. Much like any salad, Jell-O salad consists of many different ingredients, only these get suspended in a delicious prism of flavored gelatin. Some people prefer to have their salads with freshly sliced fruit and even whipped cream, while others go a more savory route with mayonnaise and ham.

Due to Jell-O salad's long history, there are many variations of the recipe, one of which calls for a fizzy twist. Ginger ale Jell-O salad is made by combining Jell-O, the namesake spicy soda, and cubed fruit, such as peaches or pears. Once prepared and set, the food has a delightfully sweet flavor with a fizzy mouthfeel. That's right, the carbonation from the soda causes the Jell-O to spark in your mouth once eaten. That treat is perfect for a birthday party or a group dinner and will leave your guests surprised at the enhanced eating experience. While the creative dish may seem like a way to usher Jell-O salads into the 21st century, it actually has a deeper history that traces back to a promotional campaign by 7-Up in 1953 that advertised a Jell-O salad made with the lemon-lime beverage.

Just because this may be your first time learning about fizzy Jell-O, does not mean it lacks a rich history. The 7-Up company, invented in the Midwest in the 1920s, reportedly released a recipe book to promote its product that featured a recipe for 7-Up salad. The result of the recipe is simply described as a "green gelatin-based dessert." It is unclear what flavor the gelatin was, as at the time Jell-O had not yet launched its lime flavor. That didn't come until the 1930s. Ultimately, 7-Up Jell-O salad became known as a blend of lime-flavored gelatin and 7-Up soda. 

Given the complementary nature of both flavors, it results in an unforgettable dessert. One person looked back at the nostalgic recipe on Reddit, sharing their grandmother's recipe and noting that it was a 1950s-style salad. The old-fashioned recipe contained lemon Jell-O, Philadelphia Cream Cheese, crushed pineapple, 7-Up, vanilla, sugar, and chopped pecans. They wrote that the soda gave it "a zippy kick."

While 7-Up is a delicious soda to choose, ginger ale brings a sharp herbal snap that complements any fruit you would add to the salad mix. If the ginger ale-spiked dessert gets you started down a rabbit hole, there is plenty of room to get experimental. Try adding other carbonated beverages such as a seltzer for a low-sugar, plain taste that will not detract from the flavored Jell-O and fruit selection. You can use other sodas like Coke or Diet Coke, Sunkist Orange Soda, or root beer with new flavors of Jell-O.