Uploaded February 2022 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
What better way to celebrate Valentine's Day than with...gelatin salad? This week I'm exploring the history of Cranberry Heart Salads, a mid-century recipe promoted by Ocean Spray to get people to eat more cranberries after the holiday season. I'll also attempt to recreate the Cranberry Heart Salads, leading to many misadventures in gelatin making.
Recipe:
Ingredients:
-1 envelope unflavored gelatine (I used 3 envelopes)
-1/4 cup cold water (I used 3/4 cup cold water)
-1 can Ocean Spray Whole Cranberry Sauce
-1 tablespoon lemon juice
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-3/4 cup crushed pineapple, undrained
-2 3-ounce packages cream cheese ( or 2/3 cup cottage cheese)
-1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped
1. Place gelatine in custard cup. Add cold water. Let stand 2 minutes.
2. Place cup in pan of boiling water until gelatin dissolves (I recommend whisking with a fork while dissolving).
3. Add to whole cranberry sauce. Stir in lemon juice and salt.
4. Beat cream cheese with fork or beater until soft (3-4 minutes with beater).
5. Combine with crushed pineapple and beat until well blended (I poured pineapple juice slowly while beating, and then folded crushed pineapple into the cream cheese).
6. Fold (pineapple cream cheese) into cranberry gelatine mixture.
7. Chill until mixture begins to jell (I made the whipping cream while the cranberry gelatine mixture was in the refrigerator. Be careful not to overbeat heavy whipping cream, or it may turn into butter).
8. Fold in whipped cream (into gelatine cranberry mixture).
9. Turn into one large mold, or individual molds, rinsed in cold water.
10. Chill until firm (at least 4 hours).
Served as salad on lettuce, or as dessert.
Sources:
“Marcus Urann Honored,” The Canning Trade, February 13, 1950
“Cranberry Valentines,” Canning Trade, January 29, 1951
“Near Future Will Bring Cranberry Scarcities Rather than Surpluses,” Cranberries: The National Cranberry Magazine, August 1951
“Ellen Stillman Appointed NCA Vice President,” Cranberries: The National Cranberry Magazine, February 1952
“Ellen Stillman Appointed Cranberry Association Vice-President,” The Canning Trade, February 18, 1952
“Congratulations, Miss Stillman,” Cranberries: The National Cranberry Magazine, March 1952
“Good All the Year,” The Tribune, March 7, 1952
“Ellen Stillman Resigns After 25 Years Service,” Cranberries: The National Cranberry Magazine, February 1956
“Life is a Bog of Cranberries,” Joy Miller, Lake Charles American Press, December 21, 1963
What better way to celebrate Valentine's Day than with...gelatin salad? This week I'm exploring the history of Cranberry Heart Salads, a mid-century recipe promoted by Ocean Spray to get people to eat more cranberries after the holiday season. I'll also attempt to recreate the Cranberry Heart Salads, leading to many misadventures in gelatin making.
Recipe:
Ingredients:
-1 envelope unflavored gelatine (I used 3 envelopes)
-1/4 cup cold water (I used 3/4 cup cold water)
-1 can Ocean Spray Whole Cranberry Sauce
-1 tablespoon lemon juice
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-3/4 cup crushed pineapple, undrained
-2 3-ounce packages cream cheese ( or 2/3 cup cottage cheese)
-1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped
1. Place gelatine in custard cup. Add cold water. Let stand 2 minutes.
2. Place cup in pan of boiling water until gelatin dissolves (I recommend whisking with a fork while dissolving).
3. Add to whole cranberry sauce. Stir in lemon juice and salt.
4. Beat cream cheese with fork or beater until soft (3-4 minutes with beater).
5. Combine with crushed pineapple and beat until well blended (I poured pineapple juice slowly while beating, and then folded crushed pineapple into the cream cheese).
6. Fold (pineapple cream cheese) into cranberry gelatine mixture.
7. Chill until mixture begins to jell (I made the whipping cream while the cranberry gelatine mixture was in the refrigerator. Be careful not to overbeat heavy whipping cream, or it may turn into butter).
8. Fold in whipped cream (into gelatine cranberry mixture).
9. Turn into one large mold, or individual molds, rinsed in cold water.
10. Chill until firm (at least 4 hours).
Served as salad on lettuce, or as dessert.
Sources:
“Marcus Urann Honored,” The Canning Trade, February 13, 1950
“Cranberry Valentines,” Canning Trade, January 29, 1951
“Near Future Will Bring Cranberry Scarcities Rather than Surpluses,” Cranberries: The National Cranberry Magazine, August 1951
“Ellen Stillman Appointed NCA Vice President,” Cranberries: The National Cranberry Magazine, February 1952
“Ellen Stillman Appointed Cranberry Association Vice-President,” The Canning Trade, February 18, 1952
“Congratulations, Miss Stillman,” Cranberries: The National Cranberry Magazine, March 1952
“Good All the Year,” The Tribune, March 7, 1952
“Ellen Stillman Resigns After 25 Years Service,” Cranberries: The National Cranberry Magazine, February 1956
“Life is a Bog of Cranberries,” Joy Miller, Lake Charles American Press, December 21, 1963
