And then there was none

It's been a long time since I've written a cooking post.  

I took one of The Mama's favorite Jello salads to Devo and Sew Tuesday as my contribution to the lunch salad bar.  It was a big hit!

Spiced peach congealed salad

Only, I wasn't expecting it to be so popular!  I was actually planning to serve the leftover salad at dinner for 3 Friday night.  So guess who will be making another one?  Thank goodness for Amazon (I'll explain later).

I hope you'll try this recipe, IF you can find the ingredients!  First of all, don't be put off by the term "spiced" peaches.  They are not spicy hot; it's a "warm" spice with cinnamon and cloves.

Congealed Fruit Salad

one  jar or 15-oz. can spiced peaches, pitted and cut into chunks
one 15-oz. can white cherries (Queen Anne/Royal Anne), pitted and halved
one small (flat) can crushed pineapple
one cup chopped nuts, pecans or almonds
one large box of orange-flavored gelatin
2 cups of boiling water
2 cups of  fruit juice with cold water added to 2 cups

Drain all the canned fruit into a 2-cup measuring cup and top up with cold water.  Make gelatin according to the directions, first dissolving the powder in 2 cups of boiling water, then adding the cold liquid.  Pour into a 2-qt. rectangular baking dish (8.5" x 11").  Add fruit and nuts, then refrigerate several hours till firm.

Just a few notes:  If you find the jarred peaches, go a little lighter on the amount of that juice you use.  Also, I have found that the canned fruit retains quite a bit of moisture so I usually go a little light on the cold liquid.  And, lastly, a lot of recipes will tell you to let the gelatin partially set before adding fruit, but I just put it all in together.  Yes, everything floats to the top, but it doesn't affect the flavor!

Sounds simple enough, until you try to find the ingredients.  Years ago when I started making this, spiced peaches came in jars, pits still in, cinnamon stick and cloves visible through the glass.  I knew I had found a canned brand long ago, but when I went looking at all the options here on the plateau -- namely Kroger and Food City -- neither stocked either the spiced peaches OR the white cherries.

Amazon to the rescue! My husband had ordered some discontinued canned goods on Amazon a couple of years ago so I thought I'd give it a try.  The first thing I discovered is that Del Monte brand has spiced peaches, but the banner appears very small above Sliced Peaches.

I ordered a box of 6 cans, and they arrived well ahead of the projected delivery date.  Imagine my surprise when the box came from Walmart.com!  I, who rarely shops at Walmart, never thought to look there so I took a few minutes while DH was getting a haircut last week to run into Wally World and YES, they had the Harvest Spiced Sliced Peaches.  But not the cherries.

I found a source of the cherries on Amazon as well, so ordered a box of 3 cans.

I don't remember where they came from, but I have since learned I can get them at Walmart.com, as well!  I still have 5 cans of peaches and 2 cans of cherries, but now I know I can make the salad as often as I like.