048 / 75 · Fruit Salads for the Table
Cranberry Orange Apple Mold
6 small cranberry-orange apple molds, about 125–130 ml each; fruit-salad side portions · Active 30 min · Total 10 hr
Print recipe · PDFA cranberry-juice cocktail and orange juice make a ruby-red base around small peeled apple dice. The sweetened cocktail is named honestly rather than presented as unsweetened cranberry juice. Individual molds give the fruit salad a tidy side portion.
Cranberry juice products are not all the same
Use a sweetened cranberry juice cocktail whose label suits the diners. Pure unsweetened cranberry juice can be much more tart, while a mostly apple blend has a different flavor and sugar content. This formula does not claim to be sugar-free; the listed extra 10 grams of sugar rounds the measured citrus. Read the product rather than relying on a red carton or the word cranberry on the front.
Apple pieces stay pale and small
Peel and core a firm apple, dice it finely and toss it with the measured lemon juice. Small pieces distribute inside the individual molds without making one raw chunk dominate a side portion. The orange juice gives a slight cloudy cast to the red gel, which is expected. Let the mixture thicken lightly in the refrigerator before folding in apple, then divide evenly. A fruit-salad side is not shelf-stable simply because its starting juices were sold in sealed bottles.
Ingredients
- 2 standard ¼-ounce envelopes unflavored powdered gelatin (14 g total), of specified setting strength
- 6 tablespoons cold drinking water (90 ml)
- 1½ cups pasteurized sweetened cranberry juice cocktail (360 ml), divided
- ¾ cup strained pasteurized orange juice (180 ml)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (15 ml)
- 2½ teaspoons granulated sugar (10 g)
- 1 small firm apple, about 4¼ oz (120 g peeled/cored edible weight), finely diced
- ½ teaspoon neutral oil (2.5 ml), divided for wiping molds
Set out
Knife and board, Small apple bowl, Small saucepan, Mixing bowl and spoon, Scale and measuring jug, 6 metal individual molds of at least 180 ml capacity each, Paper towel, Food thermometer, Cold plates, Refrigerator
Allergens
No major US allergen identified in the base ingredients. Check labels and substitutions.
Make it
- Check molds, dry and oil lightly. Peel/core apple, weigh 120 g fine dice, toss with lemon juice and keep cold. Bloom gelatin over 90 ml cold water in mixing bowl 5–10 minutes.
- Warm 180 ml cranberry cocktail with sugar to 140–150°F (60–65°C), stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and stir into gelatin until dissolved. Add remaining 180 ml cocktail and orange juice.
- Refrigerate 25–40 minutes, stirring gently every 10 minutes, until lightly syrupy. Fold in cold apple with all measured lemon juice. Divide among molds, about 125–130 ml each, leaving at least ½ inch (1.25 cm) headroom; keep excess in separate refrigerator cup.
- Cover and refrigerate at 40°F (4°C) or below at least 8 hours until firm. Allow 10 hours total. For unmolding, set a cold plate beside the refrigerator. Dip only the outside of the metal mold in warm, not hot, water, about 100°F (38°C), for 5–8 seconds without letting water touch food. Dry the outside, loosen just the upper edge with a clean fingertip and invert onto the plate. If stuck, repeat a brief dip rather than shaking violently. Refrigerate again immediately if not serving now. Serve one small fruit-salad side mold per person.
Gelatin starting strength
Use food-grade unflavored powdered gelatin with a manufacturer benchmark of 7 g for about 2 cups (500 ml) plain liquid. Weigh the stated grams: envelope sizes and powder density vary. A flavored dessert packet, collagen peptides, sheet gelatin or agar is not an equal substitute.
Cold service
This is an original retro-inspired recipe, not a recovered 1960s formula. Gelatin is animal-derived; the vegetable ingredients do not make the dish vegetarian. A reliable refrigerator and the stated earlier ingredient deadlines are essential.
Ingredient labels
Check juice cocktail, citrus juice and gelatin labels. Gelatin is animal-derived; no no-added-sugar claim is made.
A useful detail
Free liquid totals 645 ml, plus 10 g sugar and 120 g prepared apple. Fourteen grams gelatin supports roughly 780 ml mixture. Six 180 ml molds give reliable space above roughly 130 ml fills.
Another way
- Use 120 g peeled firm pear instead of apple, retaining the lemon juice.
- Use 180 ml pasteurized tangerine juice instead of orange juice, straining and checking the label.
Keep it well
Keep covered at 40°F (4°C) or below. Use within 2 days of assembly or the earliest ingredient deadline, whichever comes first. Include the overnight setting period in that limit. Keep total unrefrigerated preparation and serving below 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F (32°C). Chill slices promptly after service; discard food exceeding those limits. Do not freeze; freezing damages the gel and releases water.