Veggie Vomit

Don’t let the name scare you off. This Halloween recipe is essentially a classic mid-century jello salad gussied up with a gross-out name that kids find hilarious. It’s a sweet-tangy lime gelatin packed with shredded vegetables and tropical fruit, and despite the visual hijinks, it actually tastes good.

The key technique is the partial set on the jello. Letting the lime gelatin chill for 2.5 hours until it’s thickened but not fully firm is what suspends the vegetables and fruit evenly throughout. Add them too early and they sink. Wait too long and they sit on top instead of distributing through the mold.

Grating the cabbage and carrots fine is essential. Fine shreds disappear into the green jello looking like flecks of grass, which is exactly the visual you want for the gross-out theme. Coarse chunks read as vegetables and ruin the effect.

Crushed pineapple brings sweetness and tropical acidity that pairs beautifully with the cabbage’s slight bitterness. The mandarin oranges add little bursts of brighter citrus. Make sure both are very well drained or excess liquid will keep the jello from setting properly.

Pro Tips

• Always use canned pineapple, never fresh. Fresh pineapple contains bromelain, an enzyme that prevents gelatin from setting. Canned pineapple has been heated, which deactivates the enzyme.
• Make sure all canned fruit is thoroughly drained, then pat dry with paper towels. Hidden liquid sabotages set.
• For maximum gross effect, serve straight from a clear glass bowl or in individual cups with a slotted spoon.

Variations

• Add a few drops of green food coloring for extra-radioactive color if you want maximum visual impact.
• Drop in raisins for ‘rat droppings’ or use red gummy worms for a true Halloween centerpiece.
• Substitute orange jello and add chunks of mango for a sunset-colored version that loses the puke effect but tastes wonderful.