There was an era in the 1960s and 1970s when jello salads reigned supreme, and this recipe firmly belongs in that time. As a bonus, it also has pineapple, another staple of that era! My mom had this in her recipe box, credited to my Aunt Joyce. It makes a great summer dessert — light, low calorie, and doesn’t require a hot oven. People laugh at jello recipes these days, but I think this one has aged better than most.

I made a half-sized version and it still made enough for several portions, so I’ve left the halved amount as an option. I used fresh strawberries, though Joyce called for frozen. Also, I had some plantains that needed to be used and substituted them for regular bananas. They had softened up enough that they didn’t need any additional prep work.

Half-Sized Version:
1 package strawberry jello
1 c. boiling water
1 package small frozen strawberries
1/2 small can crushed pineapple juice, drained
1-2 bananas
sour cream

Full Version:
2 packages strawberry jello
2 c. boiling water
2 packages small frozen strawberries (or 1 lb fresh)
1 small can crushed pineapple juice, drained
3-4 bananas
sour cream

Mix together everything but the sour cream and pour half of the mixture into a long dish. Let sit until partly solid (this won’t take very long as you’ll have more fruit than jello). Spread with sour cream and pour the rest of the mix over that.