Late Grandmother’s 24-Hour Custard Fruit ‘Salad’

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Ingredients:

• 4 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup whole milk
• fruit cocktail- 2 large cans, 1 small can
• 3 cups mini marshmallows
• 1 pint heavy cream

Cookware:

• strainer
• measuring cups
• medium sized pot
• silver/metal spoon
• mixing bowl
• stand or hand mixer and bowl

Instructions:

Custard

1. Separate egg whites from yolks. Discard whites.

2. Add egg yolks, sugar, and milk to medium sized pot. Stir continuously.

3. Cook over medium heat until it costs a silver spoon. Do not boil. Let cool thoroughly.

Fruit

1. Drain all 3 cans of fruit cocktail in strainer over sink.

2. Once custard is cool, add to drained fruit. Mix together.

3. Add 3 cups mini marshmallows. Stir into fruit and custard mixture.

Whipped Cream

1. In a separate mixing bowl, use the hand or stand mixer to beat heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Do not over beat.

2. Fold whipped cream mixture into the rest of the ingredients.

3. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.

4. Serve as a salad or dessert.

About This Recipe:

My grandma passed away in January of 2022. She left behind a husband of 65 years, 5 children, 12 grandchildren, 4 great grandchildren, a niece, great niece, and 2 great great nieces, who all loved and miss her dearly. She also left behind a lifetime of memories from the kitchen.

Everyone has a grandma recipe story, but ours is truly the best. Any time there was a family function, you could count on grandma making her 24 hour salad. None of us really knew why it was called that, and although it was more like a dessert, we got to eat it WITH our dinner because grandma said it was a “salad.” It was the perfect mixture of custard with whipped cream, marshmallows, and fruit. But not fresh fruit — canned, thick, syrupy fruit cocktail.

It had to sit in the fridge overnight to marinade before serving, so grandma always planned ahead. Every holiday, birthday, church function, dinner party, if she was there, so was the 24 hour salad in her glass Pyrex bowl with the blue lid on top. There were rarely ever leftovers, but sometimes my mom and I would sneak some into a separate bowl and hide it, just so we could have an extra serving the next day.

As she got older, the grandkids would take turns helping her in the kitchen and picking up on all her tips and tricks. Some of us mastered crepes, others picked up on spotted dog, and of course, the chocolate éclair cake. But no one could get the 24 hour salad quite the same.

When her physical health began to decline, she had in-home therapy. Her occupational therapist wanted to help her work in the kitchen and asked what she would like to prepare — that was an easy choice. 24 hour salad. When she passed away, my mom made 24 hour salad to have at the luncheon following her funeral. It will never be quite the same, but it will always be there for us, just like she still is in spirit.

We have a copy of the recipe that she hand wrote and we went on to have it printed on tea towels so it can now hang in each of our kitchens. We will never forget her and we will never stop talking about this salad!

This recipe was submitted to Love What Matters  by Stacey Babula. Join the Love What Matters family and subscribe to our newsletter.

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