The Fruity 1960s Milkshakes That Turn Canned Fruit Into Dessert

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The year was 1962. The Beatles made their broadcasting debut on BBC radio, andcanned fruit cocktail was stocked in the pantries of houses across the U.S. It's just one of those foods you probably ate in the '60s if you were middle class. Sounds unglamorous? Think again. Canned fruit cocktail is the basis of a vintage recipe that totally holds up today and is easy to recreate. Introducing: Carnival Milkshakes. 

Page 91 of the August 1962 issue of "Better Homes & Gardens" includes a recipe for "Carnival Milk Shakes," with the tagline, "Kids will love them." Vibrant and fruity, the recipe calls for a mixture of canned fruit cocktail (drained), vanilla ice cream, and milk. The sweet, mushy, fork-tender fruit packed in syrup blends seamlessly to create a shake with major flavor and a rich, velvety-smooth body. This is one of those bizarre ingredient pairings that is surprisingly delicious, and thanks to its long shelf life, that canned fruit can be stocked and ready whenever a sweet tooth strikes.

To turn these humble ingredients into a cohesive, technicolor treat, simply blend the canned fruit until it reaches a smooth consistency. Then, add a generous amount of ice cream and a splash of milk to the blender, pulsing once more to combine. From there, just pour the milkshake into a tall glass, garnishing with a sprinkle of nutmeg and a scoop of reserved fruit cocktail chunks on top. Or, for a modern take on this vintage treat, you could top the shake with whipped cream, rainbow sprinkles, and a maraschino cherry.

Adding a scoop of canned fruit cocktail is a refreshing and colorful way to zhuzh up a regular vanilla milkshake on a dime. At Walmart, a 15-ounce can of Great Value fruit cocktail currently runs for just $1.78, enough to yield roughly three milkshakes. According to the "Better Homes & Gardens" recipe, one pound of canned fruit cocktail is the right amount per pint of ice cream. Want to make just one shake but don't know what to do with the leftover fruit? We've rounded up 16 unexpected ways to use up canned fruit cocktail. With a little culinary creativity, nothing goes to waste.

In 1927, a standard recipe for fruit cocktail was officially established, necessitating that cherries, pears, grapes, and peaches be part of the lineup. Then, in the late 1930s, canned fruit cocktail became a thrifty way for commercial canning companies to use up the salvageable scraps of various damaged produce. Nowadays, according to the USDA, pineapples must appear in the mix, too. From this central point, exact ingredients often diverge. To build the ultimate fruit-studded shake, foodies can adjust the flavor profile by opting for different canned cocktail varieties. Tropical fruit cocktail, for instance, adds papaya. Or, up the maraschino cherry flavor by using Kroger's Extra Cherry Mixed Fruit in Light Syrup, which is packed in a cherry-flavored canning syrup.