Over the decades, ingredients have fallen in and out of fashion – but we think that some deserve a second chance. From maraschino cherries and instant pudding to swede and marjoram, we reveal the bygone food staples that are worthy of a comeback.

From fools and tarts to pies and jams, gooseberries have adorned all manner of desserts throughout history, with their heyday in the early to mid-1900s when families would forage them from gardens and hedges. Today, they’re somewhat overlooked and have consequently been phased out by a number of supermarkets. If you can get your hands on some, try this elderflower jelly with meringues and stewed gooseberries.

Known to the Greeks and Romans as a symbol of happiness, this perennial herb has been around for years and has also made an appearance in beers and tobacco. Typically used to season soups, sauces and stews, it’s not uncommon for it to be replaced with oregano today. It's used in this aioli recipe which is perfect served with grilled chicken.

While gnarly-looking celeriac certainly won’t be winning awards at beauty pageants anytime soon, it’s a widely versatile vegetable that’s overdue some recognition. With so-called ugly and misshapen veg receiving more attention and shelf space in supermarkets these days, it’s time to get your celeriac recipes at the ready: try creamy kale and roasted celeriac or celeriac and bacon soup.

A popular vegetable since the Middle Ages, the turnip faded in popularity after the Second World War. Great for bulking out soups and casseroles, turnips are highly economical but they also needn’t be stodgy. Grate raw into salads, make quick pickles and form into röstis for a modern update.

Forget peeling, boiling and getting arm ache from mashing, packet instant mash, with the addition of just water and milk, has been satisfying carb cravings since its introduction in the early 1900s. The UK brand Smash Instant Mashed Potato cemented its popularity in the 1970s with its catchy slogan, “For mash, get Smash”. Once you've whipped up a batch, check out our ideas for creative toppings.

Whether it was pineapple on pizza, cheese and pineapple cocktail sticks, pineapple upside-down cake or served with ham, this citrus fruit certainly had its time in the spotlight in the 1960s and 1970s, with tins of canned pineapple adorning pantries and kitchen shelves. They're still a winner, saving the effort of carving a fresh fruit. Stock up your cupboards and add these chicken fajitas with pineapple salsa and mini fruity bundt cakes to your recipe repertoire.

The term cottage cheese became popular in the mid-19th century and was typically used to describe homemade cheese. It was also widely promoted during the First World War when 30 million pounds of the stuff was produced in 1919 alone. Its popularity faded with the rise of yogurt in the 1980s onwards but cottage cheese is seeing a revival, particularly for the health-conscious looking for low-fat, nutrient-rich foods. We think they're great in savoury muffins.

This popular mayonnaise dressing and accompaniment for prawns and seafood gained widespread popularity in the 1950s and 1960s. Ranch dressing overtook it and became the go-to condiment in the 1980s but we say it’s high time it was reintroduced in restaurants and salad bars. Find more salad dressing inspiration with these 30 speedy recipes.

In the 1950s and 1960s, these floating fruits in syrup were used in many desserts. Commonly served with evaporated milk or thrown into pound cakes or cobblers, they were a fruity staple for families. Don't underestimate them today – fresh stone fruit has a limited season so the tinned stuff comes in handy to use in upside-down cakes and tarts.

Packed with protein, fat and carbs, tins of condensed milk were given as field rations during the US Civil War and they experienced a resurgence in popularity during the First World War. A key ingredient in dishes such as key lime pie and banoffee pie, condensed milk is also commonly mixed with coffee around the world. It’s highly versatile yet underrated – and it's high time it made a comeback.

Try it in this slow-cooked chocolate cookie recipe

If you’re after a retro tradition which also saves on washing up, look no further than the humble bread bowl where scooped-out bread takes the place of crockery. Commonly served with soups, casseroles and dishes such as seafood chowder, the question that has to be asked is, why isn’t every dish served like this today?

When it comes to retro desserts, the meringue-heavy pavlova takes some beating, especially when topped with kiwi fruit, as was tradition in the mid-20th century. While kiwis are said to be packed with more vitamin C per 100g (3.5oz) than oranges, they’ve fallen out of favour in recent years. So next time you reach for an apple, grab a kiwi instead. Did you know that you can even eat the skin?

Iceberg lettuce was once the leaf du jour, particularly in the 1950s and 1960s when it was a key component of prawn cocktails and Caesar salads. Iceberg lettuce fell out of favour in the 1980s when a wide variety of salad leaves became more easily accessible but we think it will always have a time and a place, especially in a prawn cocktail.

A relative of the apple and pear, quinces had their heyday between the 16th and 18th centuries. While they’ve been neglected in recent decades, quinces remain popular in Spain where they’re boiled with sugar to make a fruit paste known as membrillo, which goes wonderfully with cheese. If you can get your hands on some of the seasonal winter fruit, bake into a clafoutis (a French flan-like dessert) or use membrillo as a marinade for pork.

Made into syrups, teas, marmalades, jelly and even ketchup, rosehips – the fruits of the rose plant – are rich in vitamins and minerals including vitamins C and B. So much so, in the Second World War, rosehip syrup was often used as a cough mixture. Watch out for the fine hairs found inside the rosehips though – they can also double up as itching powder! 

It’s thought that the humble swede (rutabaga) emerged in the 19th century as a result of a cross between a turnip and a cabbage. Surprisingly rich in vitamin C, swedes fell out of favour after the Second World War but we’d love to see them make a comeback. They're great as an alternative to potatoes, bulking out stews and in comforting British shepherd's pies.

Made from a combination of fermented honey, water and yeast, mead was the tipple of choice for the Ancient Greeks and Vikings, but was later overtaken in popularity by the likes of beer and wine. With it appearing on-screen in Game of Thrones and Harry Potter, we don’t think it will be long until everyone is necking this nectar.

Hard-boiled eggs have never really faded in popularity – who doesn’t love these six-minute protein fixes – but using the yolk to make snacks like devilled eggs, sadly has. A staple of 1970s dinner parties, they're typically made by mixing together cooked yolks with mayonnaise and mustard, then piped into halved boiled eggs. 

Advocaat, a Dutch liqueur made from eggs, sugar and brandy, was a must-have for any drinks party in the 1970s, along with Babycham. It stills makes some appearance at Christmas in snowballs, a retro cocktail made with advocaat and lemonade, and topped with a maraschino cherry. But we'd love to see it join the likes of the perennially popular gin and prosecco.

Sherry, a fortified wine from Spain, has been a popular tipple for centuries but its use can often be limited to Christmas, with bottles of the stuff left sitting dusty on the shelves. Not for us – we think sherry deserves a second chance and there could be a resurgence on the cards, with new producers and food pairings popping up on menus.

A stalwart of the 1960s, these sweet yet sharp cherries graced everything from cocktails and cakes to baked hams and ice cream sundaes. Now, they’re relatively under the radar. We say it’s high time they were brought back – after all, who doesn’t want a cherry on top?

Retro dishes that deserve a comeback