How To Make Fruit Salad

A Few Tips For Success

Try to keep in mind three things when you plan a salad.

First, who are you preparing this for? Kids? Adults? A big group?

Kids want foods like grapes, sliced for safety, apples, and bananas.

Adults will appreciate fruits like blueberries, raspberries and kiwi more than most kids.

If youre feeding a crowd, plan to use in season fruits because theyre readily available, and lower cost than when theyre out of season.

In the summer, watermelon and other melons are great for stretching a salad. Bananas, apples and grapes are great low-cost additions that everyone can enjoy.

Second, try to keep the fruit pieces a uniform size. Some fruits like melons tend to be bigger than apples, but uniformity will make your salad look more appealing.

Also, leave bananas big because they tend to dissolve, and if you slice them small, theyll dissolve and disappear, leaving your other fruits with a banana residue that is unattractive.

Keep the fruit fairly uniform in size, and dont mix it together until its time to serve.

Third, include a variety of textures and colors. Like I mentioned above, include a rainbow of colors for an appealing salad. Include a variety of textures, from soft bananas to crunchy cantaloupe and the salad will be a hit!

Thai Grapefruit Salad With Shrimp

The Spruce/Darlene Schmidt

Refreshing, light, and nicely sweet, this Thai grapefruit salad with shrimp is perfect for summer dinners. It’s full of wonderful tropical flavors, including plump, pink shrimp, tart-sweet grapefruit, nutty coconut, crunchy salad vegetables, and fragrant fresh herbs, all drizzled with a zingy, Thai-style dressing.

The Best Fruit Salad Recipe

I first shared this recipe 5 years ago but its one of my favorite recipes, so for new readers or in case you missed it I thought it needs to be revisited. Plus I thought this exactly what moms want on Mothers Day for brunch paired with waffles, crepes or Eggs Benedict!

I know Skittles are good, but Im thinking this has got to be the right way to get a taste of the rainbow. This blend of colorful fruits all come together to make a gorgeous rainbow, made with healthy ingredients!

Kids will love this this fruit salad and it is an easy way to get them to eat plenty of fruit at once.

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Tips For Making This Kiwi Pineapple & Mango Fruit Salad

Make Ahead And Freezing Instructions:

To Make Ahead: I like to store each type of chopped fruit separate bags, then combine just before serving. Dont add the orange juice until youre ready to serve.

To Freeze: Since freezing fruit alters the texture when it thaws, we do not recommend freezing and thawing fruit salad. You can freeze this fruit and use it in a smoothie for another day!

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Tips For Making Fruit Salad

• Part of fruit salad is the flavor, and the other part is the presentation. Try to choose fruits that have contrasting colors, so the fruit in your dish doesnt look too similar.
• Chop the fruit to roughly the same size, which makes the salad visually look better.
• Plan your fruit according to the season, so you can get the freshest, juiciest fruit possible for this salad.
• Try fresh herbs like basil, lemongrass, lavender, or mint to add more interesting flavors to your fruit salad.
• This fruit salad dressing calls for honey, but you can also try maple syrup, brown sugar, regular sugar, or stevia. Or add flavor to this fruit salad recipe with a dash of cinnamon.
• Cook your sauce for a total time of 3-4 minutes, and not longer. The longer you boil the fruit juice, the more syrup-like it will become.
• If you want to add banana to this fruit salad recipe, add it just before serving so it doesnt have a chance to get mushy.
• Top this fruit salad with my easy whipped cream or homemade cool whip, or mix with homemade marshmallows for a sweet combination!

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How To Make A Classic Fruit Salad

A fruit salad is the perfect side dish for many occasions. In this post, well share tips for how to make fruit salads that people will LOVE, tips for picking and preparing favorite fruits, along with our recipe for a classic and perfect fruit salad, along with other fruit salad variations. If you are looking to make an amazing fresh fruit salad, you are going to love this article!

Fruit salad is a great dinner side dish, and its also the perfect dish to take to a cookout, family gathering, or summer event. And its even better when you have the best dip ever to go with it!

After seeing the popularity of our post on how to make a veggie platter it only made sense to talk about a fruit salad next!

In this article, we will share you the best fruits for fruit salads, different variations, and how to make sure they stay as fresh and delicious as possible.

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Can I Make Fruit Salad In Advance

Fruit salad can be a little tricky to make ahead. Once fresh fruit is washed and chopped, it starts to go bad more quickly. I recommend making and serving it the same day. If you want to make it earlier in the day and serve it later, you could chop all the fruit except for the bananas and make the dressing, then slice the bananas and combine everything shortly before serving.

With that in mind, saving leftovers is fine, but keep in mind that the fruits start to not be at their best after sitting for a while.

How Long Can You Keep Fresh Fruit Salad In The Fridge

Once you are finished making the fruit salad, transfer it to an airtight container and store in the fridge.

For best freshness, enjoy within 3-4 days, if it lasts that long!

If youre making this for a party, I recommend making it ahead of time and letting it chill in the fridge for at least an hour to let the fruit get cold and the dressing to marinate.

That will give it time for all of the delicious flavors to blend together!

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Fruit Salad Dressing Ingredients

A quick look at what youll need for the dressing:

• honey You can also use agave nectar or even maple syrup. Similar great tastes and consistencies! If you stick with honey, try to choose a local organic option for the best taste.
• orange juice Fresh is best. Youll need about ½ an orange.
• lime juice and lime zest Lemon juice is a great option too. Or, make it extra citrusy and use both!

Make Ahead And Storage Tips

If you would like to do some of the prep work ahead of time for this recipe, you can wash, dry and chop your fruit a few hours ahead of time. You can also whisk together the dressing ingredients. Store the dressing and fruit in the refrigerator, separately. Youll want to wait and add the dressing to the salad no more than an hour before serving.

If you have leftover fruit salad, you can store it in the refrigerator for a day or two. The fruit will soften and release some of its juices, but it will still taste delicious.

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The History Of Fruit Salad

Fruit salad has a rich history that dates back to ancient Greeks. It is thought that the ancient Greeks and Romans both mixed various fruits as part of a meal. Americans took hold of the idea in the 1800s and ran with it.

The 1900s transformed fruit salad, bringing new fruits and concepts into the mix. For some, fruit salad contained pineapple rings, bananas, and maraschino cherries. This was a very tasty, sweet snack that was often surrounded by whipped cream. It was called a candle salad. In the mid-1900s, canned fruit and gelatine combinations became the norm. Sometimes the gelatin was packed into a circular mold, packed with fruits.

Today, fruit salad can come canned, but the truth is that nothing beats fresh fruit. Fresh fruit best brings out the taste and texture of the fruit. Fresh fruit salad is certainly the best iteration of all these concoctions.

Of course, you can make any substitutions you wish if you prefer canned fruit. Some people certainly prefer the taste of canned pineapple, for instance. It can provide a more consistent flavor. The opposite also applies. Feel free to use fresh fruit when a recipe calls for canned fruit as well. This is ideal for those regions that have amazing fresh fruits that are in season.

What Is Fruit Salad

Fruit salad, sometimes also called fruit cocktail depending on preference, is described as a mix of various kinds of fruit all contained within a sweet cream or sauce.

Fruit salad as we know it today, which is a medley of fresh and canned fruits and a sweetener) comes from around the mid 1800s. All around the world and throughout the United States, you will find different kinds of recipes for fruit salad for example, Waldorf-style fruit salad consists of apples, grapes, and celery all tossed together in a mayonnaise-based dressing.

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I Dont Have Any Condensed Milk What Can I Use

Instead of condensed milk, prepare this recipe with cool whip or Greek yogurt. The flavor and texture will be a bit different, but you still get a tasty fruit salad. Cool whip is sweetened, but youll want to add some honey for sweetness if using plain Greek yogurt. Vanilla yogurt is a good choice as well.

Can I Prepare The Fruit Salad In Advance

Because most fruits have to be cut before being added to the salad, its best to prepare the salad pretty soon before serving it.

If you need to make it in advance, rinse and prepare the separate fruits and keep them separate until you put them in the serving bowl or platter. Blueberries, grapes, kiwi, and melons will hold their flavor longer, so if it must be prepared in advance, try to use these fruits.

Fruits like watermelon may give off some juice, so drain them before combining them with other fruits. Bananas and apples should not be prepared and added to the salad until the last minute because of their likelihood to turn brown and soft.

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How To Make Simple Fruit Salad

Step 1: Prepare the fruit. Slice or halve the strawberries depending on the size. Cut the grapes in half and chop one fresh pineapple into chunks.

Place the strawberries, blueberries, grapes, and pineapple in a large bowl.

Step 2: Mix together the dressing. Stir together the zest of one lime, plus the lime juice and honey.

Step 3: Pour the dressing onto the fruit salad and stir gently to combine. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours, or until ready to serve. Stir again right before serving.

All you need is just 6 ingredients!

Many similar recipes call for sugar, but this fruit salad is made without sugar and is instead sweetened with honey.

Fruit itself is natures candy, so a touch of honey is all you need!

I used pineapple, strawberries, blueberries and grapes for my fruit salad recipe, but you have so many choices here!

Use whatever fresh fruit you have on hand.

Who Invented Fruit Salad

There arent any specific individuals who are credited with inventing fruit salad, but it is believed that they have been around since the 1800s. During this time period people typically made fresh, homemade fruit salads similar to ones you would make at home today. These recipes were passed down from generation to generation and eventually evolved into new variations on the salad.

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Can Fruit Salad Be Made Ahead Of Time

You have a big party planned and you want to make an awesome, delicious, perfect fruit salad. Can you make it in advance?

Well, yes and no.

You can absolutely get started making this fruit salad, but I discourage you from mixing everything together until just before you plan to serve.

What Ill usually do is chop the watermelon, pineapple, and mango and keep them stored in separate containers in the refrigerator. I wash all the berries and the grapes and return those to the refrigerator.

When Im ready to make my fruit salad, I juice my orange and lemon, peel and chop the kiwi, chop the strawberries, and mix everything together. Viola!

What Is The Best Dressing For A Fruit Salad

I serve this fruit salad recipe for dessert or as a side dish for brunch because the sweet citrus-honey sauce on top always gets rave reviews. The sauce is orange juice with lemon and honey, but you can also use pineapple juice or lime if thats what you have. Its light and sweet, but doesnt overpower the salad itself.

You can also top this salad with a simple syrup simmered with mint leaves and lime juice, or try mixing yogurt or sour cream with lemon juice and honey for a creamy dressing. I like to use regular yogurt instead of Greek yogurt because its thinner and will coat the fruit better. You can also try a creamy lemon flavor with poppy seeds.

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Foods To Pair With Fruit Salad

Although it goes without saying that most fruit salads pair well with just about any kind of breakfast, what other kinds of food go well with a fruit salad? Honestly, fruit salads can be paired with just about any kind of food for a sweet, nutritious dessert option, but here are a few specific suggestions for some meals that pair well with most kinds of fruit salad:

• Grilled meats and foods at barbeques
• Chicken
• Chinese food

Is This Recipe The Same As Buko Salad

No, my recipe and buko salad, a Filipino fruit salad, are different. Buko is a type of fruit cocktail salad with condensed milk and fresh coconut that exclusively uses canned fruits, not fresh fruit. For an authentic Filipino recipe, try this delicious buko salad from Vanjo Merano of Panlasang Pinoy.

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Mexican Christmas Eve Fruit Salad

The Spruce/Ulyana Verbytska

Colorful, festive, and brimming with healthy fruits and vegetables, this traditional Mexican Christmas Eve salad deserves a place on your holiday table. It’s a fabulous edible centerpiece that’s good for you, too. Assemble it ahead, adding the easy lime vinaigrette dressing at serving time.

Red White And Blue Salad

The Fourth of July would not be the same if a red, white, and blue salad did not make an appearance. Something that each person making it puts their own spin on.

Recipes for this fruit salad can call for anything from strawberries, blueberries, and bananas, to berries, feta cheese, and almonds. Others still use watermelon, blueberries, and feta cheese. And of course, there is the ever popular Jell-o that gets thrown into the mix.

Whichever way a red, white, and blue salad is made, enjoy! The only right way is up to each individual’s tastebuds.

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Ingredients To Make Tropical Fruit Salad

• Pineapple: You can use canned or fresh pineapple. I prefer fresh because its juicier and tastier, but canned will work in a pinch.
• Kiwi: I like to use green kiwi, but you can also use golden kiwi.
• Mango: You can use any type of mango you like. I prefer the larger, sweeter version for this salad.
• Blueberries: The blueberries add a lovely pop of color.
• Strawberries: The strawberries add a beautiful red hue and a bit of tartness.
• Orange juice: This is my secret sauce ingredient! It adds a lovely citrus flavor and ties all the flavors together.
• Rose water: Optional, but this is very common when making Middle Eastern style fruit salads, and I love how it perks up this fruit salad.

Thai Fruit Salad With Coconut Lime Dressing

The Spruce/Darlene Schmidt

This beautiful Thai tropical fruit salad is a taste of paradise. Use a combination of local and tropical fruits to make it, depending on what is available. They’re all tied together by a sweet coconut-lime dressing that beautifully enhances the luscious taste of the fruits.

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What Is Fruit Salad Called In Other Countries

Fruit salad typically goes by different names around the world, but there are some general names that you can use to describe this dish. Some common names include mixed fruit salad , fresh fruit mix , salada de frutas , and ensalada de frutas . This dish can also be referred to as ambrosia salad in some countries, which typically has similar ingredients to fruit salad.

I hope that this guide to How to Make Fruit Salad will make your next fruit salad attempt the best yet!

Whether you are looking for a simple fruit salad or something that is a little fancier with lots of different types of fruit, people are sure to be pleased whenever you follow these instructions for building your favorite fruit salad recipes.