How to Make Fruit Salad

Guide Note

Fruit salad is a delicious dish that's good for you too. This guide to How to Make Fruit Salad describes the process used to produce this tempting treat.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• What You'll Need
• Step 1: Select the Fruit
• Step 2: Prepare the Fruit
• Step 3: Mix the Dressing
• Step 4: Assemble the Salad
• Fruit Salad Variations
• Conclusion
• References

Fruit Salad Tips

1. Keep all fruit pieces the same size.
2. Add fruits likely to brown, such as bananas, right before serving.
3. Use leftovers in a trifle.

• by Susan MacDowell

Introduction

• Fruit salad is an incredibly versatile dish. It can serve as an appetizer, a dessert, a side dish or even a snack. When prepared without a heavy dressing, fruit salads are considered a healthy food, high in fiber and antioxidants.^{1 2}

What You'll Need

(Creative Commons photo by Jessica Merz)

• 1/2-3/4 cup of sliced fruit per person³
  • The type of fruit you use depends entirely on your personal taste. Fruit salads traditionally contain a combination of melons, citrus fruits and berries. See Step 1 for some additional tips on selecting fruit for your salad.
• Sharp Knife
• Cutting Board
• Mixing Bowl
• Mixing Spoon

Step 1: Select the Fruit

• Your personal taste, with a touch of creative whimsy, is the guiding principle here. Select whatever fruits are in season, what you like or what you have on hand.

1. Choose fruit that is ripe and flavorful, but not overripe.⁴ Overripe fruit won't hold up well when mixed.
2. Very fragile fruits, such as raspberries, can be used to garnish the salad.
3. Aim for a balance of different fruits. Don't let one fruit overwhelm the mix.

Step 2: Prepare the Fruit

• One of the joys of fruit salad is how simple it is to prepare. For many fruits, all you need to do is wash and cut them into bite-sized pieces.⁴ A few fruits do require a bit of extra care, however:

1. Apples should be soaked in lemon juice or citric acid to prevent the discoloration caused by oxidation.⁴
2. Peel fruits with a tough skin, such as kiwi or mango.
3. Remove seeds from fruit such as watermelon, oranges, grapefruit and the like.

Step 3: Mix the Dressing

(Creative Commons photo by rusvaplauke)

• Fruit salad doesn't really require a dressing. The juices of the fruits themselves will blend when you mix them, nicely flavoring the fruit. You can add a mix of lemon or lime juice and sugar to the fruit to perk up the natural flavors, if desired.⁵

• You can also achieve a more sophisticated taste by macerating the fruit in a few tablespoons of a fruity liqueur, such as Cherry Heering, Cassis, Cointreau or Grand Marnier. If you would like an actual dressing for your salad however, here are two traditional choices that work well:

Step 4: Assemble the Salad

1. Combine the fruits you prepared in Step 2.
2. If you're adding juice and sugar, or a liqueur, add it now.
3. Refrigerate if you're not serving the salad immediately.
4. When ready to serve, toss the fruit with a dressing if desired.
5. Add bananas, if using, at the last minute, as they discolor quickly.
6. Garnish with tender berries, coconut or chopped nuts, as a final touch.
7. Serve and enjoy!

Fruit Salad Variations

(Creative Commons photo by Richard Moross)

• Simply Recipes: Waldorf Salad Recipe
  • Containing apples, walnuts, grapes and celery, this classic salad originated in 1893 in New York City.¹⁰
• All Recipes: Ambrosia Salad II
  • Mandarin oranges, pineapple and bananas are tossed with marshmallow and coconut in this sweet fruit salad.¹¹
• California Avocado Commission: Avocado Fruit Stand Salad
  • Kiwis, red grapefruit and strawberries are joined by avocado and tossed in a dressing seasoned with basil and mustard.¹²
• Dole: Composed Fruit Salad With Chicken
  • Chicken can be added to a fruit salad for a quick main dish.¹³
• Daily Motion Video: Watermelon Basket (Time: 1:30)
  • A watermelon basket is a great way to present a fruit salad!¹⁴
• 
  

Conclusion

• If you have any left over, fruit salad can be stored in the refrigerator. You can also layer it with cake and cream to make a trifle.¹⁵ Enjoy the "fruits" of your labors!

References for How to Make Fruit Salad

1. ↑ Weight Loss Resources: Healthy Eating
2. ↑ Meditteranean Heart's Weblog: Mediterranean Diet: A Fruit Salad for All Seasons (June 26, 2008)
3. ↑ Ellen's Kitchen: Fruit Platters, Fruit Salads and Watermelon Boats
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2} eHow:How to Make a Summer Fruit Salad
5. ↑ Food Network: Fruit Salad 
6. ↑ 1st Traveler's Choice: Spinach Salad and Strawberries and Blueberries and Poppy Seed Dressing
7. ↑ All Recipes: Poppy Seed Dressing II
8. ↑ Recipezaar: Fresh Fruit Salad Dressing
9. ↑ Food Network: Fresh Fruit Salad with Honey Vanilla Yogurt 
10. ↑ Simply Recipes: Waldorf Salad Recipe
11. ↑ All Recipes: Ambrosia Salad II
12. ↑ California Avocado Commission: Avocado Fruit Stand Salad
13. ↑ Dole: Composed Fruit Salad With Chicken
14. ↑ Daily Motion Video: Watermelon Basket (Time: 1:30)
15. ↑ Fruittart: Trifling With Leftovers (March 26, 2007)

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