Summer is the perfect season for this make-ahead fruit salad. My first experience with this salad happened while visiting my husband’s grandmother. She always keeps some type of fresh fruit in the refrigerator. I felt like this was an easy-to-prepare side that is perfect for an everyday meal or even for entertaining guests.
The beauty of this salad is you can use any fruit that you have on hand. In the beginning, I used lemon juice to keep my apples and pears from turning color. I found that it had a bit of an aftertaste, probably because of the strength of the lemon juice that I used. My husband requested mandarin oranges in the fruit salad one day and I decided to use the juice from the oranges to soak my apples and pears. It worked like a charm and doesn’t alter the flavor of the fruit at all. This is the secret ingredient of my fruit salad. I keep a container of mandarin oranges in 100% fruit juice as one of my pantry staples. That way I can make this dish whenever I need to.
This salad can be served at any meal. For breakfast, it can be served as a side or even mixed in with cottage cheese. The use of colors, textures, and types of fruit can really enhance this dish. If serving as a dessert, add a dollop of whipped cream to turn this side into a delicious dessert.
If you are looking for another make-ahead side dish, check out my recipe for classic potato salad here.
Fruit Salad
Ingredients
- 1 container Mandarin oranges in 100% fruit juice
- 1 Apple, diced
- 1 Pear, diced
- 1 Kiwi, peeled and diced
- 1 Cup Grapes, quartered
- 8 Strawberries, diced
- 1 Cup Berries, halved
Instructions
- Drain the juice from the mandarin oranges and place them a mixing bowl. Reserve the juice in a separate bowl.
- Dice apples and pears and soak them in the mandarin orange juice for about 1-2 minutes to keep them from turning. Then place them in the mixing bowl with the oranges.
- Add the rest of your desired fruit to the bowl and mix thoroughly.
- Store in an airtight container in the refridgerator.
Notes
- Use any fruit you have on hand.
- Soak the apples and pears in citrus juice to keep them from turning.
- Make ahead and store it in the refrigerator.
