Fruit salad is a dish consisting of various kinds of fruit, sometimes served in a dip, either their own juices or syrup. In different forms, it can be served as an appetizer or a side salad. When served as an appetizer, a fruit salad is sometimes known as a fruit cocktail or fruit cup.
A dip however is a mixture served as an accompaniment to certain foods. Like salad dressings, dips are meant to complement or enhance the foods they are served with, not hide the flavor of the food.
Salsa, guacamole, and hummus are examples of popular ethnic dips.
A fruit salad is the perfect side dish for many occasions. In this post, we will share with you, tips for how to make fruit salads that people will cherish, tips for picking and preparing favorite fruits, our recipe for the best and perfect fruit salad, along with the best salad dressing. If you are looking to make an amazing fresh fruit salad, you are going to love this article!
How to make a simple fruit salad
The first thing that we have to look out for is the fruits to be used. You can put almost any fruit into a salad, but it’s good to plan in advance to make sure you have a variety of colors and textures. This is to ensure that your salad is appealing to the eye. Color variety helps.
The following list of fruits would be considered the best fruits to be used:
- Red Apple
- Watermelon
- Bananas
- Pineapples
- Oranges
- Strawberries
- Raspberries
- Pears
- Pawpaw
- Green Apples
- Kiwi
- Blackberries
However, there is a handful of fruits to avoid. They include:
- Mango
- Nectarines
- Peaches and some
- Pears
Fruits like peaches and nectarines don’t work as well because they are slippery and change color very quickly. Bananas and apples fall into this category but they are popular. Besides, they are cheaper than most fruits.
Preparation
First, who are you preparing this salad for? Kids? Adults? A big group?
Kids would like foods like grapes, sliced for safety, apples, and bananas.
Adults will appreciate fruits like blueberries, raspberries, and kiwi more than most kids.
Also, 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. If you slice them small, they’ll dissolve and disappear, leaving your other fruits with a banana residue that is unattractive.
Thirdly, include a variety of textures, from soft bananas to crunchy cantaloupe and the salad will be a hit!
Fruit salad recipe
Here is what we include in our classic fruit salad. You don’t have to be totally exact with the measurements. You can make some variations.
Ingredients
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1 cup sliced kiwi
- 2 sliced bananas
- 1/2-1 cup green grapes
- 1.5 cups watermelon, cubed
- 1.5 cups cantaloupe, cubed
Instructions (Fruit salad with yogurt)
Mix together the prepared fruit in a large bowl.
Gently mix in lime juice to keep the fruit from browning.
In a separate small bowl, mix together yogurt, lemon juice, honey, and vanilla.
Add yogurt mixture to the prepared fruit.
Mix until combined. Now you have your delicious fruit salad.
Fruit salad calories
| Name | Amount |
| Water | 86.2g |
| Energy | 50kcal |
| Energy | 209kJ |
| Protein | 0.51g |
| Total lipid (fat) | 0.03g |
| Ash | 0.26g |
| Carbohydrates, by difference | 13g |
| Fiber, total dietary | 1g |
| Calcium, Ca | 11mg |
| Iron, Fe | 0.25mg |
| Magnesium, Mg | 8mg |
| Phosphorus, P | 14mg |
| Potassium, K | 116mg |
| Sodium, Na | 5mg |
| Zinc, Zn | 0.14mg |
| Copper, Cu | 0.05mg |
| Manganese, Mn | 0.151mg |
| Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid | 3.3mg |
| Thiamin | 0.011mg |
| Riboflavin | 0.014mg |
| Niacin | 0.356mg |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.053mg |
| Vitamin B-6 | 0.027mg |
| Folate, total | 3µg |
The acidity of lemons helps to prevent the browning of fruits. Juices of Pineapples do the same work.
Specifically, it helps to inactivate the enzyme polyphenol oxidase, which is responsible for the browning.”Beyond keeping fruit salad fresh, lemon can also help enhance its flavor. The citric acid in the juice stops the chemical reaction needed for the browning process in its tracks.
Avoid mixing your watermelons, muskmelons, and cantaloupe with other fruits. Try not to mix acidic fruits, such as grapefruits and strawberries, or sub-acidic foods such as apples, pomegranates, and peaches, with sweet fruits, such as bananas and raisins for better digestion.
You should eat your salad within 5 days. Most salads contain mayonnaise-based dressings or products which spoil after about five days even when stored in the refrigerator. Mayo often separates after freezing, leaving a lumpy mess instead of tasty mayonnaise.
