I based this salad on a recipe I found long ago in a magazine. I think that one only used berries, but I have expanded the way I make it to use any kind of fresh summer fruit, and even canned fruit when there isn’t any good fresh fruit available. Sometime even a combination of canned and fresh together. I almost always have an old yellow ware bowl of fruit in the fridge for snacks or dessert. By always using the same bowl, my family knows this is fruit. I cover it with a silicone topper.

Sauce With a Surprise Ingredient

Honey, orange zest and the juice, a little (or a lot!) Grand Marnier/ orange liquor and strawberries are whizzed together in a food processor to make a wonder sauce that coats the fruit used. I have also used peach or cherry liquor instead. The liquor just adds a small kick of taste – most people won’t be able to figure out what ingredient you used. Since I have a diverticulitis issue, I don’t always use the strawberries in the sauce. Those tiny seeds can cause a lot of gastric upset! Just add a little extra juice, a little canned fruit juice, or a ripe peach in place of strawberries if you also suffer from diverticulitis.

If you want to avoid any liquor, use a non-alcoholic Triple Sec or a cordial. Since there is already honey is the sauce, try not to use something with more sugar, else it might be too sweet.

Use any fruit

The beauty of this salad is the range of fruit you can use. I use whatever looks good at the market.

• Berries – black berries, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries
• Stone fruit: cherries, peaches, apricots, nectarines, plums
• Tropical fruits – mango, pineapple, banana, kiwi, papaya, dragon fruit, lychee, starfruit, flaked coconut
• Citrus fruit – sectioned oranges and grapefruit
• Other – pears, apples, grapes, figs, watermelon
• any canned fruit

I have noticed that things like apples and bananas need a little lemon juice on them to prevent darkening, and I only add them just before serving. Raspberries tend to be the same; they disintegrate if put into a salad made in advance.

Canned fruit is perfect good

If none of the fruit looks great at the market, or if you want fruit salad without going shopping, make it with canned fruit or fruit from the freezer. I’ve done this many times during inclement weather. It’s a good way to get the family to eat some fruit, even if fresh isn’t available. Use frozen strawberries if you want them in the sauce. Works perfectly.

Have fun with this salad! Use it as part of a theme based on a country or style of cooking (Mexican or Hawaiian for example). Try using fruit you’ve never had before. Let someone guess what the dragon fruit or lychee is! The sauce makes anything taste great!

Canned fruit cocktail, mandarin oranges, peaches and sweet cherries make a great canned fruit salad. In this one I used fruit cocktail and cherry juice in the sauce, along with Triple Sec, honey and orange juice.

And the best thing? This fruit salad is great for a light breakfast or with brunch, it makes a side at a picnic, or even dessert – dress it up by serving over vanilla ice cream! Put in a little more liquor and flame it at the table – be dramatic if you like! It will literally take longer to peel and cut up all the fruit than to mix up the sauce and put it all together. It is best to make it ahead of time, and let it stand. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Lastly I always use the same bowl in the fridge, covered, so the family recognizes it as the fruit salad bowl

Try some simple flavored syrups in place of any alcohol.