This winter fruit salad is a refreshing breakfast, snack, or side dish for anytime of year, but especially winter, because of the specific fruits in it. It works great for the holiday season because it brings a fresh and bright contrast to common savory dishes like casseroles and roasts.
Have you ever had a fruit salad and thought, “this is it, it’s the perfect one” but then never been able to replicate it? I feel like that has happened to me many times. Bennett’s family has fruit salad for every family gathering, and it is actually the perfect fruit salad. His mom shared all of the ingredients with me and I am sharing it with you! Read on for the ingredients, and tips for fruit salad!
What makes this a winter fruit salad?
I would call this a winter fruit salad because of the crunchy apples and the brightness that the crushed pineapples and oranges bring to it. Unlike your typical summer fruit salad, the only berry in this one is strawberries that are frozen.
Can I make this winter fruit salad ahead of time?
This fruit salad can be made a day ahead of time as long as you toss the fruit salad well. The acidity from the oranges and crushed pineapple will coat the apples and keep them looking and tasting freshly cut.
What kinds of apples should I use?
You should use crisp apples such as Honeycrisp or Fuji for this winter salad. If you don’t have apples and would like to use pears instead, search for firm pears such as Bosc or Anjou.
Check out a few of our other recipes that call for apples!
Apple Cobbler
Savory Apple Quesadillas
Apple Walnut Chicken Salad
Does this winter fruit salad call for a sweetener?
Nope! This is a zero-added-sugar recipe. The canned fruits that are called for are in natural fruit juices, and the only berry we use in it is frozen sliced strawberries that will naturally sweeten the fruit salad with their juices as they defrost.
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Do I need any special equipment to make this Winter Fruit Salad?
All you need are some staple kitchen essentials, such as a mixing or serving bowl, a knife, and a cutting board. Here are some of our staple kitchen essentials below!
How to Make a Winter Fruit Salad
But first, a note! This fruit salad is a family tradition for Bennett’s family and now ours. But that doesn’t mean it always has to have just these ingredients. Add in your favorite fruits or replace ones you’re not a fan of. Pick ones that are on sale or fruit that you were gifted. I think that the only “bad” fruit salad is the one that you’re not eating!
Ingredients:
2-3 oranges
1 lb of seedless red grapes
2-3 apples
20 oz can of crushed pineapple
29 oz can of sliced peaches (in fruit juice)
16 oz of frozen sliced strawberries
Instructions:
First, make sure to wash the grapes and apples.
Peel the oranges and dice them into ½-1 inch pieces. Add them to your mixing bowl. Core and dice the apple into the same size pieces as the oranges. Whether or not you peel the apples is up to personal preference. Add to the bowl and stir immedietely. The acidity from the oranges and crushed pineapples will help prevent the apples from turning brown.
In the same bowl, add the entire can of crushed pineapple. The peaches also need to be sliced into the same sizes as the oranges and apples. The easiest way to do that is to drain all of the liquid into the fruit salad bowl and then cut the peaches.
Finally add the frozen sliced strawberries and seedless red grapes. You can slice the grapes in half if that is your preference or if you are serving the fruit salad to young children. Stir all of the fruit together and let sit in the fridge until the strawberries have fully defrosted. Serve chilled. Leftovers stay in the fridge for about 4-5 days.
Enjoy your winter fruit salad! What’s your favorite fruit to have in a fruit salad? Let us know in the comments below!
Winter Fruit Salad
Ingredients
Method
- First, make sure to wash the grapes and apples.
- Peel the oranges and dice them into ½-1 inch pieces. Add them to your mixing bowl. Core and dice the apple into the same size pieces as the oranges. Whether or not you peel the apples is up to personal preference. Add to the bowl and stir immediately. The acidity from the oranges and crushed pineapples will help prevent the apples from turning brown.
- In the same bowl, add the entire can of crushed pineapple. The peaches also need to be sliced into the same sizes as the oranges and apples. The easiest way to do that is to drain all of the liquid into the fruit salad bowl and then cut the peaches.
- Finally, add the frozen sliced strawberries and seedless red grapes. You can slice the grapes in half if that is your preference or if you are serving the fruit salad to young children.
- Stir all of the fruit together and letit sit in the fridge until the strawberries have fully defrosted. Serve chilled. Leftovers stay in the fridge for about 4-5 days.
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