🍓The Simplest Fruit Salad

Sunshine in a bowl.

RECIPE STORY for The Simplest Fruit Salad:

Contented Table Community Chat - Tell us what’s in your fruit salad!

Fruit salad centerpiece at my daughter-in-law’s wedding shower.

When you live in Canada, eating local, seasonal fruit in February consists of pears and almost every type of apple imaginable. But by this time, you are looking for a little change as we await spring rhubarb and berries.

This throw-together fruit salad is the taste of summer right when you need it. All ingredients can be kept on hand through the winter except bananas. But aren’t bananas somehow the exception to eating seasonally?

If you can (preserve) peaches and pears yourself, it takes this fruit salad to a whole other level. Frozen berries from in-season add another notch. I heard my son’s friend introduce this version to others by saying “It will change your life.” Ha! That made me giggle but I tend to agree. Yum.

Good For You:

• All fruit dessert

• Whole food

• Fibre

Good For:

• Year-round last-minute dessert or brunch item

• Lunch box

• If needed: gluten, dairy, and nut-free

The Simplest Fruit Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 can of peaches packed in juice or light syrup, chopped

• 1 can pears packed in juice or light syrup, chopped

• 3 bananas, sliced

• 3 cups frozen strawberries, thawed and sliced in half if large

• 2 cups frozen whole raspberries, partially thawed

• 1 cup frozen blueberries (wild blueberries are the best)

Method:

1. Dump the can of peaches and syrup into a large (preferably glass because it looks so pretty) bowl. Chop into bite-sized chunks. Followed by chunking the pears into the same bowl.

2. Slice bananas into the bowl. Stir.

3. Layer strawberries on top of the fruit mixture already in the bowl.

4. Layer raspberries on top of strawberries. Followed by a layer of the frozen blueberries on top.

5. Stir just before serving.

Have some left the next day? Serve over plain or vanilla Greek yogurt or toss into a smoothie.

Kitchen Tip:

Freeze whole or halved berries in season on parchment-lined cookie sheets, transferring to zipper-lock bags once frozen. They are a quick grab when you want them and a fraction of the price of what is in the grocery store.

Nutrition Tip:

Adding just a little sugar in the form of light syrup or juice from the canned fruit is well worth it to see your family eat up all this goodness. Fruit desserts help Balance Your Plate! {USA} {CANADA}

Have you made a similar fruit salad and have some tips for us?

Tried out this Plain Jane recipe? How did it go?

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Bring a friend, there’s always room for one more,

Jane