Make Ahead Fruit Salad
This colorful make-ahead fruit salad is packed with juicy tropical fruit and tossed in a zesty orange-lemon syrup to keep it fresh for days. It's perfect for meal prep, brunch, and parties.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 3 oranges peeled and chopped
- 1 mango chopped
- 4 peaches or nectarines chopped
- 2 apples chopped
- 3 bananas sliced
- Lemon Orange Syrup:¼ - ⅓ cup orange juice
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 ½ Tablespoons sugar
- 1-2 cups blueberries optional
- 1-2 bananas sliced, optional (only when serving)
Instructions
- Cut off both ends of each orange. Stand the orange upright and slice off the peel and white pith. Cut the peeled oranges into bite-sized pieces. Save the peels and scraps to squeeze out the juice for the syrup.
- Peel and chop the mango.
- If using peaches, peel them first; nectarines can be chopped with the skin on. Place all the chopped fruit into a medium-large bowl.
- Make the Lemon Orange Glaze. Squeeze out all the juice from the ends and slices of the oranges that you used. (You can also use bottled orange juice instead.) You can even place the fruit over a colander while you are chopping all the fruit and use the juice that you get from the fruit for the glaze.
- Place the fruit juice, lemon juice and sugar into a small saucepan and bring to a boil on high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the syrup thickens, about 5 minutes. Cool.
- Chop the apples (you can leave the skin on or off, it's up to you). Add to the rest of the chopped fruit.
- Pour the cooled syrup over the chopped fruit and mix gently to combine. The glaze will lightly coat the fruit and help preserve it.
- Serve immediately or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate. The fruit salad will stay fresh for 3–5 days, and often up to a week.
Notes
Drain all excess juice: While chopping the fruit, especially the oranges, mango and peaches, let the fruit sit for a few minutes in a colander and drain off the excess juice. This prevents the salad from becoming watery. Then, use the drained juice (along with juice from the orange scraps) to make the citrus glaze. If you end up with more than about ⅓ cup, discard the extra or drink it—it’s delicious!
Bananas: Optional, but they complement the tropical fruit perfectly! Add sliced bananas only to the portion you plan to eat right away, as they don’t store well and will turn mushy.
Blueberries: These can be added with the rest of the fruit or stirred in just before serving. They hold up better than most berries but are best eaten within a few days.
Sweetness: If your fruit is ripe and sweet, you may not need much (or any) added sugar. Honey, agave, or maple syrup can also be used as natural alternatives.
Juice Tip: Some liquid in the bowl is totally normal! Thanks to draining the fruit first and then reducing the rest and concentrating it into a citrus glaze, it will be much less watery if we did not do this step.
Yield: This recipe makes about 6 cups of fruit salad, not including optional add-ins like bananas or blueberries. The final amount may vary slightly depending on the size and ripeness of your fruit.
For parties, brunches, or meal prep, I highly recommend doubling the recipe—it disappears fast and stores well in the fridge!
Storage: Store in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-5 days and up to a week. Mix it up before serving to redistribute the citrus glaze/syrup.
