Does anyone know how to make a good fresh fruit salad that will keep fresh for a few days? Like keeping the apples from turning brown or the bananas? I'm looking for some good ideas on fruit salad that I can make for my kids. Thank you in advance!!
My first response was.. "Yummy. Yummy." reference to the Wiggles. :)
Can you keep the apples in a separate bag until you need to mix it in? Add a little lemon juice? Cut the bananas up just as you need them or let the kids do that if they are old enough?
Add a spoonful of the frozen concentrate juice (orange juice works best) to your salad and stir. It'll coat all the fruit with the acidity and keep it from browning (and will taste good too!) But your bananas will get soggy. Best to add those last minute.
Today I made a small fruit salad with what I had on hand:
Clementine slices, bananas, and a few mini marshmallows, with a small bit of juice concentrate on it (I used what I have in the freezer - I think it's an apple/passionfruit blend)
Last week I cut up apple, strawberries, tossed in some blueberries and blackberries, plus a spoonful of whatever juice concentrate I have in my freezer. Lasted us 3 days in the fridge and nothing turned brown nor moldy. It may have lasted longer than 3 days, but we'd eaten it all!
Don't forget to add cononut flakes for fun/flavor.
Adding a splash of lemon juice will prevent that oxidation on the fruits that are sensitive to it. Plus another level of flavor! Yum!
If your kids are sensitive to lemons, you can use salt. This works for apples, pears, (sweet potatoes and potatoes). After cutting the fruit or veggie put in enough water to cover the fruit or veggies completely, sprinkle a little salt (a couple shakes is enough) into the water, stir the fruit or veggies, dump the salty water off the fruit or veggies, and rinse with cold water. Store them in the refrigerator. It will keep them from turning brown for about 1-2 day(s) depending on the season. Sorry, but bananas have to be cut prior to using.
eta: I also add silken tofu to my fruit salads. Kids don't really notice, and it is a great way to add some protein.
we do a winter fruit salad of apples, raisins and vanilla yogurt with a little nutmeg in it. the yogurt covers the fruit enough that it keeps.
for a fresh fruit salad, we do strawberries, watermelon, other melons, mandarin oranges (or cuties if you wanna use fresh) and maraschino cherries. pour the maraschino cherry juice from the bottle over it all and stir it really good to coat everything, then drain it back out through a colander. it works great!
our lemon honey dressing (homemade) seems to work pretty good at keeping the apples from turning - but nothing will hold bananas for long!
I do something like apples, grapes, berries, maybe pears too ( sometimes walnuts too) - cut up and stirred up with alittle cool whip. I don't think the bananas will hold up for days :(
Dip the fresh fruit in 7-Up or Sprite before mixing it all up. But I think it will still turn dark after a few hours. I would keep the ingredients seperate, still in a baggie with a tiny bit of the pop or some lemon juice on it, then mix it as needed.
You can always opt out of using the fruit that browns. Use melons and berries and if you want to use a banana or apple, then cut it up for same day consumption.
