There is nothing more splendid on a warm summer’s day than a large bowl of watermelon, red grapes, cantaloupe, and other fresh fruit. But how do you keep it fresh if you prepare a large batch of your favorite fruit salad recipe for a family gathering? We show you how to keep fruit salad fresh using a few simple techniques.
Fruit salad is the perfect side dish or garnish for any picnic or outdoor event. Not only is it sweet and juicy, but it’s low in carbohydrates and packed full of vitamin A and C, potassium, and fiber, depending on the types of fruits you use.
Some salads contain fresh pineapple, kiwi fruit, and vanilla pudding, while others are heaping with nectarines, grapefruit, and marshmallows.
No matter what your favorite fruits are for making a salad, it’s important to take steps to keep your salad fresh and stop it from turning brown and mushy.
Easy Ways to Keep Fruit Salad Fresh
Unfortunately, cut fruit begins to discolor and lose texture quickly when preparing a fruit salad. While it’s impossible to store fruit salad for several days, there are ways to keep it fresh for the following day if you are meal prepping.
How Long Does Fruit Salad Stay Fresh in the Fridge?
Sometimes it’s essential to prepare a large batch of salad ahead of time, and keeping fruit salad fresh overnight is necessary. But, how long does it stay fresh when refrigerated?
After preparing a batch of fruit salad, scoop it into one or more airtight containers. Make sure the lids are in place and set them on the refrigerator shelf. If it is the right kind of salad, it lasts up to five days in the fridge.
Salads that hold up best to short-term storage contain whole fruits with skins, such as blueberries and grapes. Other good fruits are apples, oranges, mangoes, and peaches.
Avoid storing salads too long that contain berries, watermelon, and bananas. If you need to keep watermelon fresh, use an airtight container and drain it often. It gets mushy after too long.
Keeping Fruit Salad Fresh Overnight with Citrus Juice
Using citrus juice is an ideal way of keeping fruit salad fresh overnight and to keep bananas fresh longer since they brown quickly. Citrus fruit is acidic and contains vitamin C, which will keep peaches from browning, as well as many other fruits, and adding the juice enhances the flavor of the salad.
The best way to preserve fruit salad is to use citrus juice. For every four cups of fruit salad, combine two tablespoons of lemon juice and one tablespoon of sugar in a bowl.
If you don’t have a lemon, try using lime juice or orange juice. If your salad is pre-sweetened, adding the sugar is not necessary.
Whisk the sugar and citric acid, drizzle it over the top of your fruit salad, and use a large spoon to incorporate it. Scoop the salad into an airtight container and store it in the fridge overnight.
Plain citrus juice like lemon rubbed over open avocado surfaces will also lengthen avocado refrigerator life as it prevents premature browning.
How to Preserve Fruit Salad with Soda Water
Many restaurants use seltzer water as a food hack for preventing apples and other fruits from turning brown before serving them to diners. Here is how to preserve fruit salad with soda water.
Fill a container with soda water and set it aside. If you don’t have soda water, lemon-lime soda works well as a substitute. As you prepare your fruit salad, submerge the freshly cut pieces in the soda for five minutes.
Prepare the fruit salad as usual and scoop it into an airtight container. The fruit still holds its flavor and texture after storing it in the fridge for the day or overnight.
How to Keep Fruit Salad Fresh with Honey
Honey is excellent for preserving fruit salad, and it also sweetens your salad with extra flavor. Here is how to keep fruit salad from turning brown for up to eight hours using honey and water.
In a large container or bowl, big enough to fit the fruit from your salad, combine warm water and a little bit of honey, making sure to use enough to soak your fruits. As soon as you prepare the fruit for the salad, place it in the bowl for a 30-second soak.
Drain the fruit in a colander and prepare your fruit salad recipe. Scoop the salad into an airtight container and set it in the fridge for no more than eight hours.
Making the Best Fruit Salad for Storage
Knowing how to preserve fruit salad is one thing, but making a salad with the best fruit for storage is even better. Here is our favorite fruit salad recipe for storing in the fridge.
Position a colander over the kitchen sink and place your fruits in it as you prepare them to release excess juices down the drain. Begin by cutting the pineapple, cantaloupe, and honeydew melon into chunks.
Remove the cherry pits and then cut the cherries and blueberries in half. Transfer the cut fruit from the colander into an airtight container and add the raspberries, blueberries, orange zest, and mint.
Store the salad in the fridge for four to five days for the best results. To get a boost of calcium in your salad and make it extra creamy, consider adding some sour cream and honey right before serving.
Fruit salad is a healthy and versatile dish that goes great with just about anything, but it doesn’t stay fresh long after preparing it.
However, there are simple ways to keep fruit salad from going bad too quickly, whether you enjoy yours with berries and cream or kiwi, pineapple, and poppy seeds.
Knowing how to keep fruit salad fresh is the difference between a brown, mushy, and unappealing salad and a sweet, delicious dish, so why not share our fruit salad storage tips with your social circle on Facebook and Pinterest?