Fruit Salad Recipe and Tutorial

This delicious fruit salad is simply the best.  It lends itself to a simple breakfast or brunch but is pretty enough to be served during a special dinner.  I have been honored to have it featured on professional food blog Mrs. Happy Homemaker.

Fruit Salad

6 navel oranges, peeled and sliced thinly
1 to 1 & 1/4 pounds red seedless grapes, halved
1 (20 oz.) can of chunk pineapple, drained
1 (16 oz.) bag of frozen whole strawberries
3 or 4 bananas, sliced
Sugar

Layer the oranges in a flat container giving each layer a nice heavy coating of sugar.  Layer the halved grapes in a separate container sugaring each layer heavily. Cover, and let them set out at room temperature for several hours to get the juices flowing. Stir occasionally. (I usually prepare mine the night before, and after they have set out awhile, I put them in the refrigerator overnight until I am ready for them the next day.)

After they have set out at room temperature for several hours or have been in the refrigerator overnight, combine the oranges and grapes, and then mix in the drained pineapple chunks. Cover, and put the mixture into the refrigerator for an hour for the flavors to meld. Remove the frozen strawberries from the bag, place them on a plate in a single layer, and set them on the counter to defrost at room temperature. This will usually take about 45 minutes. Add the strawberries and sliced bananas shortly before serving.

Click here for printable format 

This recipe is an old family recipe handed down to me by my mom. Growing up, she remembers her mother serving it at every Christmas dinner. 

Fruit Salad 101:

Layer the oranges in a flat container giving each layer a nice heavy coating of sugar.  You really can't sugar them too much:

  

Here is the second layer--just sugar as before:

Layer the halved grapes in a separate container sugaring each layer heavily.  Lay the grapes with the cut side up:

I waited about 3 hours before stirring the oranges and grapes for the first time.  I stirred them again in a couple of hours and then put them in the refrigerator overnight.  Here are the grapes and oranges after the first stir:

The next day, I combined the oranges, grapes, and drained pineapple and put the mixture back into the refrigerator to chill for one hour.  Meanwhile, I set the strawberries out on the counter to defrost:

After an hour had passed, I added some sliced bananas and the strawberries to the salad, and it was ready to serve!