FAVOURITES FROM THE ARCHIVE: EXOTIC FRUIT SALAD, lower-sugar, easy, make-ahead

Soft fruit salad with an exotic Asian twist; perfect on a hot summer night...

Exotic soft fruit salad

photo 6/8/16

Three things set this gorgeous fruit salad well apart from the run-of-the-mill.  One, all the fruit is soft, either berries or stoned fruit, and there are none of the usual apples, pears or oranges.  Two, apple juice replaces the usual high calorie sugar syrup that sweetens many fruit salads.  Three, the addition of finely diced sweet stem ginger and a tiny amount of ginger syrup adds an exotic layer of flavour. 

To take it up an extra level, add a soupcon or two of brandy or another fruit liquor for a boozy kick.  (Abstainers can go for white or red grape juice.)

Extremely easy to put together, the fruit salad should be made on the day of serving but refrigerated a few hours to allow the flavours to blend.

The salad suits every budget: be as frugal or extravagant as you please but probably three fresh fruits is the minimum. 

Cost: depends on what's put in it, say £4 for a good selection of fruit (leftover fruit can go into Black Sugar Fruit Cups or smoothies.  

Ingred:  any or all of
   1/2 cup strawberries, quartered
   1/2 cup blueberries
   1/3 cup raspberries, halved
   1/2 cup pitted cherries, halved
   1/3 cup grapes, halved if large
   1-2 kiwi fruit, skinned and sliced
   1/2 cup pineapple segments, fresh or frozen (pref), or drained tinned in juice, not syrup
   1 peach or nectarine, peeled and stoned, coarsely chopped
   a handful of fresh lychee fruits, halved, or 1/2 cup tinned, drained lychees

Then: 200 ml apple juice, organic if poss 
   1-2 globes stem ginger in small dice (from jars of ginger in syrup, most supermarkets)
   2-3 tbsps ginger syrup in the jar
   1 tsp vanilla extract or the seeds from a vanilla pod

   2-3 tbsp brandy or fruit liqueur or grape juice(opt)

Method:

1. Place fruit in a large bowl
2. Cover with apple juice; add syrup, vanilla & alcohol, if using
3. Add finely diced ginger; stir gently to distribute fruit evenly
4. Refrigerate at least 4 hours but not overnight
5. Serve with yoghurt-cream, thick double cream or ice cream 

Tip:

If transporting in a preserving jar like the one in the picture, cover the mouth of the jar with at least two layers of clingfilm before closing lid; transport upright.

More fruit desserts on Nav Bar: Recipes/Fruit Based Desserts...

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This recipe has been developed by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.