Emptying out a fridge need not be a totally gruesome task… If you have several types of fruits you can almost always make a decent fresh fruit salad. And I can eat fresh fruit 
salads very often. It always amazes me how frequently a restaurant or canteen offers canned fruit salads awash in cream and condensed milk but rarely has a decent fresh fruit salad on offer. Here are two versions I have made in recent weeks. First up is a typhoon salad where I had to empty out the fridge and this version had melons, pears, plums, grapes, etc. with just a touch of orange juice. No added sugar necessary, but I understand why other folks like to add it. If you want a more adult twist add a few splashes of a fruit liqueur, chill well and serve as a dessert to a calorie laden meal.
The second salad photographed here is more of a blonde/bland version with 
apples, pears, oranges and pomelos. Whatever was in the fridge, that’s what made it into the salad. Considering the abundance of both tropical and temperate fruits on the market, the combinations are endless. My mom used to make salads with firm papayas, mangos, pineapples, bananas (yuck, they turn mushy and ugly), watermelon, etc. She even used to go to great lengths to use those melon ballers so add variety to the shapes of the fruits in the salad. This is one easy dessert that is always appreciated in our home…
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That’s the way I like my fresh fruit salad with either a splash of fruit liqueur, just plain, a little dab of whipped cream or crème fraiche for the look. Who can resist these fresh fruit salads? They are sure winners. Fruits are loaded with their natural sweetener, why kill the flavor with added sweetener. It is also good for our waistline. As always, your presentation is very aesthetic. Way to go!
Yeah, my mother also made tropical fruit salad with papaya, mango, pineapple and lacatan bananas. She used to mix them with calamansi juice then add a little honey. The ‘honeymansi’ might be good with the blonde/bland salad.
Even as a little kid in Manila I didn’t like the Pinoy style fruit salad all that much. The cream and condensed milk just overwhelmed the fruit. I like this style much better… just fruit, with a little citrus juice squeezed over it to prevent oxidation and to add a little bit of tang…
the worst of all is a fruit salad made with mayonnaise.. i think i saw a recipe in a nora daza cookbook once.
good selection/combination of fruits
just beautiful and delicious!
Try a fruit salad with infused syrup- tea leaves, fresh or dried herbs work well, whatever flavor you want. Dice the fruits smaller than you normally would, add the syrup, and put in the freezer. But take it out and serve before the fruits freeze.
Dicing the fruits smaller means you get a variety of flavors and textures in one spoonful
I like my fresh fruit salad in homemade syrup/broth with orange juice and cinnamon
chilled strawberries in semi sweet white wine…. ahhhh…
i like a good mix of frozen berries.
those fruits look luscious! I prefer fresh fruits to canned fruits- while cooking tea (dinner) I cut up apples (pink lady is my favourite) and serve it to my son before eating dinner- also fresh carrots cut julliene style dipped in some mayonnaise concoctions.
Renee, I love your strawberries and sweet wine idea. What wine do you use? Marketman, I am so with you on the yuck-factor from the banana! I think the addition of papaya also increases the yuck-factor because of its “baby vomit” smell. Why does papaya smell that way??? [P.S. Feel free to delete my comment if you find it too gross for your readers. Sorry in advance in case I offend anyone! ;-)]
Squeeze a generous amount of lemon or orange juice over your bananas, and make sure that the bananas are completely covered in the citrus juice. The acid in the juice will prevent oxidation, making your bananas stay nice and yellow for much longer.
This is one of the very few desserts my sugarholic family doesn’t enjoy. As my dad says, “Fresh fruit isn’t dessert; it’s salad!” ;-)
Love fresh fruit salads and if I do include bananas I usually put it in at the last minute just before serving.At the moment,here in Australia,bananas are still a luxury at $14.00/kg.
hi trish, use whatever white wine you like (or have on hand). i got the recipe from an amici di don bosco recipe book and in their version they add sugar syrup to the wine and strawberries and chill it overnight so the flavors marry ;)