Try this Easiest Fruit Salad recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 43.3895788032 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.361755422 g
- Fiber 1.85916948066757 g
- Protein 1.4142137758 g
- Saturated Fat 0.0386957711 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (136g)
- Sodium 36.74718474 mg
- Sugar 41.5304093225324 g
- Trans Fat 0.08654107238 g
- Calories 171 calories
Step-by-step
- Combine strawberries, mandarin oranges, mini marshmallows, and bananas in a large bowl then chill and serve.
- Can make several hours ahead of time, but add sliced bananas just before serving.
Standard fruit salads rely on heavy simple syrups to mask tartness, whereas this variation uses the natural high fructose and sucrose content of strawberries and mandarin oranges to create a self-sustaining juice. Combining sliced strawberries and drained canned mandarin oranges allows the acidic juices from the citrus to mingle with the aromatic compounds of the berries, softening cell walls without requiring added acid. Mini marshmallows absorb excess surface moisture, swelling slightly as they draw free water from the surrounding fruits.
Enzymatic Browning Control
Bananas contain polyphenol oxidase, an enzyme that triggers rapid browning when exposed to oxygen. To prevent discoloration, slice the bananas to a thickness of approximately one-half inch and add them immediately before chilling, or toss them in an acidic fruit juice like lemon juice to inhibit the enzyme completely. Keeping the surface area minimized slows the rate of oxidation during the thirty-minute total preparation window.
Storage and Make-Ahead Mechanics
Preparation can happen several hours ahead of time, provided the bananas are omitted until the final assembly step. Freezing is strongly discouraged because the high water content inside fresh fruit cell walls forms jagged ice crystals that rupture membranes upon thawing, resulting in a soggy, liquefied texture. Store the finished mixture in a sealed glass container in the refrigerator at 38 degrees Fahrenheit for up to four hours for optimal crispness.
