Lemonade Pudding Fruit Salad
I first made this for a family reunion, and now it's always requested for our family gatherings. The sweet and tangy lemonade-pudding coating goes well with any fruit, so feel free to substitute your favorites. —Rhonda Eads, Jasper, Indiana
I first made this for a family reunion, and now it's always requested for our family gatherings. The sweet and tangy lemonade-pudding coating goes well with any fruit, so feel free to substitute your favorites. —Rhonda Eads, Jasper, Indiana
- 1 package (3.4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix
- 1 can (11 ounces) mandarin oranges drained
- 1 medium honeydew peeled seeded and cubed
- 1 medium cantaloupe peeled, seeded and cubed
- 2 cups cubed seedless watermelon
- 2 medium peaches sliced
- 2 medium nectarines sliced
- 1 cup seedless red grapes
- 1 cup halved fresh strawberries
- 2 medium kiwifruit peeled halved and sliced
- 2 medium firm bananas sliced
- 1 large granny smith apple cubed
- 1 can (12 ounces) frozen lemonade concentrate thawed
- Carbohydrate 4.803515 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.107275 g
- Fiber 0.723000004053116 g
- Protein 0.33949 g
- Saturated Fat 0.019199 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (55g)
- Sodium 4.7345 mg
- Sugar 4.08051499594688 g
- Trans Fat 0.035379 g
- Calories 19 calories
Step-by-step
- In a large bowl, combine the first nine ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Just before serving, stir in bananas and apple. Combine lemonade concentrate and dry pudding mix; pour over fruit and toss to coat.
The ingredient list completely fails to mention how crucial bowl capacity is when combining thirteen distinct components without bruising them. Because this recipe yields twenty generous three-quarter-cup portions, you will need a massive stainless steel mixing bowl measuring at least six to eight quarts to allow proper tossing space. When preparing large batches like this in a compact kitchen, managing counter space and keeping cut produce consistently cold requires deliberate sequencing.
- Refrigerate the initial fruit mixture for a full 60 minutes before adding the dressing so excess natural juices can release and drain slightly.
- Add the sliced bananas and cubed Granny Smith apples at the very last moment to prevent enzymatic browning and maintain crisp structural integrity against the acidic citrus.
- Whisk the thawed frozen lemonade concentrate directly into the dry instant vanilla pudding mix until completely smooth before pouring it over the fruit.
- Scale quantities down linearly if serving a smaller household, maintaining the ratio of one small box of pudding mix to one cup of concentrate.
Thoroughly chilling the finished dish for an extra thirty minutes allows the starch in the pudding mix to thicken the citrus liquids into a clinging glaze. Store any leftovers in an airtight glass container for no longer than twenty-four hours, as the high acidity will eventually break down the delicate textures of the berries and melon.
