The Best Methods for Keeping Fruit Salad Fresh (2024)

Photo: Taste of Home

Pina Colada Fruit SaladGive friends a taste of the tropics on warm summer days with this refreshing fruit blend. For a little extra punch, you might add a splash of coconut rum. It's my favorite way to enjoy fruit, though this cream cheese fruit dip is a close second. —Carol Farnsworth, Greenwood, IndianaGo to Recipe

Tangy Poppy Seed Fruit SaladSides salads are great, but sometimes like to switch things up and serve a fruit salad with dinner. For a fruit salad that’s delightful, we combine berries and citrus with a honey-lime dressing flecked with poppy seeds. —Carrie Howell, Lehi, Utah

Fresh Fruit BowlThe glorious colors of the fruit make this a festive salad. Slightly sweet and chilled, it makes a nice accompaniment to Easter brunch or Easter dinner. —Marlon Kirst, Troy, Michigan

Minted Fruit SaladFilled with the season’s best, freshest fruit, this salad shouts summer. The hint of mint adds a refreshing note to the colorful melon compote. —Edie DeSpain, Logan, Utah

Mango Salad with Mint Yogurt DressingAn abundant planter full of mint inspired me to create this summery salad. The flavors pair together so well, and really let the freshness of the mint shine. —Natalie Klein, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Mixed Fruit with Lemon-Basil DressingA slightly savory dressing really complements the sweet fruit in this recipe. I also use the dressing on salad greens. —Dixie Terry, Goreville, Illinois

Grilled Stone Fruit SaladYes, fruit salad recipes can be grilled! Summer is the time we enjoy grilling and adding fresh fruit to our menu, and this smoky-sweet salad is the best of both worlds! I like to marinate the fruits for extra flavor before I grill them. —Nancy Heishman, Las Vegas, Nevada

Fruit Cup with Citrus SauceThis fruit salad is so elegant that I serve it in my prettiest crystal bowls. With its dressed-up flavor, it's perfect for a special event, but easy enough for every day. —Edna Lee, Greeley, Colorado

Winter Fruit SaladThe bright colors in this winter fruit salad will perk up your morning. This is such a wonderful & easy dish to make for get-togethers.—Laura Brodine, Colorado Springs, Colorado

Sparkling Fruit SaladPineapple chunks, mandarin oranges, strawberries and grapes are treated to a dressing of wine and sparkling club soda in this delightful salad. Serve in dessert dishes or set the whole bowl on the table for a fetching presentation. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Refreshing Tropical Fruit SaladWant a family-friendly side dish? This colorful medley is kid-pleasing and a great way to encourage healthy eating. —Sharon Ricci, Spooner, Wisconsin

Fruit with Poppy Seed DressingCool, colorful and easy to prepare, this refreshing, good-for-you fruit salad is a springtime favorite. —Peggy Mills, Texarkana, Arkansas

South-of-the-Border Citrus SaladOrange, grapefruit and jicama add color and texture to this out-of-the-ordinary fruit salad. Sometimes I'll toss in slices of mango and cucumber for extra fun. —Mary Fuller, SeaTac, Washington

Fruit Salad in a Pineapple BoatA sweet, summery treat that looks as good as it tastes! No one, young or old, will be able to resist this healthy fruit salad. You can take this pineapple serving idea and use it with all sorts of fruit salad recipes. —Amy Short, Lesage, West Virginia

Minty Pineapple Fruit SaladFresh mint adds bright flavor to this easy, quick and low-fat pineapple salad. Give it a berry twist by using blueberries and raspberries in place of the grapes, but don't forget the secret dressing ingredient—lemonade! —Janie Colle, Hutchinson, Kansas

Slushy Fruit SaladI love creative fruit salad recipes. I especially enjoy how this one can be made ahead when entertaining a crowd. —Judy McHone, Springfield, Illinois

Avocado Fruit Salad with Tangerine VinaigretteOn long summer days when we just want to relax, I make a cool salad with avocado, berries and mint. The tangerine dressing is refreshingly different. —Carole Resnick, Cleveland, Ohio

Two-Berry Fluff SaladThis fluffy salad is a welcome treat on warm Texas afternoons. Because there's a blueberry orchard near our home, we often pick up berries to use in this recipe and others. When blueberries and strawberries aren't in season, you can substitute frozen berries with equally good results. We love this recipe because it's a nice side dish, but also works as an Easter dessert. —Karen Wenzel, Conroe, Texas

Berry Nectarine SaladI've been making this recipe for years. Whenever my family has a summer get-together, everyone requests it. The nectarines and berries look beautiful together, and the topping is the perfect accent. —Mindee Myers, Lincoln, Nebraska

Crunchy Apple Side SaladWith fiber-rich fruit, light dressing and crunchy walnuts, this is a great side dish or snack. Try it with low-fat granola. —Kathy Armstrong, Post Falls, Idaho

Glazed Fruit MedleyThe homemade orange dressing on this salad complements the fresh fruit flavors beautifully. It’s perfect for a spring or summer brunch. —Karen Bourne, Magrath, Alberta

Blueberry Cantaloupe SaladThe simple citrus and poppy seed dressing in this fruit medley really dresses up the refreshing mix of berries and melon. —R. Jean Rand, Edina, Minnesota

Sparkling OrangesWe were living in Texas when I found the recipe for this simple yet elegant salad. I was thrilled— we had a surplus of fresh oranges! All you do at the last minute is garnish and serve. —Janie Bush, Weskan, Kansas

Favorite Fruit SaladI spend a lot of time in the kitchen, especially when our four children and nine grandchildren come to visit. They always ask for this salad when they're here for dinner. —Doris Dion, Lake Ozark, Missouri

Apple Pecan SaladI remember being excited right before Thanksgiving and Christmas, because that's when my family made this salad. There were five children and only the oldest helped peel the apples. It was fun when one of our boyfriends would come for the holiday for the first time. My dad would give him a huge bowl of grapes, hand him a sharp paring knife and tell him to start peeling. We all kept a straight face until he had the first grape peeled. —Debra Slone, Crossville, Tennessee

Summer Buzz Fruit SaladFor picnics, cookouts and showers, we make a sweet salad of watermelon, cherries, blueberries and microgreens. No matter where I take it, it always delivers on the wow factor. —Kaliska Russell, Talkeetna, Alaska

Yogurt Grape SaladThe cool colors and tangy flavors of vanilla yogurt and cream cheese are brightened with the sweetness and crunch of cheery red grapes in this refreshing and delicious salad. —Geraldine Saucier, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Honey-Lime Berry SaladI picked up this dish a couple of years ago, and really like the mint and fruit combo. Cilantro is one of my summer favorites so sometimes I use it instead. Turns out, this recipe's really two in one! —Kayla Spence, Wilber, Nebraska

Swift Strawberry SaladA simple blend of syrup, orange juice and caramel topping forms the light dressing for the fresh berries and the crunchy cashews found in this sensational salad. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

Brunch Fruit SaladThis appealing fruit salad is a lovely addition to breakfast, lunch or even supper. Light and refreshing, it's perfect alongside egg bakes, sausages and other hearty staples you find on breakfast buffets. —Millie Vickery, Lena, Illinois

Mint Watermelon SaladI invented this refreshing fruit salad one sultry afternoon while my friends were gathered around my pool. It was quick to prepare and disappeared from their plates even quicker. The kids loved it too! —Antoinette DuBeck, Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania

Sangria Gelatin RingThis gelatin is enjoyed by everyone because you just can't go wrong with fresh berries. —Nicole Nemeth, Komoka, Ontario

Honey-Melon Salad with BasilPut the taste of summer in your salad! Loaded with juicy cantaloupe and honeydew, and glazed with a sweet honey dressing, this dish will be gone in minutes. Watermelon is a tasty addition, too. —Khurshid Shaik, Omaha, Nebraska

Company Fruit SaladWe first tried a cream cheese fruit salad like this at a local deli. Since I couldn't get that recipe, I started mixing up different dressings until I hit on this one. Now I make this refreshing delightful salad for every picnic and get-to-gether. It can be a snack, side dish or dessert. —Connie Osterhout, Napoleon, Ohio

Layered Fresh Fruit SaladPeople always pass on compliments when I take this salad to covered-dish suppers. It's nice on a hot day, with a winter meal, or as a dessert! We live on a small farm where my garden gives me lots of possibilities for fresh food. —Page Alexander, Baldwin City, Kansas

Honey-Yogurt Berry SaladI wanted my family to eat more fruit but not more sugary ingredients. This berry salad lets you play with different low-fat yogurts and fruits. —Betsy King, Duluth, Minnesota

Mojito Marinated FruitAll the flavors of the popular mojito co*cktail are featured in this fantastic salad. After you eat the fruit, you’ll want to sip the luscious syrup! —Marcy Griffith, Excelsior, Minnesota

Cranberry Waldorf SaladCranberries grow in the coastal area about 50 miles from our home. When they become available, I always make this creamy salad. —Faye Huff, Longview, Washington

Lime-Honey Fruit SaladNothing is more refreshing to me than a seasonal fruit salad enhanced with this simple honey-lime dressing. —Victoria Shevlin, Cape Coral, Florida

Fluffy Cranberry DelightThis was originally my daughter's recipe, and she or I will make it for one or more of our holiday get-togethers. It can be served as a fruit salad along with the meal or as a light dessert. It's particularly pretty in a cut-glass bowl on a buffet. —Ruth Bolduc, Conway, New Hampshire