How to make delicious tropical fruit cups filled with fresh pineapple, kiwi, mango, strawberries, mandarin oranges, and more. Refreshing and easy to make!
Wash all the fruit before getting started with prep. I like to soak any type of fresh fruit or vegetable in a mixture of vinegar and water for about 10 minutes, then rinse well before preparing or eating.
Core, peel, and chop the pineapple into chunks; then add them to a large mixing bowl.
Stem, then slice the strawberries into the bowl.
Peel and slice the mangoes into the mixing bowl, as well.
Next drain the mandarin oranges, and add them to the mixture.
Peel and chop the kiwi into chunks; then add the kiwi chunks to the fruit mixture.
Peel and slice the bananas into chunks, and add them to the mixing bowl.
Squeeze fresh lime juice into the fruit mixture.
If desired, add a tablespoon of sugar.
Give everything a good stir, mixing all the fruit together until you have a hodge podge of colorful fresh fruit all combined together.
Finally, add the fresh fruit mixture to plastic cups or containers, and serve.
Notes
HOW LONG WILL TROPICAL FRUIT SALAD KEEP IN THE FRIDGE?These mini tropical fruit salads typically keep in the refrigerator for a couple days, provided that the mixture is stored in an airtight container. After this, the fruit becomes soggy, and it gains an “off” color that may not be all that palatable. HOW TO KEEP FRUIT SALAD FROM GETTING SOGGYSurprisingly, there is a lot that you can do to avoid soggy fruit salad.
The acidity of the lime juice in the recipe will keep the fruit fresh for longer without much hassle. On that note, some people use ascorbic acid instead of lime juice, which is basically a cheap vitamin C supplement used to preserve most store-bought fruit cups.
You can gain some storage time by mixing everything but the sugar together, leaving the sugar out until it is actually time to eat. Over time, the sugar draws the juices out of the fruit, leaving the fruit somewhat dehydrated and prone to sogginess.
The most overlooked factor is often the sharpness of your knife; a clean cut is essential. A dull knife can bruise and/or tear at the fruit, creating unneeded opportunity for future rot, so use a knife sharpener!
CAN YOU FREEZE FRUIT CUPS?Yes, the fruit mixture can be frozen for up to 8 weeks so long as it is stored in an airtight container, but it will somewhat change the texture of the fruit, leaving it mushy once thawed. As stated above, leaving out the sugar until it is time to eat helps.That being said, my boys actually prefer and enjoy the refreshening taste of frozen fruit salad when summer is at its peak.