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Fruit Cocktail

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on March 14, 2013

Time

35 minutes, plus 30 minutes draining

Yield

Serves 4 to 6

Fruit Cocktail

Ingredients

2 ripe peaches, pitted and chopped2 pears, cored and chopped½ small pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch pieces1 cup red seedless grape, halved3 tablespoons light brown sugar ¼ cup juice from 2 limes⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract ½ cup pitted fresh cherries, halved

Before You Begin

Add the cherries last or they'll discolor the salad.

Instructions

  1. SUGAR FRUIT Toss peaches, pears, pineapple, grapes, and 2 tablespoons sugar in colander set over large bowl. Let drain 30 minutes.
  2. MAKE DRESSING Transfer drained fruit juices in bowl to saucepan. Stir in remaining sugar and lime juice and simmer over medium heat until syrupy and reduced to 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Off heat, stir in vanilla and cool.
  3. TOSS SALAD Combine drained fruit and dressing in large bowl. Gently stir in cherries. Serve. (Fruit cocktail can be refrigerated in airtight container for 2 days.)
Fruit Cocktail

Fruit Cocktail

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

35 minutes, plus 30 minutes draining

Yield

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

2 ripe peaches, pitted and chopped
2 pears, cored and chopped
½ small pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch pieces
1 cup red seedless grape, halved
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
¼ cup juice from 2 limes
⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup pitted fresh cherries, halved

Ingredients

2 ripe peaches, pitted and chopped
2 pears, cored and chopped
½ small pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch pieces
1 cup red seedless grape, halved
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
¼ cup juice from 2 limes
⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup pitted fresh cherries, halved

Ingredients

2 ripe peaches, pitted and chopped
2 pears, cored and chopped
½ small pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch pieces
1 cup red seedless grape, halved
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
¼ cup juice from 2 limes
⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup pitted fresh cherries, halved

Why This Recipe Works

Salting extracts excess liquid from savory ingredients, and we discovered we could apply the same principle to our Fruit Cocktail with sugar. We tossed the fruit with brown sugar and allowed it to rest. The natural juices that amassed after resting were perfect for creating a sweet syrup to drizzle on top. Fresh fruit, including fresh (not canned) cherries, were a must to produce a Fruit Cocktail that didn’t taste like it came from a can.

Before You Begin

Add the cherries last or they'll discolor the salad.

Instructions

  1. SUGAR FRUIT Toss peaches, pears, pineapple, grapes, and 2 tablespoons sugar in colander set over large bowl. Let drain 30 minutes.
  2. MAKE DRESSING Transfer drained fruit juices in bowl to saucepan. Stir in remaining sugar and lime juice and simmer over medium heat until syrupy and reduced to 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Off heat, stir in vanilla and cool.
  3. TOSS SALAD Combine drained fruit and dressing in large bowl. Gently stir in cherries. Serve. (Fruit cocktail can be refrigerated in airtight container for 2 days.)

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