Tropical Fruit Salad

This refreshing tropical fruit salad gives a Caribbean flavour to any meal. It doesn’t matter if you are not travelling any further than your street, back garden or kitchen – the juicy mango and pineapple can transport you to a tropical beach (but you might need to close your eyes and use a little imagination!).

Ingredients

Serves 4
1 fresh, ripe mango OR 1 x 400g can mango in juice
OR 250g frozen mango (defrosted)
1 x 432g can pineapple chunks OR slices (in juice)
1 kiwi fruit
Small bunch green and/OR black grapes
2 x medium bananas, ripe

Serves 10
2 fresh, ripe mangoes OR 2 x 400g cans mango in juice
OR 500g frozen mango (defrosted)
2 x 432g cans pineapple chunks OR slices in juice
2 kiwi fruit
Medium bunch green and/OR black grapes
4 x medium bananas, ripe

Equipment

Sharp knife
Chopping board
Can opener (optional)
Colander (optional)
Measuring jug (optional)
Large serving bowl
Juice squeezer (optional)
Wooden spoon or serving spoon

Instructions

1. To prepare the fresh mango (if using), use a sharp knife to slice around the stone and down both sides, leaving you with three sections, including the one in the middle with the stone. On the sections without the stone, make a chequerboard pattern (roughly 1–2cm squares) in the fruit being careful not to cut through the skin, just the flesh. You can then turn the skin inside out and slice off the chunks of mango easily. Slice the remaining flesh from around the stone section and cut into roughly 2cm chunks. If using canned mango, open the can and drain the juice into a measuring jug. Frozen mango should be defrosted in advance.
2. Open the canned pineapple and drain the juice into the measuring jug. If using slices of pineapple, cut them into 1–2cm chunks.
3. Peel the kiwi fruit and cut into 1cm slices. Add to the other fruit.
4. Wash the grapes and remove the stalks. Add whole or cut in half.
5. Put the mango, pineapple chunks, kiwi and grapes into the large serving bowl and gently stir. Pour on a little of the pineapple and mango juice. Cover with cling film and chill in the fridge until needed. Keep the rest of the juice as a drink or to use in smoothies.
6. Just before serving, peel the bananas and chop into 1cm slices.
7. Add the banana to the fruit salad and mix carefully.

Skills used include:
Washing, weighing, peeling, chopping, mixing/combining and serving.

Top Tips

• Dip the banana slices in lemon juice before adding them to the fruit salad to stop them turning brown and mushy if making the fruit salad 1-2 hours ahead.
• Try buying frozen mango chunks and defrost the quantity that you require.

Something to try next time

• For a stronger tropical flavour, cut 1 passion fruit in half and scoop out the flesh. Add to the rest of the fruit at step 3. If you would like to get rid of the pips, scoop the flesh and pips into a sieve over a small bowl and push the pulp through with a wooden spoon then discard the pips.
• Add 100ml of pineapple juice (for 4 people) and 200ml (for 10 people) to the fruit salad and blend to make a delicious smoothie. Use the juice from the canned fruit or from a carton. You could even freeze it in ice-lolly moulds to make refreshing ice-lollies, but if you do it would be best not to add grapes as they may not blend as well as the other fruit.
• Add a peeled, deseeded and chopped melon. Melons are reasonably priced and can be cut up into plenty of chunks. Try different varieties, as they will add colour to the fruit salad. Watermelons are bright red and very refreshing on a hot day.

Prepare now, eat later

• Peel and chop the fresh mango into chunks or defrost frozen mango and store, covered, in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
• Prepare the fruit salad up to step 4 and keep, covered, in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Add the banana just before serving or it will go mushy.