This Fruit Salad Recipe Is So Good, My Friends Make Me Bring It To Every BBQ

I’ll be honest; I’m with Doris from Gavin & Stacey when it comes to veggie salads at food-based events. Few want to eat it, and nobody wants to make it, either. There are some beautiful vegetable side dishes out there, of course; it’s just that I don’t think wilting lettuce and watery tomatoes usually constitute one.But a fruit salad? Well, that’s a different kettle of fish (or bowl of produce). They’re delicious and always welcome, especially after something stodgy and meat-heavy like a barbecue. It’s also got the benefit of giving the all-too-often-neglected members of the barbie – vegans, gluten-free people, and those who don’t eat dairy, to name a few – something truly decadent to look forward to. It’s what I usually bring to the BBQs I get the privilege of being invited to. But recently, I changed my dressing; where my fruit salads would take about an hour to go before, they’re now demolished in minutes.The secret’s in the dressingIf you’re keeping cut fruit out for any length of time, you’ll need to cover it in something acidic or sugary (or both) to ensure it stays fresh. That can be something as simple as a sugar syrup, lemon juice, or (one of my previous favourites) orange juice with added sugar. Having fun with that mix yields delightful results. I used to love my mojito syrup; sugar, lime, mint and water, all combined in a pan and simmered ’til they become syrupy. I also previously cooked coconut water with sugar to become a syrup before adding it to pineapple juice for a piña colada-flavoured dressing. But recently, I tried my first Pimm’s and became addicted: combining the drink with water to make a syrup proved the most addictive fruit salad dressing yet. How do you make Pimm’s syrup and what do you put it on?I like it with orange juice, though water would do fine.Combine one part white granulated sugar to two parts Pimm’s and (optionally) add 10ml juice (orange or grapefruit) to each 100ml of Pimm’s.That might look like 300ml Pimm’s, 100g sugar, and 30ml juice. Warm the mixture in a heavy-bottomed pan on a gentle heat to melt the sugar. Once you feel no grit under your wooden spoon, boil the mixture until it becomes thick and sticky (it should halve and will take about 15 mins). Cool and leave it in an airtight container until it’s ready to use – you can make it days ahead of using it.It’s lovely on fruit salads, but it’s not limited to that: it’s also divine on pavlova toppings and delicious in cocktails. Try pairing it with classic Pimm’s ingredients like strawberry, mint and cucumber, too.Related...These Overnight Chia Oats Contain Half Your Daily Fibre And Taste Like Chocolate PuddingI'm A GI Surgeon – Eating This Fruit Can Give You 'Prize-Worthy' PoopsI Tried Mary Berry's Banoffee Pie, And It Was Perfect After This 1 Change

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