I love adding fresh fruit to the holiday table, whether it’s a big bowl of fruit salad for a holiday brunch or a platter for everyone to snack on while dinner is cooking. A few simple tricks can make the prep go faster and give you a fun way to serve it, too!
In Episode 4 of my Holiday Kitchen Tips Series, I’m showing you how I cut open a pomegranate to get to those ruby-red seeds, how I clean strawberries, and how I halve a bunch of grapes at once using two lids. I’ll also show you how to use a V-shaped cutter to make a zigzag cut all the way around an orange, then turn the hollowed-out halves into festive little cups for fruit salad. Those orange cups are my favorite when I want to add something special to the brunch table!
Below you will see how to make your life so much easier with tips for make fruit prep easier and quicker! If you find yourself needing an delicious fruit salad for the holidays THIS is the recipe you need!
Jump to:
Pomegranate Prep
To cut a pomegranate, start by slicing a little off the bottom so it sits flat on your cutting board. Then slice off the top to expose the seeds and the white lines that divide them into sections. Use those lines as a guide to make shallow cuts down the outside of the peel. Once you’ve scored the pomegranate, gently pull it apart with your hands. Hold each section over a bowl of water and use your fingers to loosen the seeds, picking out any bits of white membrane that floats to the top as you go. Now you’ve got a bowl of ruby-red seeds ready to sprinkle over your holiday fruit salad! Watch the video below to see how I do it!
Washing Fruit
I like to use a vinegar wash on my fruit...especially berries. Just get a medium-sized bowl and add a couple tablespoons of white distilled vinegar then add a bit of water. Drop in the berries and add more water to cover the tops. Stir around gently with your hand so that all berries are coated and moved around as to remove any built-on dirt. Let these soak for 3-4 minutes, then strain and rinse. Lay out the berries on a towel so that they can dry completely then store in the refrigerator.
Grape Halving Hack
When I’m making fruit salad, I use two matching food storage lids to slice a whole batch of grapes at once. Pull the grapes off their stems and arrange them in a single layer on one lid with the rim facing up. Set the second lid on top with its rim facing down, then rest your palm flat on the top lid and press gently to hold the grapes in place. Slide a sharp knife horizontally between the lids, keeping the blade parallel to the cutting board as you slice through the grapes. Lift off the top lid and your grape halves are ready to toss into the fruit salad! Be sure and watch the video below to see it in action!
Fun way to serve Fruit Salad
For a fun way to serve fruit salad at a holiday brunch, I like to turn oranges into little serving cups. Start by slicing a thin piece off both ends of the orange so each half will sit flat. Then use a V-shaped fruit cutter to make small, connected cuts all the way around the middle of the orange, creating a zigzag edge. Gently pull the halves apart and scoop out the flesh, leaving the peels intact. You can chop up the orange you scooped out, toss it into your fruit salad, and spoon the salad right into the cups. See the video below to see it in action!
