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This simple fruit salad is super versatile: have a large serving for lunch with some yogurt, or have a small serving as-is with dinner, or have with it topped softly-whipped cream for a refreshing dessert.
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My summer of berries shows no signs of stopping: strawberries, gooseberries, blackberries, blueberries, and now the sweet cherries in this fresh cherry blueberry fruit salad. The upside: a few, simple ingredients; gorgeous color, delicious flavor combinations, travels well, and the dressing amps up what might be ho-hum berries (although, of course, great berries will make this salad a true standout). The only downside: you have to pit some cherries.
What you need for 12 side servings:
29 oz. blueberries (approx. 3 pints)
1 lb. fresh sweet cherries
2 Tbs fresh mint leaves, more or less to taste
Juice of 1 lime
¼ cup honey
2 Tbs Grand Marnier
How to do it:
- Pit the cherries. Pour them into a medium-large serving bowl, alternating them with the blueberries, stopping to discard anything you come across amongst the blueberries that you don’t want: a stem or an unripe berry, etc.
- Weigh the lime juice. Measure out an equal weight of honey and add it to the juice. (You may have some honey left over.) Measure out a weight of Grand Marnier that is half of what the lime juice was, and add this to the lime juice-honey mixture. (You may have some Grand Marnier left over.) Taste and adjust if necessary. Mix thoroughly.
- Just prior to serving, pour the lime mixture over the berries.
Notes:
My favorite way to pit cherries is to place one on top of a beer bottle, stem-side-down, and shove a chopstick through it. It can be messy, but it’s quick and effective. One of the things I like about this method, aside from having to drink the beer to obtain the empty bottle, is that it leaves the cherry in a round or round-ish shape.
Consider topping individual servings with a dollop of Greek yogurt, lightly sweetened crème fraîche, or softly-whipped cream.
It seems that this salad is best fresh, although it’s very hard to distinguish any difference the next day (kept refrigerated, of course), so it’s excellent leftover. The mint will wilt, maybe the salad will have a stronger mint flavor, and it’s not quite as good cold as it is at room temperature.
If you have this salad leftover long enough that the berries start to get too soft to be appealing, (freeze them and ) use them in a smoothie (later).
Fresh Cherry Blueberry Fruit Salad
Credit for images on this page: Make It Like a Man! Thank you, Kesor. This content was not solicited by anyone, nor was it written in exchange for anything.
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You’ve been a berry fiend lately! How fun to have such a glut of lovely cherries berries gooseberries blueberries, and every other fruit you’ve been playing with and enjoying!
It’s been a great summer for them. (And me.)
Leftover? No way…I would probably snack on those all day long until they are all gone!
angiesrecipes recently posted…Baked Zucchini with Parmesan
Me too!
I am loving the idea of adding mint and Grand Marnier into this blueberry and cherry salad…thanks!
Have a great week Jeff!
Juliana recently posted…Egg Salad with Better Body Foods Avocado Mayo
You too, Juliana.
Lucky you on all those berries!! Loving how simple this salad is, but bet it’s packed full of flavor!
karrie @ Tasty Ever After recently posted…Instant Pot BBQ Chicken
It was really good.
Loving all your berries! And I REALLY love your method of pitting them. Although I have a cherry/olive pitter, I might have to throw it out and start using your method. No matter how you do it, pitting cherries is kinda tedious. Drinking beer first would definitely help. 🙂
John / Kitchen Riffs recently posted…Deconstructed Fajitas with Grits
Man, it is tedious, isn’t it?
I’ve been eating cherries daily for a week. They are SO GOOD right at this moment. I love your beer bottle hack. Brilliant. I have a cherry pitter that I use for olive and cherries, but your way would be fun and clear some drawer space. 😉 ~Valentina
Thanks, Valentina!
Boy, do I have a story to tell about being kissed by Grand Marnier! However, I’ll limit my comments here to demanding a video of your cherry pitting exercise. GREG
Yes, I should film that cherry pitting!
I want to hear that story, though!
I love this Jeff. Looks absolutely delicious !!
Gloria Roa Baker recently posted…Tomato cherry and herb puff tarts (Tartas de tomate cherry y albahaca en masa de hoja)
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this looks just beautiful jeff. and i adore cherries and blueberries. you can’t go wrong there. but alas we will have to wait for summer here to enjoy this dish… cheers sherry
sherry recently posted…Sauerkraut Soup
Yeah, it’s definitely something you have to do in-season.
Your ingredients are so incredibly precise! When I make fruit salad I just glug some citrus juice, honey or maple syrup, and sometimes liqueur over the fruit until it looks good. And it’s up to the eaters to avoid the cherry pits. Lazy me!
best … mae at maefood.blogspot.com
I admire the way you do things by feel. I did have to warn everyone about the pits! Fortunately, we never came across one.
This summer we are eating more fruits than vegetables, at least that’s what I feel at times LOL! That’s a lovely summer salad you shared.
I know what you mean!
This sounds fantastic, Jeff, packed with antioxidants, great for breakfast and delicious in the evening as a snack!
Hadia recently posted…Lebanese Coconut Cookies
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Jeff, thanks for posting this wonderful recipe but also for posting your unique way of pitting cherries! I love that. What an excuse for me to have to open and drink a bottle of beer. I won’t even have to explain to Lynne why I’ve opened a beer, because I’ll just say that Jeff said this is the best wat to pit cherries!!
😉
This is summer in a bowl! I hear ya on all of the fresh fruit. Our fridge is loaded with fresh blueberries we picked last weekend…and now our grocery store has pineapples on super sale this week. I’ll have to get a couple for sure! I like the idea of turning the fruit into a recipe on its own. Delicious.
David @ Spiced recently posted…Maple Baked Beans
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Your method of pitting the cherries is genius! I love it. This looks so super delicious and Summery! I’ll be so sad when berries go out of season 😦
I will be sad, too.
Lovely salad! At first I wondered why I never make summer berry salads (though I do with winter fruits!), but I quickly had the answer: they usually get eaten a couple of minutes after being washed…
Sissi recently posted…Tomato and Pattypan Squash Stew with Feta and Grilled Sausage
So true!
What a perfect summer salad and you didn’t even have to turn the oven on! Cherries are in season here too.
Eva Taylor recently posted…Barbequed Beef Ribs
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This looks so good! Can’t wait to try it, thanks for sharing!
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i loved it so much the taste was amazing and it was so easy to make .
You have a really nice way to make a salad . I have made it for my friend on her birthday and she have found it very Delicious
Love this recipe i enjoy homemade cooking
Your method of pitting the cherries is genius! I love it. This looks so super delicious and Summery… looks so yummy and delightful… keep it up …
Thanks…
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This is an amazing recipe.
Thank you!
Oh yum. How refreshing and healthy. I love! Berries cherries etc. But will have to wait till summer tho before we can indulge. Well except for strawbs which are out now. Keep well
Sherry recently posted…Choc-Orange Chocolate Ripple Cakes
Thanks, Sherry!
I love the simplicity of this salad. It looks like the ideal healthy snack for when watching movies. Now… I’ll have to set a day and hunt for enough berries.
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Happy hunting!
I really like your thought. Thank you for sharing fresh cherry blueberry fruit salad which is very tasty for me. Please add the chocolate item into cherry blueberry fruit salad which is makes your salad look so unique for everyone. Keep posting and thank you for providing beautiful content.