Frozen Fruit Salad

It may seem odd to be adding this recipe during this time of the year.  It’s around 20 degrees outside with a forecast of snow as I write this, but though this is  a great warm weather recipe, we enjoy it year round.  It is very refreshing on a hot summer day, but just as enjoyable mid-winter.  I’ve made 3 or 4 batches of this just since Christmas!  Our favorite way to enjoy this is as a bed-time snack or tv snack.  It’s very healthy, and I don’t add the sugar that the original recipe calls for.  We don’t miss the sugar at all, but you can certainly add it if you like.  It’s a tv snack that lasts a long time because you can’t eat it quickly.  You eat it slowly in bits and pieces as it melts.  It can be made and placed in a large bowl, frozen and served that way, or you can do as I do and freeze it in individual plastic cups. 

Ingredients:

1 – 29 oz. can sliced peaches, drained and mashed (I use the ones in juice, not heavy syrup for a healthier version)

1 – 12 oz. can frozen orange juice, thawed

6 bananas, sliced

1 – 20 oz. can crushed pineapple (in 100% juice, not heavy syrup for healthier version)

1 – 10 oz. jar red maraschino cherries, drained (for healthier version, I also rinse them to remove extra sugar)

1 cup sugar (optional, I leave it out for the healthier version we prefer)

2 cups water

Drain peaches and place in a large bowl.  Use a potato masher or something similar to mash them into small bits.

Pour thawed orange juice over mashed peaches then add sliced bananas, cherries, and pineapple.

If using the sugar, add it now.  Finish by adding 2 cups of water and stirring well to combine.

Once combined, I prefer to dish it into small individual plastic cups with lids to freeze.  You can also freeze in one large batch in one bowl.  If so, you’ll need to set the bowl out at room temperature for at least an hour before serving so that it can thaw enough to serve.  Chop it up and mix.  It’ll be a frosty, slushy consistency. If using the individual cups, place them on a cookie sheet to fill.  Out our house, we have to carefully portion out the cherries since that’s everyone’s favorite part.  You can get about two cherries into each individual plastic cup if using a 10 oz. jar of cherries.  But some cups may get three cherries!  We call these the prize cups!

Leave just enough room to fit the lids on.  Once they’re all filled, place the lids on top and place the whole cookie sheet of cups in the freezer until they’re frozen solid.

One recipe will yield about 17 individual cups (4 oz. size) of frozen fruit salad.