Summer Fruit Salad With Lemon Honey

While I don't have fruit trees where I live, my partner's family has beautiful fruit trees that make it the perfect spot to be in the summer. Once the ripe fruit is ready, I get to make the perfect salad making the summer season (and the weather it brings) a little more bearable.

The best thing about a summer fruit salad is that it's so versatile and it takes little effort to make it. You can use any combination of seasonal fruits you have on hand or add in some fresh herbs or cheese if you feel like getting crazy.

The hot summer days are for making easy meals and there are no rules with this one! This fresh fruit salad recipe is easy-as-hell as well: all you have to do is toss everything into a bowl and enjoy.

Since this is summer salad, Getting the freshest fruit from local farmer's markets when it's in season is really the best tip for making a great tasting salad. Here are some tips and sourcing info.

• Black raspberries: Black Raspberries are in season from June to August, so it's the perfect time of year to forage for black raspberries. Visit your local forest or park and look under the bushes where they grow in clusters.
• Strawberries: Forget February, June is the month for strawberries! Whether you snag some at a pick-your-own or get some at your local market, this is the month for them to shine.
• Mulberries: Mulberries come into season in the northeast US in late May to early June.
• Peaches: Local peaches in my area come into season in late July, but start to show up in the local markets in June. If you don't have any on hand, frozen peaches are good in a pinch. They are just as good (and sometimes are much cheaper than fresh!
• Lemon honey syrup: I used my lemon honey from my honey fermented lemons recipe but if you don't have the time to make those, make sure to have honey and lemon juice on hand for this syrup to dress the fruit.

Summertime is the perfect time to enjoy the bounty of fresh fruits. From peaches and berries to melons and citrus, there's always a new way to incorporate these flavors into your meals.

If your berries have foraged, it's always a good idea to give them a quick soak in 50/50 water and vinegar.

One of our favorite ways is with this fruit salad recipe, which is as refreshing as it is simple.

Prepare the fruit: Give the fruit a quick rinse. For your peaches, slice those into quarters. Remove the tops of the strawberries and cut them into even pieces.

Once they're all prepped, add them to a large mixing bowl with the mulberries and black raspberries.

To make the lemon honey syrup, (if you don't have lemon fermented honey) combine equal parts honey and lemon juice in a small saucepan over low heat until it melts together.

Let cool completely before pouring over your fruit salad.

• Top with herbs! Fresh mint leaves or a few basil leaves would be a wonderful addition to your salad. It's the perfect way to use up those herbs in the garden.
• Nuts and seeds! A dd in some sunflower seeds, or pecans for a little bit of a crunch.
• Cheese: Now I'm all for making a healthy salad but if you add aged Parmasean or some delicious gorgonzola cheese? That will really take this salad to the next level.
• Make it savory! Make this a green salad by mixing in some spinach or arugula. Now you've given the perfect summer side dish some main dish energy. A fresh salad in a big bowl is one of the best ways to combat a hot summer evening.
• Dress it up! Swapping out the honey syrup for a creamy fruit salad dressing

When foraging for black raspberries: Look for bushes in open fields and along the edges of woods. They're usually found from late spring to early fall.

This salad is best served immediately to prevent the berries from getting soggy. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Feel free to substitute different fruits if you're out of something or don't like it!

Fruit salad can last for a few days in the refrigerator — or longer if it's kept cold.

It is best to cut up the fresh fruits at least 1-2 hours before you plan on serving them so that they don’t spoil. You can keep them in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve them.

Fruit salads should be refrigerated within two hours of preparation. If you want to keep your fruit salad at room temperature for longer than one hour, place it on ice or store in a cooler with ice packs. After one hour has passed, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and put it back in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.

We hope you have enjoyed this recipe for a summer fruit salad. You can also try out other delicious recipes on our sites, such as Pickled Rhubarb and Honey Fermented Strawberries.

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