How to Make Your Own Homegrown Fruit Salads and Smoothies
As we head into summer, those of us who grow our own fruit will be thinking about the harvesting period ahead. Fruit is so easy to grow in the garden, whether it be on trees or bushes or even in a container on a patio and what could be tastier than delicious juicy fruit picked straight from your garden? Growing your own fruit also has many environmental benefits with no plastic packaging or food miles.
Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackcurrants are all popular choices, as are apples, pears and plums. All are a great source of vitamins, minerals and heart-healthy antioxidants.
But after an abundant harvest, what can you do with a glut of juicy fruit? Why not try our zingy fresh fruit salad or smoothie recipes below:
Fruit Salad Recipe
Fruit salad is such a versatile dish that can be enjoyed for breakfast, a healthy snack if on a calorie diet, or even as a dessert. The beauty of making fruit salad is you can pick all your favourite ingredients from the garden and putting it all together shouldn’t take more than 30 minutes.
For this fruit salad we have used; strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, apples and pears.
- Gather all the ingredients together that you want to include and prepare them by slicing them into small chunks.
- Prepare the apples and pears for your fruit salad last of all, to prevent them from turning brown.
- Once you’ve prepared as many of the ingredients as you can, it's time to put them together by mixing the fruits in a large bowl.
- Next, make the dressing by mixing lemon juice, lime juice, ginger, and salt.
- Then, toss the fruits and the dressing altogether and eat immediately or place cling film on the bowl and place in the fridge to chill.
Fruit Smoothie Recipe
Smoothies are a fantastic and delicious way of getting your recommended per cent daily of fruit and are quick and easy to make. Making your own smoothie ingredients is both healthier and cost-effective, using the natural sweetness of the fruit you have grown, rather than buying supermarket brands that are full of artificial sugar. And this tasty drink will be ready in less than 15 minutes.
For this smoothie, we used; blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, apples and raspberries.
- Tip the sliced apple, blueberries, blackberries and strawberries raspberries into a blender.
- Add 200m of freshly squeezed orange juice and water
- Mix until smooth and then garnish with mint for a revitalising drink.
If you don’t want to use all your harvest at once, place them in the freezer and the frozen fruits and use them when desired. Citrus fruit and tropical fruits can also be used in both recipes to add extra zest.
