How to Care for Fruit on Fruit Trays

Treat each individual fruit variety carefully to protect its flavor and color.

Serve vibrant fruit trays by caring for each individual fruit from the market to the table. Assembling a fruit tray can be an artistic expression that showcases the best fruits of the season. Adding variety to your fruit tray gives your guests choices that may include a fruit they have never tried. Treating each fruit variety properly will help you to produce the best possible flavor and presentation of your fresh-fruit appetizer.

Things You'll Need

• Sharp knife
• Cutting board
• Zip-top plastic bags or sealing storage containers
• Service tray
• 1/4 cup lemon or lime juice (optional)
• Plastic wrap

Instructions

1. Purchase your fruits the day before or day of the event to ensure freshness. Choose at least five fresh-fruit varieties that have different colors, shapes, flavors and textures.

2. Store your fresh fruit on your kitchen counter or table without stacking the pieces on top of each other.

3. Wash each piece fruit under cold running water before you slice it.

4. Slice fruits that will not discolor or brown first, no earlier than the night before the event. Use a sharp knife on a clean cutting board.

5. Place each sliced fruit variety in a separate zip-top plastic bag or sealed plastic storage container, and store these in your refrigerator.

6. Place the empty service tray in your refrigerator to chill an hour prior to the event.

7. Pull the pre-sliced fruit out of the refrigerator along with the chilled service tray 10 minutes before serving, and artistically spread the slices so they are easily accessed. Leave room on your tray for the yet-to-be sliced fruits that quickly discolor, such as apples, peaches and pears.

8. Slice the last of the fruit, and add it to the fruit platter just before serving. Dipping the sharp knife in lemon or lime juice before slicing will slow the browning process.

9. Cover your assembled fruit tray with a single sheet of plastic wrap until the moment it is served. Gently press down on the sheet of plastic wrap so that it sticks to the surface of your sliced fruit.

Tips & Warnings

• Serve your fruit platter with tongs or toothpicks to avoid guests using their fingers. Offer spoons when including small berries.

• Snip grape clusters into mini bunches with a pair of scissors.

References

• Graduation Party: Printable Recipe--Fruit Tray with Fruit Dip for 50: Note
• Electronic Gourmet Guide: A Melon and Fruit Tray Basic Garde Manger
• Ellens Kitchen: Fruit Platters, Fruit Salads and Watermelon Boats