Happy Fourth of July Weekend!

Photo credit: bayasaa on Visualhunt

Happy Fourth of July Weekend everyone. For today’s post I’ve got a recipe for fruit salad that’s perfect for a backyard barbecue or any occasion. This is one of my favorite fruit salad recipes. I believe it’s because of the sauce. This salad gets better the longer you let it soak in its juices. I prefer 3 to 4 hours in the refrigerator before I serve it. Enjoy!

Photo credit: lisaclarke on VisualHunt.com

Ingredients:

2/3 cup fresh orange juice

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

½ teaspoon grated orange zest

½ teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups cubed pineapple

2 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced

3 kiwi fruit, peeled and sliced

3 bananas sliced

2 oranges, peeled and sectioned

1 cup seedless grapes

2 cups blueberries

Directions:

Bring orange juice, lemon juice, brown sugar, orange zest, and lemon zest to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until slightly thickened about five minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Set aside to cool.

Layer the fruit in a large, clear glass bowl in this order: pineapple, strawberries, kiwi fruit, bananas, oranges, grapes, and blueberries. Pour the cooled sauce over the fruit. Cover and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours before serving.