By August Statz
Fruit is a great thing to eat during the summer, not only because most fruit is in season during the summer and tastes delicious, but also because it is often a healthful alternative to many other snacks. However, fruits can also be used to make tasty desserts.
I love eating fruit in the summer, and I have compiled a list of my top 10 favorite ways to enjoy fruit in the summer time.
1. Fruit Salad
This is a great way to combine many of your favorite fruits into one dish. I always have strawberries, grapes and blueberries in my fruit salad. I sometimes add raspberries, bananas and kiwi to the mix as well. If you don’t mind a few extra calories, add in chocolate chips and top it off with a dollop of whipped cream for a delicious treat.
2. Smoothie
Smoothies are a great way to cool off in the summer time. One of my favorite fruit smoothies calls for blueberries and bananas. You can’t go wrong with any combination of fruit in a smoothie, though. Check out Smoothieweb for more smoothie ideas.
3. Slushy
This is similar to a smoothie; only it doesn’t call for yogurt or ice cream. It just uses fruit, ice and occasionally juice. I love making strawberry-raspberry slushies after a long day on the beach. It is a great way to treat yourself. Visit Cooks.com for more fruit slushy recipes.
4. Sorbet
This is a perfectly light, melt-on-your-tongue way to enjoy fruit that is in season during the summer. It’s not as heavy as ice cream, and it has fewer calories, too. Check out Coastal Living’s website for a perfect sorbet recipe.
5. Lemonade
Lemonade is a traditional summertime favorite. It is perfect for summer, but you don’t have to stick with traditional lemonade; you can spice things up a little. How? By using more fruit. See Coastal Living’s website for recipes using raspberries and peaches to add to traditional lemonade.
6. Dessert Pizza
Another summer favorite of mine is a recipe that my mom makes called dessert pizza. It may sound funny, but it tastes delicious. You use a sugar cookie as the base, add a cream cheese and sugar sauce (one cup sugar and one, eight ounce bar of melted cream cheese), then cover with any fruit you’d like. We use kiwi, strawberries and blueberries.
7. Fruit dip
Nothing beats fruit all by itself, except fruit with a cream cheese dip (the same recipe as above.) The only thing better than a plain strawberry, is a strawberry with this sweet, but not too sweet dip on it. You can dip any fruit in it. My favorites to dip are cherries, strawberries, blueberries and pineapple.
8. Cobbler
Nothing beats warm homemade cobbler with a scoop of ice cream on top. Summer fruits are great for making cobbler. Some of my favorite fruits to make cobbler with are peaches, blackberries and blueberries. See Cooks.com for easy cobbler recipes.
9. Homemade Ice Cream
There’s just something about homemade ice cream that tastes so much better than store-bought. My favorite flavors of homemade ice cream are peach and banana. If you’d like to make homemade ice cream yourself, try this website for more recipes.
10. Fruit with pound cake
Last, but not least, is another great way to enjoy your summer fruits: with a slice of pound cake. If you don’t want to take the time to make the pound cake yourself, Sara Lee’s All Butter Pound Cake is a great alternative. Top with strawberries and whipped cream, and you’ve got the perfect summer dessert.
So, next time you’re out buying fruit, consider using the fruit to make one of these ten summer treats. If you’re wondering what fruit is in season during the summer months visit the Fruits & Veggies More Matters website. If you want to find a fresh market near you, click here.
