6 Creative Ways To Add Seasoning To Your Fruit

There's nothing quite like enjoying the taste of fresh fruit. The amazing nutritional properties and variety of vitamins available across the many different types of fruit make it a winning standalone snack or accompaniment to larger meals in the form of fruit salads, sides, and much more. If you, too, believe it's a good idea to dress your fruit salads, then you understand the magic of adding thoughtful seasonings to your fresh fruit to bring out all the natural flavors while adding unique enhancements. The myriad of fruits and flavors to choose from means that you can combine different fruits with a number of syrups, spices, seasonings, and more with endless options to keep the creative (and fruit) juices flowing.

Breaking down fresh fruit into a handful of different categories, it's easy to see how you can try specific seasonings that will either fit closely with the flavors already present or add an entirely different flavor that will provide a complementary contrast, such as pairing sweet with sour or savory. When it comes to melons versus citrus, for example, you'll want to consider what natural flavors and textures are present in these different types of fruits to determine what kind of seasoning or flavoring would work best.

If you love the flavors of fall pies and the delightful combination of sweetness, spice, and warming comfort in every bite, then give your apples and pears a pie-inspired treatment. There is a wide variety of different warming spices from all around the globe, and you can choose the blend that works best to suit your tastes. For example, when making a freshly ground pumpkin pie spice recipe, you can go heavier on the ginger and cinnamon for an extra punch of spice. Other ingredients you can include are cloves, cardamom, and star anise.

Grind all of this up into a homogenized blend with which you can prepare your apples and pears a number of different ways. For one, combining your spice blend with a bit of brown sugar and butter will allow you to spread it over your apples and pears for a baked dish. You can also add the spices to a simple syrup and either drizzle it over your fresh fruits or create a liquid in which to poach your apples and pears for an unforgettable dessert.

For those who enjoy berry pancakes and similar foods, you can easily dress up your favorite strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and more with many different flavored syrups. This will bring out the natural flavors of your berries as well as add an extra hint of other favorite flavors. Choosing syrups to season and flavor your berries with is an especially good idea as the viscosity of the syrup will effectively cover the bite-sized and smaller fruits. 

As far as flavors go, there is a large selection of store-bought brands to choose from, or you can even make your own. For example, pure maple syrup will evoke pancake and waffle-inspired vibes when drizzled over your berries. A chocolate syrup has more of a decadent dessert taste, of course, and you can even make your own hot fudge sauce recipe for fully customized flavor. Other flavored syrups, like a simple syrup infused with vanilla, or even a hot honey will also make a great accompaniment for your berries.

If you think stone fruit is "the pits," then you may not yet know the pleasure that is sinking your teeth into a ripe peach and making a beautifully delicious mess. For those looking to liven up peaches, nectarines, plums, and even cherries, try a greener approach for a surprisingly delightful result. Give your stone fruits a savory herb seasoning to mesh the natural sweetness with an earthy and rich taste. Sage, rosemary, and thyme are just a few of the many different herbs that pair well with peaches, plums, apricots, and more.

It's entirely up to you if you prefer to use fresh or dried herbs, and, of course, the variation in potency between the two means you'll need a smaller portion of dried herbs versus fresh ones to achieve the same flavors. You can sprinkle a blend of herbs on halved and pitted stone fruits for a quick snack, oven-roast your herb-seasoned fruits to caramelize the sugars, or create a light herby lemon vinaigrette to drizzle over a stone fruit salad.

As the saying goes, "variety is the spice of life," and so, too, is spice the variety of your fruit flavorings. If you haven't yet, try seasoning your favorite tropical fruits with a little Tajín to let the sweet meet the heat and taste the mind-blowing combination. Other similar seasonings you can sprinkle on top of pineapples, mangoes, kiwis, papayas, and others include chili powder, red cayenne pepper, and even your favorite hot sauces.

Mixing up the heat with a bit of citrus will also increase the potency of your spicy seasonings. For example, use chili powder and fresh lime juice or even a pre-made mix of chili lime seasoning on top of tropical fruit favorites to make the flavorful sparks fly. You can also make a spicy glaze for grilled fruit kabobs. The acidity in the fruits will be matched by the spice and acidity in these flavors, so make sure to keep a refreshing beverage on hand if you need to temper the heat.

Give a pucker-inducing twist to your cantaloupe, watermelon, and honeydew with a zesty punch of citrus. The milder flavor typical of most types of melons will go especially well with a more intense citrus-based seasoning. Using fruits like lemon, lime, and grapefruit to create a tangy marinade or drizzle for your melons is a great way to add a little sourness and flair to your favorite fruits. There are a few ways to do this, with zesting or juicing different citrus right over your melons being the simplest and most direct method.

Other options for using citrus fruits to flavor your melons include repurposing leftover lemon zest by adding it to sugar. In fact, this can be done with just about any citrus fruit zest including grapefruit, orange, and more. Infusing the zest and even juice into a sugar mixture will work particularly well with melons, as it will better adhere to the fruity flesh to add a delicious tangy flavor.

Speaking of citrus, have you considered the combination of floral flavors with some of your favorite zesty fruits? Lemon and lavender is an especially fantastic pairing and there are many different options for dressing up your favorite citrus fruits with complementary florals. Take culinary grade rose buds, lavender buds, and any other edible flowers and grind them up with a mortar and pestle or herb grinder, then sprinkle them on top of wedges of your favorite citrus fruits.

If you want something a little more on the sweet side, you can also infuse your own floral sugar or simple syrup to drizzle on top of your fruit. This would be especially great with grapefruits, which tend to taste a little more bitter than oranges and other citrus fruits. You can even use florals on tangerines, key limes, and calamansi fruit. Any way you choose to mix it up, your citrus will benefit greatly from a delicate floral touch.