The Best And Worst Fruits To Use When Making A Frozen Dessert Salad

With so many different types of frozen desserts, why not get a little creative with frozen fruit, gelatin, and sweet "fluff"? You can add your favorite fruits, gelatin, and other accouterments to make an outstanding crowd-pleaser of a dish. It is vital, however, to choose the right fruits for the task. When it comes to frozen dessert salads containing gelatin, fresh guava, pineapple, and kiwi are among the no-go list due to the naturally occurring enzymes in the fruits that would break down the gelatin's molecular structure and keep it from properly setting in the freezer. For a frozen dessert salad with Jell-O, your fruits of choice should be cohesive, flavorful, and allow for a structurally sound freezing process.

It's always a good idea to make sure that the flavors you're using in a particular dish all coordinate with one another in terms of taste. When it comes to science, it's all the more necessary to ensure you're maintaining the correct consistency for desired results and edibility. If you intend to use fresh fruit, the worst ones are anything that contains the bromelain enzyme, which breaks down the collagen found in Jell-O, restricting its ability to congeal. These fruits include ginger, papaya, mangoes, and figs as well as the other aforementioned tropical fruits. Fear not, however, as the canned version and cooked versions of your favorite fruits will break down the enzyme, allowing them to be used.

Knowing what you should consider when picking out fruit salad ingredients, the keys are good visuals, complementary flavors, and an overall texture that's pleasing to the palate. Given the myriad fresh fruits you should eschew when making Jell-O desserts, pears, cherries, and other canned fruits you should consider stocking in your pantry, are good options. This avoids the risk of fresh fruit enzymes that would ruin your gelatin's setting while offering an extra convenient time-saving option. Simply grab a can of your favorite sliced peaches and get to assembling your frozen dessert salad. Canned fruit cocktail also offers a little bit of everything if you want to dive right into the fun process of frozen fruit salads.

If you prefer fresh fruit, try berries such as in a strawberry pretzel salad recipe. For something even sweeter, work with sliced cotton candy grapes. A dash of ripe bananas sliced into rounds will make a colorful and unique addition to the texture of your dish too. Remember to pair your fruit, Jell-O, and fluff flavors together in a way that best speaks to you and anyone with whom you'll be sharing this delicious frozen dessert.