Grilled fruit: 5 tips for a surprising summer grill evening

    

Summer is almost there! For many of us, summer is a semi-synonym for grilling. When you say grilling, you say burger, ribs, salmon, and steak. Everyone loves these grill classics. Do you want to surprise your guests? Then go for grilled fruit! Make a delicious fruit salad or serve the fruit with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

How do you make the best fruit on the grill? We’ll give you 5 tips for the best grilled fruit and we have selected fruits that taste great when they’re grilled!

1. Choose fruit that is just not ripe

When you eat a piece of fruit, you want it to be ripe of course. This is slightly different for grilled fruit. The heat of the grill will soften the fruit. When you use ripe and therefore somewhat softer fruits, it will disintegrate sooner. We therefore recommend grilling fruit that is just not ripe.

2. Cut the fruit into larger pieces

Most fruits are quite fragile. Therefore cut it into large pieces or slices. This ensures that the fruit retains its structure while it heats up. If you want to grill strawberries or blueberries, thread them on a skewer so that it is easy to turn the fruit.

3. Make sure your grill is warm

Preheat your grill to medium heat for at least 10 minutes. The heat ensures that the pulp sticks to the grill less quickly. It also ensures that your fruit gets beautiful grill marks.

4. Use some oil

The pulp of the fruit you want to grill will stick to the grids faster than meat proteins do. So it is always good to put some oil on the grill before grilling the fruit. You can use any neutral oil with a high smoke point for this. You can of course also oil the fruits before putting them on the grill.

5. Be patient

Let the fruit sit on the hot grill for a few minutes before checking for grill marks. The surface of the fruit needs time to sear so it won't stick. Of course it can still happen that some of the fruit sticks to the grill, this is not a problem.

Now that you have been given 5 tips on how to grill the fruit, it is time to decide which fruit to grill.

Pineapple

Maybe pineapple isn't the first fruit you think of when you turn on the grill. When you've grilled the pineapple, you can make it into a delicious salsa for your Mexican-inspired burger.

Peaches, apricots, plums and nectarines

When you have planned a grill evening, you may not immediately think about the dessert you want to serve. But we would like to ask you to think again about the dessert! Stone fruit (fruit with a hard stone in it) are perfect for a delicious summer dessert. This is especially delicious in combination with vanilla ice cream.

Avocado

Avocado is often eaten on toast or made into guacamole. However, an avocado is suitable for much more than this! Cut the avocado in half or quarters and place it on the hot grill. With a little lemon juice and herbs, it is a perfect addition to a summer salad.

Lemon, orange and grapefruit

The smoky flavor that is inseparable from grilling turns citrus fruits into flavor bombs. The heat makes the citrus fruits even juicier. You can grill the citrus fruits in slices or you can halve the fruits before putting them on the grill. The citrus fruits go well with seafood and vegetables. You can also use the juice to make a delicious cocktail. Before putting the fruit on the grill, add a little bit of sugar so that the fruit will caramelize.

Apples

In our opinion, apples cannot be left out from this list. Go for a slightly tart apple, such as the Granny Smith apple. Cut the apple into large pieces or slices. Put some water and lemon juice in a large bowl and submerge the apple slices. This will keep them from turning brown from contact with the air. Place the apples on the grill for about 6-8 minutes and drizzle the apple with a mix of brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. A scoop of vanilla ice cream completes this apple dessert.