February and I haven’t always been on the best of terms. Grey short days with lots of rain don’t do much to raise the spirits. This February (& throw in January too) has been nothing short of spectacular. Sunny, warm weather, cherry trees in bloom and snowdrops and crocuses in full colour. February, I’m starting to change my mind about you! Sure, there’s a little thing called the Winter Olympics going on in our city as well and while this warm weather isn’t boding well for the snow sports, it’s sure making everyone smile a whole lot more.
Another thing that has been putting a grin on my face is this fruit salad. Normally, I’m not one to dive head first into the fruit salad bowl. I tend to be fruit-picky and shy away from things like pears and melons and other awful things that tend to overcrowd most fruit bowls. But if I’m making a fruit salad at home, it’s going to play by my rules. So this salad uses up the best of winter fruits like blood oranges, grapefruits and Honeycrisp apples and it’s perfect. Normally, I’d throw in a qualifier like “this winter fruit salad is perfect for me“, but I made this for my friend and my husband (who readily admits that he isn’t a fan of grapefruit), and it received rave reviews. So there, keep your melons to yourself.
In town for the Olympics, a soon-to-be tourist or a Vancouver native? Check out my top picks on where to grab a tasty & affordable bite over at ReadyMade. Got your own picks? Leave me a comment.
winter citrus fruit salad
2 pink grapefruits
2 blood oranges
1 Honeycrisp apple (or sub in another apple of your choice)
1 lime, juiced and zested
2 heaping T of sugarWith a sharp knife, remove the rind and pith of the grapefruits and oranges and cut them into rounds. Cut into quarters, removing any thick segmenty bits if necessary. Cut the apple into a bite-sized dice and throw them all into a medium sized serving bowl. Add the sugar and lime juice over top and give everything a good stir so that the sugar melts into the salad. Sprinkle with lime zest and serve. This salad also keeps nicely for a few days in the fridge.
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I don't really like grapefruit either, but I do like it in spinach salad and it looks terrific here. Those blood oranges are so beautiful!
mmmmm what a refreshing way to start your day!
Yup, I'm jumping on the non-grapefruit-lover bandwagon…but you know what? I can eat fruit salad with just about any type of fruit in it, even melons and grapefruits. I'm just lazy about washing and coring and peeling and chopping fruit, so if a bowl presents itself to me all ready to go, I'm totally game. What I'm jealous about is the nice weather you've been having over there!
Grapefruit has some sort of magical properties. I can't stop eating them. But the bitter tastes. Eh.
I have seriously been eating the heck out of fruit lately! I, too, make fruit salads for my husband all the time. He loves citrus fruit, but I have to make sure all of the pith is off! I love the bowl you have the salad in! I have a slight addiction to those retro bowls myself!
I can't stop with the Honeycrisp apples! Where have they been all my life? I'm a big fan of fruit salad and find eating it in wintertime lends itself to visions of summertime. This one looks divine!
This looks delicious! I'm a big citrus fan – and I *LOVE* Honeycrisp apples. I did not know of their existence, until I visited an orchard last fall with a friend. Whoa what I've been missing! Best variety ever!
As a grapefruitaholic, I can't wait to try this.
Mmm. I could definitely go for a big bowl of this right now. Citrus is the only redeeming part about winter for me.
this salad looks so refreshing!! honeycrisp are my favorite apples and i love grapefruit too!
MMMmmmm – what a nice, refreshing winter salad. Delish!
i'm a big grapefruit fan…especially in salads. great article over at readymade – i'd have to add japadog to the list!
Yum. Sounds like the perfect dish for a potluck I'm going to. Do you think it'd work well with honey?
My husband loathes melons, so this fruit salad would be perfect for him, too. I love all those colors together.
I've decided February is the new April in the NW. I've got daffodils blooming in my yard!
This salad is the perfect way to take the mind off the frigid weather. I Love honeycrisp apples!
Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Dana, maybe you'd like them here. I think they really help to balance everything out.
I agree about the magic, Dave!
Thanks, Madame, I think so too.
Yes, Bijoux, the weather is something to envy for sure! But this salad isn't hard to make – cutting the peel of off citrus takes no time!
Geek + Nerd, I just discovered honeycrisps too! Love 'em.
Sarena, I love my old polka dot bowl so thanks for noticing!
Ha, I agree Monika – anything to bring summer closer.
Beth, from one grapefruitaholic to another, enjoy!
Maggie, then you should be living on the west coast where it's spring already!
delishdish, well then this salad is made for you!
Thanks cookiepie!
My Spatula, I also agree about JapaDog, but man, they have been getting press out the yazoo, so I wanted to include some others that haven't been. Thanks for stopping over at Readymade!
Kayci, it should work perfectly with honey.
Thanks Lynn, I love all the colours together too. It's visually bright!
Valerina, it's like one foot into spring!
Dude, this salad… I made it with an orange, a blood orange, a grapefruit, a Paramount apple (Honeycrisps aren't available here anymore and as they are a MN invention, I just buy the ones from MN!), three minced stalks of celery, a squirt of agave, the lime juice & zest, and a bunch of minced ginger. It is incredible. It also tastes like it would be vodka's best friend.
Everything about this post made me smile…especially the bowl. 🙂
The colors in that citrus salad are so great — forget about grey skies, pass the blood oranges!
Ginger and celery, Maven? You are a genius. We should discuss this over gin sometime!
Why thank you, amuse!
Nervous Cook, blood oranges melt away grey days, I swear it.
I found this recipe through Tastespotting last night and instantly started craving it! I had to substitute regular oranges and agave nectar, but it was amazing! My husband said it was the best fruit salad he'd ever tried! It was so fresh and springing…maybe it'll help brighten the dreary two feet of snow still hanging on here!
*Congrats on living in the Olympic City! I'm a little jealous! How fun!
Sneaky Mommy, glad you loved this recipe! Yes, you can def switch out the blood oranges for regular ones without sacrificing anything.