Quick & Easy Grilled Fruit

So last night I was stalking Foodie Facebook pages and came across quite a few really, really good ones! One of them was Pampered Chef Consultant - Carol's Corner where this awesome idea came from! I love me some fruit and have never had it grilled, but now that I've read this, I can't wait to go fruit shopping and bust out the grill and get busy! Doesn't this grilled peach look fantastic??

Grilling fruit intensifies its taste and caramelizes its natural sugars. Try grilled peaches on spinach and chicken salad, bacon and brie burgers with grilled apple, grilled watermelon and mango with shrimp or a grilled plum salad with gorgonzola cheese and pecans! Or transform it into simple, tasty, beautiful desserts with a little ice cream, fruit sorbet, whipped cream or a drizzle of balsamic!



Cooks Tips for Grilling Fresh Fruit: Choose fruits that are fresh, lovely and ripe—but not too ripe. If fruits feel overly soft when lightly squeezed, use them for another purpose. Overly ripe fruits will turn mushy when grilled. Halve fruit lengthwise, and remove pit and core. Do not peel fruit; the fruit’s skin helps hold it together and keeps it intact on the grill. Brush sides of fruit lightly with a neutral-tasting oil, such as canola oil or grape seed oil. The light coating of oil will prevent fruit from sticking to the grill rack. Grill large fruits by starting them cut-side down on the grill rack. Thread small fruits, such as berries or cherries, on skewers, and grill quickly on two sides.

Time and Temperature Guidelines:

• Apples: 1/2 inch thick slices: 2-3 minutes per side on medium heat 
• Apricots: halved and pitted: 3-4 minutes per side on medium heat 
• Bananas: halved lengthwise: 3-4 minutes each side on medium heat (or leave them in their peeling)
• Cherries: stemmed, pitted and skewered: 2-3 minutes on each side on medium heat 
• Figs: whole: 2-3 minutes each quarter turn on medium heat 
• Mango: seeded and cut into 4-6 wedges: 3-4 minutes each side on medium heat 
• Nectarines: halved and pitted: 4-5 minutes each side on medium heat 
• Papaya: seeded and cut into 4 wedges: 3-4 minutes each side on medium heat 
• Peaches: halved and pitted: 4-5 minutes each side on medium heat 
• Pears: halved and cored: 5-6 minutes each side on medium heat 
• Plums: halved and pitted: 4-5 minutes each side on medium heat 
• Pineapple - cut lengthwise: peeled, cored and cut lengthwise into 8 wedges: 2-3 minutes each quarter turn on medium-high heat 
• Pineapple - cut crosswise: peeled, cored, cut crosswise into 1 inch thick slices: 3-4 minutes per side on medium heat 
• Strawberries: whole: 2-3 minutes per side on medium heat 
• Watermelon: cut crosswise into 1 inch thick slices then quartered: 3-4 minutes per side on medium heat

OR make some Grilled Fruit Kabobs! mmmmmmmm :)

 

So, get ur butts to the store and get some fabulous fruit and gets to grillin!!