4th of July Celebration Berry and Fruit Salad

A perfectly gorgeous and healthy dessert option for your 4th of July party, this Celebration Berry and Fruit Salad is prepared with watermelon, strawberries, cherries, raspberries, blueberries, and apples cut into celebratory star shapes! Drizzled with a quick and easy glaze, this is a beautiful dessert everyone will want a taste of!

Let’s face it folks, most of the food served at any celebration is laden with sugar, so today I’m going to show you how to get a natural sugar fix instead. Lately, I have been sharing lots of sugary recipes with you for both Canada Day and the 4th of July. Today, however, I’m keeping it healthy and simple with this 4th of July Celebration Berry and Fruit Salad.

Don’t worry! If it’s sugary goodness you’re seeking instead, I’ve got lots of that for you too! Last year, I shared my Maple Marshmallow M&M Bars with you. I used red M&Ms and white marshmallows to keep them true to the red and white colours of the Canadian flag. You can change the colour of the candy to suit any celebration. For my American friends, just add some blue M&Ms to the mix for your 4th of July version!

Actually, the same train of thought can be applied to my Spritz Sandwich Cookies. The ones you see in the photos are red, white, and blue, but you could make your cookies any colour combination you like! Now, back to this platter. I wanted to point out that the fruit and berries on this platter are sweet and tart, but you can dress them up any way you like too! For example, you can soak the fruit in alcohol before plating it, or you can add a glaze if you prefer. I’ll talk more about that later.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE THIS PLATTER

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post. It is worth noting that you can substitute the fruit and berries in this recipe and use whatever you prefer. So, if for example, you have a strawberry allergy, just leave them out and use more apples, raspberries, or even cherries or red grapes!

• Strawberries – Try to buy larger strawberries in this case. That way, you can slice them in half or even quarter them, which makes for a more visually appealing platter. Plus, the inside of larger strawberries usually have some white flesh, so it will add a colour contrast.
• Raspberries – We love raspberries and can never get enough of them! They can be expensive though, depending on the time of year. Use as many or as sparingly as you wish.
• Watermelon – This is the ultimate summer fruit and everyone seems to like it. Cut the watermelon into bite-sized cubes and use that to create a base on the platter. When comparing costs, watermelon is much cheaper, so use lots of it to fill up your platter.
• Cherries – These add texture and colour as well as tartness.
• Blueberries and Blackberries
• Apples – Now, you can dice red-skinned apples and scatter them over the platter, or you can slice them about 1/4 inch thick, and cut shapes out with a cookie cutter. I’m using my star cookie cutter because the star is depicted on the American flag!
• Lemon Juice – You will need this to prevent the apples from browning.
• Mint Leaves – I’m using fresh mint leaves as a garnish only. They are completely edible and you could tear them up and scatter them over the platter to be eaten with the fruit and berries, but I just tucked in whole leaves for contrast and colour.
• Jam or Jelly – Use sugarless jam or jelly as a glaze. This is completely optional.

HOW TO MAKE A 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION BERRY AND FRUIT SALAD

The addition of the sugar-free jelly glaze is completely optional. If you prefer to have it, prepare it as such: In a small saucepan, over low heat, warm the jelly until it’s in a liquid form. Whisk well to ensure the jelly is smooth and lump-free. Remove from heat and set aside to cool completely.

Wash all of your fruit and berries and pat them dry – very gently! The raspberries remain whole, but slice the strawberries in half from the top to the bottom. (Depending on the size, you might want to keep them whole.) Keep the stems on. If you washed your berries well, there’s nothing to hurt. For the watermelon, remove the rind and discard it. Cut the watermelon into one-inch cubes. Halve the cherries and remove the pits. You have the option of dicing the apples or slicing them about 1/4-inch thick to make cut-out star shapes. Either way, once you dice or slice the apples, be sure to dip them into lemon juice otherwise they will turn brown.

To assemble, start with the watermelon since there is more watermelon than anything else. Don’t dump the fruit and berries on the plate! Take the time to place each piece down gently. Use just over half of the watermelon. Next, add 1/3rd of the strawberries, and 1/3rd of the raspberries, followed by 1/3rd of the cherries and 1/3rd of the blueberries.
Repeat these layers until you have used up all of the fruit and berries. (Be sure to tuck in a couple of the apple stars between each layer!) Spoon the completely cooled jelly over the salad, allowing it to drizzle down between the layers. Tuck in a few sprigs of mint for prettiness and garnish. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 12 hours.

ADDING BOOZE OR GLAZE

If you want to make a boozy 4th of July Celebration Berry and Fruit Salad you can do so quite easily! Once you have prepared all of the berries and fruit, transfer them to a bowl. Pour over about a half cup of your booze of choice. In most cases, these types of fruit and berry recipes will use rum, but you can use vodka or gin too. You will need to toss the fruit to coat, but do so very gently as to not break or squish the delicate berries. Set it in the fridge for two or three hours before assembling your platter.

4TH OF JULY

Whipping up a big bowl of this 4th of July Celebration Berry and Fruit Salad and sharing the recipe with you is how I celebrate the Fourth of July with my readers to the south. I’ve mentioned before that about half of the readers and subscribers of Lord Byron’s Kitchen are from the United States. In comparison to the rest of the world’s population, that is quite high. I can’t tell you why Americans seem to love food blogs, but I’m happy that they do!

That is why I have no issues with publishing recipes that celebrate America’s Independence Day. People ask me why I do it and the answer is simple – it’s food! Food is synonymous with celebrations and holidays and I’m a food blogger. If a particular cuisine is one I feel comfortable with, I’ll work on a recipe which celebrates it.

And besides, no matter where you live, you can adapt this salad accordingly by using berries and fruits that match the colours of your national flag.

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down below the recipe card to find my Follow Me on Social Media box and never miss another recipe!