Canada Day Fruit and Berry Platter

So easy and so much fun to prepare, this Canada Day Fruit and Berry Platter is as pretty to look at as it is good to eat! Using only red fruit and berries, and a little bit of garnish, make this the center of your celebratory table this coming Canada Day weekend!

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 Canada Day Fruit and Berry Platter.

Don’t worry! If it’s sugary goodness you’re seeking instead, I’ve got lots of that for you too! Just a week or two ago, 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 up 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 both sweet and tart, but you can dress them up any which 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.
• Pomegranate Seeds – These add not only texture, but who can resist those bright little red, jewel-like morsels!? They look great on this platter!
• 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 maple leaf cookie cutter because the maple leaf is depicted on the Canadian flag!
• 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.
• Lemon Juice – You will need this to prevent the apples from browning.

HOW TO MAKE A FRUIT AND BERRY PLATTER

The first step is to determine which fruits and berries you will be using. You will want to use types that hold up well to being assembled on a platter and refrigerated until ready to serve. I would not suggest using softer fruits or berries like bananas or currants. Those will not hold up well and will most likely get very soft and squishy. That would not be appealing at all.

Next, you will need to determine how many people you are preparing this platter for and buy as much fruit and berries as you think you will need. Finally, before you start with prepping and assembling, decide which serving platter you will be using and stick to it. Fruits and berries are delicate, so once you start to assemble the platter, you do not want to change your mind and switch to another serving vessel. The less handling you do here, the better the fruit and berries will hold up.

WASH THE PEEL OR SKIN TOO!

Next, wash all of your fruit and berries and pat them dry – very gently! This is just so that there isn’t a pool of water on your serving platter. I like to wash any fruit that has a peel on it, even if I’m not eating the peel. For example, when cutting your watermelon, your knife and your hands will come into contact with the peel many times over. Washing it first will help to eliminate contaminating the fruit inside. Once everything is washed and gently patted dry, it’s time to cut, slice, or dice.

CUTTING, SLICING, AND DICING

The raspberries will stay whole, of course. When it comes to the strawberries, if you did find larger berries, cut them in half from the top to the bottom. Keep the stems on. You washed your berries well, so there’s nothing to hurt. The stem makes a great handle for picking the berries up, and it looks great too! If you were able to find pomegranate seeds, you’re lucky! If not, you will have to get those seeds out on your own. Read the next section below for the easiest way to get the seeds out without making a mess

For the watermelon, remove the rind and discard it. (You can save it to make pickles if you want!) Cut the watermelon into bite-sized cubes. Keep the slivers and the not so pretty pieces to one side. Also, keep the heavily seeded parts to one side too. You can use those in a smoothie or eat them later. Don’t put those on your platter; use the best looking pieces only.

Whether you dice the apples or slice them to make cut out shapes, you will need to dip the cut apple pieces into lemon juice otherwise they will turn brown. Some apple varieties brown very quickly, so you might not want to skip this step. If you plan to leave the peel on, use bright red apples, otherwise, you can use any apple you wish. You can also use any cookie cutter shape. I did a couple of big maple leaves and added a few small stars too.

ASSEMBLING YOUR PLATTER

Since in all probability you’ll have more watermelon than anything else, let’s start with that. Never dump the fruit and berries on the plate! Take the time to place each piece down gently – remember, this platter is going to be your centerpiece, so you want it to look its best! Use just over half of the watermelon. Next, add the larger strawberries and half of the raspberries. Sprinkle over half of the pomegranate seeds now.

Next, start filling in some of the gaps with the remaining watermelon. Once again, follow that up with more strawberries, and then the raspberries, and finally, the remaining pomegranates. Top the platter with your apple cut outs, and finally, tuck in a few sprigs of mint for prettiness and garnish.

DON’T BE INTIMIDATED BY THE WHOLE POMEGRANATE

A whole pomegranate can be intimidating to look at, but don’t let that put you off. Breaking through that tough skin to get to those juicy, ruby-red seeds (known as arils) is worth the overcoming any hesitations. Those tart arils can help keep your body healthy and disease free. Plus, they may be just what you need to add a punch of flavour to everything from your salad to a fruit punch.

If you do a search on YouTube, you’ll find numerous videos instructing how to open a pomegranate and how to remove its seeds. But, you don’t need a video. The process couldn’t be simpler. And, in fact, I find it to be a little fun too!

GETTING TO THOSE SEEDS!

First, place the whole pomegranate onto a cutting board. (The juice will stain, so if you’re worried about that, don’t use one of your good cutting boards.) With a large, sharp knife, cut the pomegranate in half from top to bottom. Then half each half again so that you’re left with quarters.

Next, working with one quarter at a time, dunk the entire thing into a large bowl of water. Use your thumbs to gently rub out the seeds. Think of the pomegranate as a really big orange or grapefruit. It has sections and those red seeds need to be extracted.

The seeds will sink to the bottom, while the membrane pieces will float to the top. Skim those off and discard. Rinse the seeds under cold water again, and there you have it! Now, wasn’t that easy!?

ADDING BOOZE OR GLAZE

If you want to make a boozy Canada Day Fruit and Berry Platter 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.

For a glaze, you will need to warm four or five tablespoons of sugar free raspberry jelly in a small sauce pan, over low heat. Do this until the jelly turns to a liquid form.  Whisk well to ensure the jelly is smooth and lump free.  Remove from heat and set aside to cool completely.

Once the berries and fruit are all washed and cut, add all of the berries and fruit to a large mixing bowl. Pour over the cooled jelly and gently toss to combine with the fruit and berries. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before assembling your platter.