Grilled fruit is perfect for those long hot summers. It’s great for dessert or paired with certain meats. Some fruits like pineapple and apples go great with pork dishes for example. Not only is grilled fruit a healthier alternative to typical desserts, but it can add a beautiful presentation to your meal. It’s easy to grill fruit–there are just a couple of things to do.
Clean and Oil Grates
If you’re grilling your fruit after you’ve grilled your main dish items, make sure you give the grill grates a good scraping to get off all the food debris—you don’t want your fruit to taste like your chicken. When the grill grate is clean, spray it with cooking oil so your fruits don’t stick.
Set Grill to Low Heat
Gas grills get the lowest heat setting and charcoal grillers should use indirect heat (the area of the grill without the charcoal directly under the grate).
How Long to Cook
Most fruits generally take about three to five minutes to grill. Fruits burn easily because of all the sugars, so only grill it until it’s tender and slightly browned.
How to Prepare Fruit for the Grill
With stone fruit, cut in half and place the pulp side down. Smaller fruits can be placed on a skewer. You can cut bananas in half and leave in their skin. Just place the soft side down on the grill. Other fruits like apples and pineapple should be cut in slices.
Finish the Fruit
You can finish your grilled fruit with honey, cinnamon, browned sugar, or lemon and mint. Add grilled fruit to your ice cream for an extra special treat.
Great Fruits for Grilling
Peaches or Other Stones Fruit
Remove the seed and cut in half. You can leave the skin on.
Apples
Cut in half or in rings and dip in brown sugar. Apples are great with pork.
Pineapple
Cut into rings and place directly on the grill.
Strawberries
Put on skewers and rotate every minute or so, until they are soft but not mushy.
Figs
Ripe but firm figs should be used. Cut in half and place on the grill directly.
Bananas
Cut lengthwise and keep the peel on. Dip in brown sugar for an extra delicious taste.
HOT TIP – Add a little brown sugar to your fruits to help caramelize.
