Easy Fruit Salsa Recipe – A Red, White and Blue Recipe To Celebrate Summer

Now that summer is knocking on our door, it is time to share my favorite fruit salsa recipe. Not only is this dish light and refreshing on a hot summer day, it is the perfect red, white and blue recipe to make to celebrate the patriotic holidays that summer brings.

Whether you are celebrating Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day or just enjoying a backyard picnic with family and friends, this salsa is the perfect recipe to share. It is easy to make and can be served as a side dish or as an appetizer.

Because this is a fruit salsa, and not a fruit salad, this recipe comes with all sort of delicious flavors and textures that you may not have ever considered combining. First you get the sweetness of the strawberries and blueberries combined with the crunch of diced pears.

Then bits of fresh cilantro sits on your palate right before the slight kick of the jalapeno and red onion step up. However, for those who don’t like any spice at all, you can remove the ribs and seeds of the jalapeno and have the crunch of the pepper without the heat.

You can serve this salsa with traditional tortilla chips or even better, serve it with cinnamon sugar tortilla or pita chips! The sweetness of the chips adds another depth of flavor that really puts this salsa over the top.

So as you celebrate with family and friends this summer, add something unique to the traditional cook out menu with this patriotic salsa recipe.

Red, White, and Blue Fruit Salsa Recipe

*Complete recipe instructions including specific measurements, cook temperatures and times are located in a printable recipe card at the bottom of this article. However, be sure to keep reading for helpful tips and tricks when making this recipe.

Yield – makes approximately 3 cups

INGREDIENTS:

• Fresh Blueberries – 1 cup
• Diced Strawberries – 1 cup
• Diced Pear – 1 cup
• 1/3 cup chopped Cilantro
• 1/4 cup finely chopped Red Onion
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped Jalapeno Pepper
• Juice of 1 large lime

INSTRUCTIONS:

The first step in making this fruit salsa recipe is to prepare the fruit itself. Because this is a red, white and blue recipe, we are using blueberries, strawberries and pears to represent the colors.

Start by measuring out 1 cup of blueberries. Give them a good rinse and remove any stems that are still attached.

Drain the blueberries and then add them to a medium size bowl. Next, prepare the strawberries.

Rinse and drain the strawberries. Then using a strawberry huller, remove the stem and core.

Next, dice the strawberries into chunks. You can either do this by using a sharp knife, or by using a strawberry slicer.

If you are using a strawberry slicer, cut the strawberries in one direction. Then turn the strawberry and cut it in the other direction.

Although the pieces will be smaller than if you cut them with a knife, it makes easy work of preparing the strawberries for the fruit salsa. Add the cut strawberries to the bowl with the blueberries.

Now it is time to get the white in your red, white and blue recipe. It is best to use an Asian pear for this recipe if you can find one.

The flesh of this type of pear is more white than other pears. However, any pear will work, including Bosc or Bartlett pears.

Start by peeling the pear and then dicing it into small pieces. If you aren’t familiar with cutting a pear, let me explain.

How To Cut A Pear

First, pears are very similar to apples. Not only is the texture like an apple, they also have a center seed core.

Therefore, when cutting them for a recipe, cut them into 4 quadrants. Start by placing the pear on its side.

Then use a sharp knife to cut one side off. Although you want to cut it close to the center, be sure to cheat your knife to the outer edge so that you leave the core intact.

Repeat the cutting process until all 4 sections have been cut. Discard the core and cut the remaining pear into small pieces. Add the diced pear to the bowl with the strawberries and blueberries.

Other Salsa Ingredients

Just like when you make traditional Tomato Salsa, you will be using cilantro, onion and jalapeno to the make this fruit salsa.

Dice the cilantro and add it to the bowl. It is easiest to do this by grabbing a bunch of cilantro. Then gather the bunch, including both the stems and leaves, and slice in one direction using a sharp knife.

Then turn the cutting board and slice it in the other direction. Continue to run the knife over the green leaves and stems until they are finely diced.

Next, dice the red onion into small pieces. Be sure to cut them into smaller sections than you typically do for traditional salsa.

Finally, dice the jalapeno into the same size sections as you did for the red onion. As mentioned above, if you don’t like heat, remove the seeds and ribs before you dice the pepper.

Add the cilantro, onion and jalapeno to the bowl with the red, white and blue fruit. Before your fruit salsa is done, add the juice of 1 lime to the bowl and gently stir.

Although you could serve this immediately, it is best to let it chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. This will allow enough time for the flavors to meld together.

However, this is not a recipe that you can make a couple of days in advance. The fruit will break down too much and become mushy. Instead, serve it within 24 hours of making.

Serve it with traditional tortilla chips. Or even better, serve it with cinnamon sugar tortilla chips or cinnamon sugar pita chips.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I Make This Fruit Salsa A Fruit Salad Instead?

If you want to make this classic red, white and blue recipe but are hesitant to make it because of the cilantro, onion and jalapeno that it is added, simply omit those ingredients and serve it as a fruit salad instead.

2. How Do I Store This Recipe?

It is best to cover the dish and place it in the refrigerator until ready to serve. If you have leftovers, you can continue to store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

However, be aware that it is bet served within 24 hours of making. Although the fruit will start to turn a little soft, it is safe to eat within 3 days.

3. How Else Can I Serve Fruit Salsa?

If you have leftovers, you can continue to eat it with your favorite tortilla chips. However, you can also toss the red, white, and blue fruit in with your favorite green salad.

It goes great with baby mixed greens with little chunks of cheese on top. Although, my favorite way to use up the leftovers is on top of pancakes or waffles.

Enjoy!

Mary and Jim

Jim and Mary Competti have been writing gardening, DIY and recipe articles and books for over 15 years from their 46 acre Ohio farm. The two are frequent speakers on all things gardening and love to travel in their spare time.

As always, feel free to email us at thefarm@owgarden.com with comments, questions, or to simply say hello! You can sign up for our free email list in the subscribe now box in the middle of this article. Follow us on Facebook here : OWG Facebook. This article may contain affiliate links.