Macedonia Fruit Salad

Macedonia fruit salad is a delicious, light dessert that is very popular in Italy. Choose any summer fruits you love to make it to your liking, or follow the classic Italian recipe.

If you’ve ever been to Italy in the summer, chances are you’ve seen macedonia fruit salad on a menu.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you to Melissa’s Produce for the wonderful fruit! This is not a sponsored post, and I was not paid to create or share this recipe.

Macedonia salad is well known to all Italians, and is a typical summer dessert.

What is a Macedonia Fruit Salad?

In Italy, and other European countries, macedonia refers to a mixture of chopped fruits (or vegetable, in some countries). Apparently, this originated in France in the 1800s. The term macédoine translates to macedonia in Italian, and it is a wonderful dish! – Some facts from Wikipedia

There’s a difference between a normal “cut fruit” salad and a macedonia fruit salad. 

Normally, I don’t add sugar to fruit, but when I cut up strawberries or make a macedonia, it’s a must. You see, by adding sugar to the fruit, you end up with a delicious syrup which mixes with the fruit juices to create a wonderful flavor! Lemon juice is also added, which cuts the sweetness of the sugar, to make it even more delicious.

Love fresh fruit? Try this wonderful summer berry meringue roulade for the summer!

How to Make a Fruit Salad Macedonia 

Making a fruit salad macedonia style is so easy, you probably won’t believe it! There are four simple steps: cut the fruit, add lemon juice, add sugar, and let macerate. That’s it, and the results are spectacular. Look at the shine on this fruit, and the flavor will knock your taste buds for a loop!

Important Notes on Making a Macedonia Salad with Fruit

1.  Good quality fruit is key. I rely on Melissa’s Produce. Alway try to buy organic if you don’t grow the fruit yourself. It’s especially important for the dirty dozen fruit and vegetables. Also, in the US, did you know that you can look at the sticker and code on fruit and know that a produce item is organic if it starts with the number 9?

      2. You cannot skip the sugar or it won’t have the glossy syrup on the fruit which is the reason that a macedonia fruit salad is different from a plain cut fruit salad.

      3. According to the recipe from an original Il Cucchiaio d’Argento (The Silver Spoon)* cookbook in Italian, which is a very reliable source for authentic Italian cuisine, the seasonal ingredients for fruit macedonia are: pear, apple, oranges, grapes, peaches, apricots, cherries, some almonds or tree nuts. Fruits are also peeled.

This assortment will vary if you use local fruit because not all listed are in always season at the same time (cherries and apples/pears, for example.) Also, oranges are usually a winter fruit, so I think you can just choose the summer or autumn fruits to your liking and you’ll surely be pleased with the results.

As you can see from the photos, I didn’t follow the recipe exactly as, A: I added strawberries, cantaloupe and plums, B. I didn’t peel the fruit, and C. I skipped the almonds/nuts. If you like a crunch, and have no allergies, you may like them.

       4. To serve: Il Cucchiaio d’Argento recommends serving with a scoop of lemon gelato, or cream (not sure if they meant whipping cream or vanilla ice cream, but I say either one is good!) Optional: a liqueur, maraschino or even champagne can be added to the fruit macedonia. 

Macedonia Fruit Salad Recipe

slightly adapted from Il Cucchiaio D’Argento               serves 6

FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW

Ingredients

• seasonal fruit
• lemon juice
• sugar

To Serve (optional – one or two of the following)

• liqueur or Champagne/Prosecco
• whipped cream
• lemon ice cream or vanilla ice cream
• sprig of mint, to adorn the fruit

Dessert glasses (these are made in Italy) or cocktail glasses to serve.

Directions

Equal amounts of each fruit is ideal. However, you’re not being judged, so if you have a few more cherries or pieces of peach, it’s not a big deal. Place the chopped fruit into into a large bowl.

Add the lemon juice to the fruit in the bowl. 

Next, sprinkle about half of the sugar lightly over the fruit. The amount of sugar will vary depending on your desired sweetness and/or syrup. Toss the fruit and sprinkle the rest of the sugar.

Toss again, cover and allow to macerate for at least half an hour. At this point, you can taste the macedonia fruit salad and decide if you want more lemon juice or sugar. If you add more sugar, let it rest longer.

If it’s hot, you can keep the fruit dessert in the fridge.

Once it has rested, you will have a fruit salad with a glossy, tart/sweet syrup and your macedonia is ready to serve. Just spoon into bowls or glasses.

If you like, you can add a sprig of mint to add a little glam to this fancy fruit salad!

Add any of the optional ingredients, and serve with ice cream, or cream if desired, but I honestly prefer mine plain. It’s that good! Eat your macedonia fruit salad within a day of making it for the best flavor and texture.

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*I was gifted the English version of The Silver Spoon, but it was so different (recipes almost unrecognizable from the original) that I donated it to a library. I couldn’t bring myself to throw it away, but I truly should have done so. If you see it at your local library, leave it there. 

Christina’s Cucina is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associate Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Thank you to Melissa’s Produce for the wonderful fruit! This is not a sponsored post, and I was not paid to create or share this recipe.