Fruit Slush

Perfect Pairing:  Shallow dish

I don’t think my family has had a Christmas breakfast without fruit slush.  It is a staple.   It is great because you can make it ahead of time and keep it in the freezer until you are ready to serve breakfast or brunch.  The kids always go crazy over it, and why wouldn’t they?  It has crushed pineapple (sweet), maraschino cherries (sweet and really red), orange juice (kids love juice), and bananas (enter the only real fruit).  Don’t get me wrong, adults love it too.

When my brother was little he had a bit of an allergy to red food dye.  Nothing critical would happen, but he would get extremely hyper and the edges of his ears would get bright red.  My mom said she could always tell when he had Hawaiian Punch or even Cheetos at a friend’s house.  Maraschino cherries are like the holy grail of red food dye.  They practically hurt your eyes they are so bright.  I remember being at my aunt and uncle’s wedding and my brother kept sneaking up to the bar to get bowls of the neon fruit.  Bouncing off the walls. 

This recipe makes a big batch and uses an entire jar of cherries, including the juice, which makes it a pretty pink color.  I love pink.

I recommend using a shallow bowl or dish, like a 9x13 pan when you make this.  If you pour it into a big bowl the fruit will fall to the bottom and it takes longer to defrost and serve. 

Merry Christmas!  I hope your holiday is filled with loved ones and precious moments together.

One year ago on Perfecting the Pairing:  Chicken Vegetable Barley Soup (perfect for those New Year resolutions)

Two years ago on Perfecting the Pairing: Sweet Potato Strudel with Brown Butter

Frozen Fruit Slush

Adapted by Lindsay at Perfecting the Pairing from Cindy D.

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

·         1 1/3 cup water

·         1 cup sugar

·         6 oz can frozen orange juice concentrate, reconstituted with 18 oz of water

·         Juice of one lemon

·         16 oz crushed pineapple

·         10 oz jar maraschino cherries, halved, with juice

·         7 bananas, diced

·         16 oz frozen strawberries, sliced

·         20 oz 7-Up

Directions:

Combine the 1 and 1/3 cup water and the cup of sugar in a microwave safe bowl.  Heat in the microwave until boiling, and the sugar is dissolved, about 5 to 8 minutes.

Pour the sugar water into a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients.  Stir to combine.  Pour into a shallow pan, or two shallow pans.  Cover and freeze.

When ready to serve, remove from the freezer for about 15 minutes to thaw slightly.  

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