Colorful, nutritious and fun, fruit kabobs are a big hit whenever they're served.
They're ideal for picnics and parties or any time you want to dazzle family and
friends. Here’s how to make them:
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Start with a variety of colorful fruit. Use fruit that's fresh but firm, never
over-ripe. Try fresh or canned DOLE Pineapple chunks, large seedless grapes,
strawberries, melon chunks and cherries. Or go completely tropical with
pineapple, mango and papaya. Be creative, try what's in season, experiment and
find your own favorite combinations.
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Wash, peel, and cut the fruit into similar size chunks and drizzle with lemon
juice or DOLE 100% Pineapple Juice to prevent browning.
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Thread fruit onto bamboo skewers. If you will be grilling your kabobs, first
soak the skewers in water for 30 minutes or more to prevent them from burning. (If
younger kids are helping, supervise them so they do not poke themselves.)
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Place 6-7 pieces on each
 skewer,
alternating colors, shapes, and textures. Use smaller fruit like grapes or
cherries on the ends of the kabobs and leave space at each end of the skewer for
easy handling.
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If you’re serving your kabobs fresh, stack them on top of each other on an
oval platter or fan them out in a pretty circle on a round plate. (Keep them in
a re-sealable plastic bag or plastic container until you are ready to serve them.)
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Spray a vegetable cooking spray on the grate before preheating to keep fruit
from sticking to the grate.
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Set your gas grill on low and preheat before placing kabobs on the grate. If you
have a charcoal grill, place the kabobs on the grill after the coals have begun
drying out or grill fruit on the top level of the grate instead of directly over
the coals.
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Rotate the skewers every few minutes throughout the grilling process to prevent
sticking.
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Grill fruit kabobs until lightly browned and barely fork tender but not mushy.
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When done, transfer kabobs to a large platter and keep warm or let cool to room
temperature. Grilled fruit is best served hot, warm or at room temperature, not
chilled.
1 DOLE Fresh Pineapple
Twist crown from pineapple. Cut pineapple in half then into quarters. Cut
quarters crosswise to yield 8 wedges per quarter. Place on grill. Cook until
warm only. Serves 8.
5 firm, green-tipped DOLE Bananas
12 lg. firm DOLE Strawberries
1 sm. DOLE Cantaloupe
1/4 c. butter, melted
2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 tbsp. honey
Cut bananas into 1-1/2 inch chunks. Cube cantaloupe into 1-1/2 inch chunks.
Thread skewers with alternating pieces of banana, strawberries and cantaloupe,
beginning and ending with bananas.
Combine melted butter, lime juice and honey. Brush kabobs well with sauce and
place on grill 2 inches above hot coals. Cook 5 minutes on each side, brushing
with butter sauce. Do not over cook. Remove and serve immediately. Makes 6
servings.
8 bamboo skewers (9 inches long)
1 orange, peeled & sectioned
1/2 c. melon chunks (1 inch chunks)
1/2 c. DOLE Pineapple chunks (1 inch chunks)
1 sm. bunch DOLE Red or Green Seedless Grapes
2 c. lemon, orange, or vanilla non-fat yogurt
On each skewer thread orange sections alternately with melon and pineapple
chunks. Place a grape on each end of each skewer. Serve with yogurt as a dip.
1 c. plain low-fat yogurt
2 tsp. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 pints fresh DOLE Strawberries
1 DOLE Pineapple, peeled, cored & cubed
1 honeydew melon, scooped into melon balls
3 DOLE Kiwi fruits, peeled & sliced
 Combine
the yogurt, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Alternating the fruits, thread them
onto 6-inch bamboo skewers. Serve the fruit kabobs with the dipping sauce. Makes
24 kabobs.
Strawberries are one of the first summer fruits to ripen and possibly the
ultimate grilled delight. Simple combinations like strawberry-kiwi, strawberry-banana
or strawberry-pineapple are outstanding grilled desserts. Grill strawberry
kabobs over medium hot coals for 6 to 8 minutes, turning a few times. They're
great, as is, right off the grill, with nothing else added. For added sweetness,
try a very light sprinkling of a sugar-cinnamon mixture or brush on some white
grape juice or a very light sugar or honey syrup.
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