Make Ahead

Mort's Famous Fruit Salad ( 1960s)

December 15, 2013
4.3
3 Ratings
  • Serves flexible
Author Notes

Mort, my father passed away this week at age almost 92 He was not a really a cook, but every family gathering, or dinner party always included this as one of the desserts. He would painstakingly thinly slice each fruit, and carefully layer them. While some substitutions or additions were allowed some never were - no apples, pears, bananas,watermelon ever, but frozen raspberries were allowed if strawberries weren't available , grapefruit was only in it in the winter, preferably pink. Watching him from a very early age, I learned how to cut a pineapple, get all the pith off of citrus (kind of shaving it with a very sharp knife) and got to suck on the discarded tough cores while spending time with him..
It is important to let this " marinate" overnight. Weirdly, no one ever thought that the children shouldn't have it, despite as he would have called it, all the booze. —Newton Mom

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Ingredients
  • 1-2 ripe pineapple
  • 2 -4 navel oranges
  • 1 grapfruit (optional, even in the original)
  • 1-2 pints strawberries
  • if no strawberries are available, use frozen raspberries
  • 1 small small container concentrated frozen orange juice
  • 1 orange juice container's worth grand marnier or other orange flavored liqueur
Directions
  1. Peel the pineapple. cut in quarters, remove tough core and give to the child watching you ( or your inner child) to suck on. Slice relatively thinly Place at the bottom of a large, pretty bowl . Squeeze the tough skin over it to get more juice and add to bowl
  2. Peel the grapefruit if using and remove all of the pith. Slice it cross-wise into rounds as thinly as possible. Remove seeds If large the slices may be cut into semi-circles Add on top of the pineapple
  3. Peel oranges, remove all pith, and slice thinly into rounds. Remove seeds and as with the grapefruit, if large may be sliced into semi-circles.
  4. Put spoonfuls of the undiluted, frozen OJ over the top It should not be mixed in because of the layers.
  5. Pour the grand marnier into the OJ container to get whatever bit might be left, swirl and pour it over the fruit.
  6. Wash, dry and hull strawberries. Slice them length-wise thinly. Layer them completely over the top.
  7. Refrigerate overnight
  8. Take out several hours before serving to come to room temperature. Do not mix since the berries tend to over macerate and fall apart in the OJ Alcohol mix.
  9. To serve, just spoon into pretty bowls. serve over vanilla ice cream or sherbert
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2 Reviews

luvcookbooks January 1, 2014
I'm sorry for your loss... helps to write some things down, Ithink. I am always nostalgic for the fruit, jello, and mini marshamllow salad with creamy sauce that was served at church supperes in the 1960s. Can't find the right recipe.
Muse December 16, 2013
Sounds delicious...can't wait to make this. Thank you for sharing your recipe! Peace, Light and Love.