Top 10 List: Fruits that are Good Candidates for Grilling
We go through dozens of peaches this time of year. We make peach ice cream, peach pie, peach barbecue sauce, and peach smoothies. We like peaches raw, too. They’re also our go-to fruit for grilling. We’ll halve each peach, brush it with extra virgin olive oil, and cook the halves until they have nice grill marks. Each then gets a dollop of peach BBQ sauce.
Photo by Steve Legato
We now want to try other fruits on the grill, because it turns out many are good candidates for live fire, according to Karen Adler and Judith Fertig, authors of The Gardener & The Grill(Running Press, 2011).
In the book, they list the Top 10 fruits “that translate well to the grill”:
Apples: Golden Delicious apples “are naturally sweet and stand up well to the heat of the grill,” Adler and Fertig write. Slice and core before grilling. Jonathan and Granny Smith can be stuffed and roasted over indirect heat.
Berries: Grill strawberries on skewers. They require only a minute or two and should be turned once. Smaller fruits like blueberries and blackberries can be stir-grilled in a basket.
Cherries: Sweet cherries should be pitted and skewered. Turn them once.
Citrus: Cut grapefruit, oranges, lemons and limes in half. Grill cut-side down “until the natural sugars caramelize.”
Figs: Grill whole or halved. Sweet figs work well as appetizers or desserts.
Grapes: Adler and Fertig suggest grilling “a whole cluster of grapes” until they have nice grill marks. Turn with tongs and repeat.
Melon: Grill slices of cantaloupe and honey dew “to bring out their sweetness.”
Pears: Grill “juicy ripe-but-still-firm pears” directly on the grill or on a plank. Use in salads or desserts.
Persimmons: For a flavor boost, cut Japanese persimmons, like the Fuyu variety, in half and grill.
Stone fruits: Apricots, peaches, plums and nectarines should be halved and pitted before going on the grill.
You can see Adler and Fertig’s Top 10 list for vegetables that are well suited for grilling by clicking here.
Bon appétit,
Your friends at California Olive Ranch
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