What are some key ingredients in fruit cocktail salads?

Key ingredients in most classic fruit cocktail recipes include firm green or red grapes, peaches or nectarines, pears, maraschino cherries, sugar or honey, and water. Some recipes call for additional ingredients, including citrus, such as orange or grapefruit sections, plums, apricots or pineapple.

To make homemade fruit cocktail, combine 1 pound of chopped peaches with 1 pound of chopped pears, 1/2 pound seedless grapes and maraschino cherries. Sweeten the mixture with 1 cup of sugar or honey dissolved in 1 to 1 1/3 cups water. Stir in optional extras, such as sliced banana, pineapple or fresh berries. If desired, add additional flavor with a sprinkling of fresh, chopped herbs, such as mint or basil.