Best Summer Fruits to Grill

Throw another Watermelon on the Barbie! Here are our go-to fruits to grill this summer.

Watermelon

To grill a watermelon, cut it into triangles with the rind attached; if you remove the rind, the watermelon can fall apart when flipped. Flavour a bit of sugar with lime zest and sprinkle it over the watermelon before grilling. Grill for about 2–3 minutes, turn over and cook for another 2–3 minutes. Remove from grill. You can eat the watermelon by itself, with ice-cream or in a salad.

Grilled watermelon goes with: chilli, chocolate, cinnamon, coriander, cucumber, goat’s cheese, lime, mint, pork, rosemary, tomato

Peaches

Cut peaches along the seam, all the way around, and twist halves off the pit. This will only work with freestone peaches; clingstone peaches are stubborn suckers. Brush cut sides with vegetable oil and cook, cut side down, on a hot grill for 2–3 minutes. Brush tops with oil, turn over and cook for another 2–3 minutes. Remove from grill.

Grilled peaches go with: almond, apricot, blackberry, blueberry, blue cheese, clove, grape, mango, orange, prosciutto, raspberry, strawberry, vanilla

Apricots

Cut apricots along the seam, all the way around, and twist halves off the pit. Brush cut sides with vegetable oil and cook, cut side down, on a hot grill for 1–2 minutes. Brush tops with oil, turn over and cook for another 1–2 minutes. Remove from grill.

Grilled apricots go with: almond, cardamom, chocolate, cinnamon, cumin, ginger, goat’s cheese, lamb, mango, orange, peach, pork, raspberry, rose, rosemary, vanilla

Bananas

Slice 2 bananas lengthwise, in their skins, so you have 4 pieces. In a small bowl, mix 2 tbsp of brown sugar and 2 tbsp of ground cinnamon, and sprinkle over the cut side of the bananas. Allow to sit for 5 minutes. Pop the bananas, cut side down, on the grill. Grill for 2 minutes, turn over and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from grill and serve immediately.

Grilled bananas go with: almond, anise, bacon, cardamom, cherry, chocolate, cinnamon, coconut, coffee, peanut, pear, pineapple, vanilla, walnut

Strawberries

Thread strawberries onto skewers, and pop them on the grill for 7 minutes, turning every now and then. Remove from grill. The sweetness of the berries and the smokiness of the grill make for happy tastebuds.

Grilled strawberries go with: almond, anise, chocolate, cinnamon, coconut, cucumber, grape, hazelnut, mint, orange, peach, pineapple, rhubarb, vanilla

RockMelon

Peel and slice rockmelon into large wedges, and then thread onto skewers. Brush with oil and pop on the grill. Grill for about 2–3 minutes, turn over and cook for another 2–3 minutes. Remove from grill. Squeeze a bit of lime juice onto the rockmelon and drizzle with honey. Finish with a sprinkle of salt.

Grilled rockmelon goes with: almond, anise, chilli, cucumber, cumin, ginger, grape, mint, orange, prosciutto, rose, smoked paprika, strawberry

NOTE: Look for fruit that’s firm but ripe. Soft, overripe fruit is of no use.

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Looking for more recipes? Check out our favourite berry treats or get dinner sorted with these black bean bowls with warm tortilla chips.