Filipino Fruit Salad (Pinoy Buko)

At Christmas in my family nothing says tradition as much as Pinoy Buko or Filipino Fruit Salad. This is a creamy, sweet, tasty dessert made with many different kinds of canned and preserved fruits. It is a staple at many Filipino gatherings but in my family its for Christmas.

Filipino Fruit Salad (Pinoy Buko)

1 10-ounce jar maraschino cherries without stems

3 30-ounce cans fruit cocktail (or 1 #10 can)
1 20-ounce can pineapple chunks
1 15-ounce can mandarin orange segments
1/2 12-ounce jar coconut sport (macapuno)*
1/2 12-ounce jar sugar palm fruit (kaong)*
1/2 12-ounce jar pineapple gel (nata de pina)*

1/2 12-ounce jar coconut gel (nata de coco)*

3 unpeeled red apples, cored and diced

2 8-ounce cans Nestle Table Cream*
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 12-ounce jar or can of jackfruit (langka) in syrup*

*can be found in most Filipino or Asian grocery stores


Drain and rinse the cherries; drain all the jarred fruits except the jackfruit. Reserve.

Blend the jackfruit with its liquid in a food processor until smooth. Add the table cream and sweetened condensed milk, process until smooth. Transfer the mixture into a large mixing bowl.

Gently stir in the rest of the fruits. Mix until all the fruit is coated in the creamy, white mixture. Chill for several hours or overnight.

Serve cold. Refrigerate leftovers promptly.

Notes:

Macapuno comes in two types – strings and balls. This recipe calls for half a jar of Macapuno strings but you can use a quarter jar of strings and a quarter jar of balls or amounts to suit your taste.

Amount of fruit can be varied according to your taste.

Halved grapes, sliced bananas, sliced kiwi fruit, sliced strawberries may be added as well.

If dairy mixture is too thin add 1 cup slightly whipped heavy cream.