No, but sugar syrup is useful when making a fruit salad than contains apples and pears. Adding them to a hot sugar syrup before adding other fruits helps to soften their crisp texture. And slicing bananas into cold syrup prevents them browning. Most fruits, however, are naturally quite juicy and sweet, needing only a sprinkling of caster sugar to help draw out their juice. Or you can use a natural fruit juice such as apple, orange or passion fruit juice as an alternative to syrup. Fruit can also be macerated with red or white wine and spirits such as brandy or rum, or liqueurs such as Cointreau or kirsch.
There are no rigid rules for making a fruit salad, the combinations being limited only by the cook's imagination. Simplicity is the key to success. Try to balance flavors, colors and textures. If you are using mainly soft fruits, add melon or pineapple for a contrasting texture. You could make a salad with a mixture of all citrus fruits, or try a selection of autumnal fruits such as apples, blackberries, pears and plums, or keep the range tropical.
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