Fruit salad can easily stand in for a lot of dishes come summertime. Breakfast, a side with dinner, a snack on the beach, a light dessert. These are all easy and delicious ways to use the abundance of fruits which come into peak during the summer season.

While mixing and matching your fruits of choice is incredibly easy, and yummy, there are a few key tools to making a summer fruit salad which will last through high heat.

The addition of acid from lemon juice or grapefruit slices helps to keep fruit from turning brown or mushy before eating. A simple syrup adds some additional sweetness to fruit which may be otherwise tart, encouraging varying fruit flavors to meld together on your fork or spoon. A sprinkle of mint or herb can create a refreshing update to the general fruity flavor profile.