Ingredients

• 450ml / ¾ pint water
• 225g / 8oz granulated sugar
• 3-4 fresh mint leaves
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 honeydew melon
• 2 small cantaloupe melons
• ¼ small watermelon
• 900g / 2lb strawberries, hulled and sliced
• 3 oranges, sectioned
• 450g / 1lb red grapes
•   fresh mint leaves, chopped, to garnish

Method

1. For the mint syrup, combine 450ml/¾ pint water, sugar and 3-4 mint leaves in a heavy-based saucepan. Bring to the boil over a high heat. Reduce the heat and boil for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand until cool.
2. Add the lemon juice to the sugar mixture and mix together well. Remove and discard the mint leaves.
3. For the fruit salad, cut out scoops of honeydew melon, cantaloupe melons and watermelon with a melon ball cutter. Remove the hulls from the strawberries with tweezers and slice.
4. Combine the melon balls, strawberries, oranges and grapes in a large salad bowl and mix well. Pour mint syrup over fruit salad.
5. Let the fruit salad stand for 1 hour or longer, stirring occasionally. Garnish with chopped mint leaves, if desired.

Notes