A Sugary-Sweet Tip For Grilling Your Citrus Fruits This Summer

Grilling can be a great way to elevate fruits' flavors and caramelize their exteriors. But if you want an extra sweet upgrade to your grilled fruit, you can add some sugar to your citrus. This trick works especially well with slightly more sour fruits, like lemons, limes, grapefruits, and even oranges. Once you've coated your sliced fruits in a layer of sugar, add them to the grill as usual and allow the sugar to char slightly on the open flame.

The additional caramelization on these fruits can make them a little sweeter, perfect for adding to your drinks and desserts. Plus, the added sugar can prevent the fruit and rinds from sticking to your grill, so you won't have to fight to remove them once you're done grilling. But don't worry about the sugar overpowering the fruit's natural flavors — grilling can amplify the taste, making those fruity flavors just a little more intense.

To start, grab your selected citrus fruits and slice them up into rounds. Then, pour some granulated sugar into a bowl, and add those citrus slices in. You can shake the bowl around, or flip the citrus a few times — just make sure that the slices are evenly coated in the sweetener. Then, add them to the grill. Your fruit will be done when you notice a browned, bubbly coating on the outside. Grab a pair of tongs to flip each slice, ensuring an even browning on both sides.

This process of caramelization actually breaks down the sugars — both in the fruit, and on the outside. Caramelization can also help the grilled fruit develop an added layer of flavor by adding a little nuttiness to the exterior. Plus, using the grill to get this effect can allow your fruit to adopt that signature smoky, woody flavor that's often added to barbecued foods.

After you've grilled your citrus fruits to your desired caramelization, you can swap them into any recipe that calls for slices of fruit. You can use them in place of the standard orange slice garnish in plenty of cocktail recipes, like this orange crush cocktail, for a sweet decoration on the rim of your glass.

Alternatively, you can use the grilled fruit slices as edible decorations for your cakes. After you've baked up a deliciously fruity dessert, like a lemon pound cake, sweeten things up a little more with some icing. Then, arrange your grilled citrus slices on top for an extra burst of color — and flavor, if you're the lucky one who bites into that slice.

The next time you fire up the grill to heat some citrus slices, toss them in a coating of sugar first to amplify your fruit's flavor for an ultra-sweet summer treat.