Final answer:
Draining canned fruits means to discard excess liquid from them, usually done by pouring out the liquid or using a colander. This step prevents the salad from becoming soggy and keeps the flavors of the dressing intact.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a recipe instructs to drain canned fruits before mixing them into a salad, it means option (a) Discarding excess liquid from canned fruits. This excess liquid is often a syrup or juice that is packaged with the fruits to preserve freshness and flavor. Draining the fruits involves removing this liquid, which could be by simply pouring out the liquid or using a colander or strainer to effectively separate the fruits from the liquid. It is important to do this step because the additional liquid can dilute the flavors of the salad dressing or make the salad soggy.