Use cut and whole fruit to make an edible arrangement.
Forget the flower centerpiece, make a bouquet out of edible fruit to delight and surprise your dinner guests. Edible bouquets work for birthday gifts, get-well-soon tributes, Valentine's day offerings and holiday celebrations. Made with raw fruit, an edible arrangement gives the illusion of a bouquet of flowers. With some simple tools and a basket of fruit, create an edible bouquet for your next holiday.
Instructions
Prepare the Fruit
1. Wash the grapes and the strawberries. Dry off with a paper towel. Cut off stems of the strawberries on a cutting board. Throw away the tops and set aside the grapes and strawberries.
2. Cut the melon in half. Scrape out the seeds and the loose flesh in the center with a spoon. Slice half-moon slivers off one half of the melon. Carefully trim off the rind with a sharp kitchen knife.
3. Scoop out balls with a melon baller. Place melon baller along the inside of the second half of the melon. Scoop in a circular motion around the inside edges to form a small sphere. Set fruit balls aside in a bowl.
4. Cut off the top and bottom of the pineapple. Trim off outer rind with a sharp knife, leaving the core of the pineapple intact. Turn the pineapple on its side and cut circular pieces of the pineapple. The slices should be thin enough to press a cookie cutter through.
5. Press a flower or heart shaped cookie cutter through the pineapple to create shapes that will add interest to your arrangement. Set fruit aside.
Create the Bouquet
6. Place a large quantity of play dough or a floral foam block in the bottom of a basket or ceramic container. Cut the skewers with scissors to create different lengths for arrangement. Make sure all skewers are long enough to insert fruit pieces through.
7. Take the grapes and strawberries and poke through them with the sharp end of the skewer. Try putting several grapes on one skewer, two strawberries on another or alternate with both types of fruit on one skewer. Stick the dull ends of the skewers in the foam or dough base according to taste.
8. Use pineapple flower shapes and melon balls to create fruit-shaped daisies. Place a pineapple shape through the sharp end of a skewer. Push a melon ball over the pineapple shape, sticking the skewer far enough into the melon piece to stay in place.
9. Skewer half-moon melon slivers and other shapes and continue decorating your arrangement, placing the dull ends in the center of the base. Cover up exposed sticks with kale or parsley to create a "leaf" effect around your fruit flowers. Cover in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until ready to display.
Tags: grapes strawberries, with sharp, cookie cutter, cookie , cutter through, dull ends, edible arrangement