Everyday fruit goes 3D
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Research & Development Fruit & Vegetables carousel tickerA U.K. company called Dovetailed has created a 3D fruit printer that “makes” fruit on demand that is edible
London, U.K. – There’s a technology now available that will change how you think about and eat fruit.
A company in the U.K. called Dovetailed Ltd. has introduced a way to make fruit on demand. It’s a 3D fruit printer that can make edible fruit.
Dovetailed unveiled the innovation at a Tech Food Hack – an experimental dining hackathon event where a small group of foodies, hackers and designers come together to re-think and create new dining experiences. The event was organized by Dovetailed and Microsoft Research Cambridge.
The technology is geared to chefs, foodies and anyone interested in making creative dining experiences. Dovetailed adds that no specialist knowledge of cuisine or molecular-gastronomy is required to use the technology to create fresh and organic 3D fruits on demand.
The technology extends a molecular-gastronomy technique called spherification. By combining individual liquid droplets with different flavours into a desired shape, it allows the creation of interesting bespoke fruits in a matter of seconds.
Spherification, reports the DailyMail.co.uk, is used in cooking to shape liquids into spheres designed to look like caviar. For flavoured liquids, including fruit juices that don’t contain any calcium, the liquid is mixed with powdered sodium alginate, then dripped into a bowl of cold calcium chloride or another soluble calcium salt. Each drop of the alginated liquid forms into a small sphere in the calcium solution. The solution reacts with the alginate to create an outer layer of thin, flexible skin.
Users can then spoon out the fruit and it’s instantly edible.
“With our novel printing technique, you can not only re-create existing fruits, but also invent your own creations,” explains Dr. Gabriel Villar, Dovetailed’s chief inventor, on the website. “The taste, texture, size and shape of the fruit can all be customised.”
The DailyMail.co.uk reports that the device currently prints raspberries, blackcurrants and blackberries and the firm is working on apples and pears.
Photo from Dovetailed.co
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