21 Fruit Preparation Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Objective Execute techniques used when preparing

21Fruit Preparation

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Objective

• Execute techniques used when preparing fruit for service and recipes.


Basic Skills

• Most fruit preparation is intended to make the item easier for the diner to eat

• Other techniques are designed to present the fruit attractively


Washing Fruits

• Washing removes dirt, residual pesticides, or wax coatings

continued


Washing Fruits

• Wash fruit before peeling to avoid cross-contamination

• To wash, gently rinse or submerge fruits in cold water

• Wash delicate fruits, such as berries, as close to service as possible to avoid mushy fruit


Coring Apples and Pears

• Apples and pears can be cored in one of two ways depending on the tools available and the desired shape of the finished product– Use first technique when whole fruit or round

slices are desired– Use second technique when quarters or smaller

pieces are needed


Technique: Coring Apples and Pears

Method 1

1. Insert an apple corer into the apple or pear following the stem.

2. Push corer through to the bottom of theapple or pear.

3. Pull out the corer and the core together.continued


Technique: Coring Apples and Pears

Method 2

1. Using a knife, cut the apple or pear in quarters through the stem.

2. Cut out the core andseeds with a knife.

3. Continue to cut into smaller pieces if desired.


Pitting Stone Fruits

• Use a paring knife and cut through the skin and flesh to the pit, cutting a full 360 degrees

• Gently twist the two halves of the fruit in opposite directions until they separate

continued



• Remove the pit with the tip of the paring knife

continued



• Cherries are pitted using a special tool


Peeling Fruits

• Use a knife to peel thick-skinned fruits, such as melons, pineapples, citrus fruits, and kiwis– A utility knife or flexible boning knife forms easily

to the contour of the fruit– Smaller fruits are peeled more easily with a

paring knife

continued


Peeling Fruits

• Blanching is used to peel soft, thin-skinned fruits, such as peaches and nectarines

continued


Peeling Fruits

• Use a peeler to peel firm, thin-skinned fruits, such as apples, pears, mangoes, and papayas


1. Using a flexible knife, cut the top and bottom off the melon.

Technique: Peeling and Seeding Melons

continued


2. With a slicing motion, trim the skin following the rounded contour of the melon from top to bottom.


continued


3. Continue trimming around the melon until all the skin and rind is removed.

4. Cut the peeled melon in half.


continued


5. Scrape out the seeds with a spoon.



1. Using a rigid knife, cut the top and bottom off the pineapple.

Technique: Peeling and Coring Pineapples

continued


2. With a slicing motion, trim the skin following the contour of the pineapple from top to bottom.


continued


3. Continue working around the pineapple until the skin is removed. Shave enough off to remove all the “eyes.”

4. Cut the pineapple in quarters lengthwise.


continued


5. Cut away the fibrous core.



Zesting Citrus Fruits

• The zest is the outermost part of the skin• Zest contains highly flavorful and aromatic

oils and adds citrus flavor• Zest should not contain any pith

continued


Zesting Citrus Fruits

• Three methods for removing zest– Use a zester– Use a peeler to

remove zest and then cut into julienne

– Use a grater


Citrus Suprêmes

• A suprême contains the best, edible part of citrus fruits

• The technique for making suprêmes is used for oranges, grapefruit, lemons, limes, and mandarins


1. Using a flexible knife, cut the top and bottom off the orange.

Technique: Preparing Orange Suprêmes

continued


2. With a slicing motion, trim the skin following the contour of the orange from top to bottom.


continued


3. Continue working around the orange to remove all skin. Remove all the pith as well.


continued


4. Hold the orange in the palm of your hand. Cut close to the membrane that separates the segments and slice to the center of the orange.


continued


5. Make another cut just inside the membrane on the other side of the same segment, and slice to the center.


continued



6. Use the knife to lift the suprême out once the second cut is made and the segment is freed from the membrane.

7. Continue making V-cuts on the remaining segments to release them all from the membrane.


8. Squeeze the membrane of any remaining juice and use it to keep the suprêmes moist. Remove any visible seeds from the suprêmes with the tip of a knife.



Acidulating Fruits

• Oxidation occurs with apples, pears, bananas, and avocados

• Acidulation helps prevent fruit from oxidizing

continued


Acidulating Fruits

• Mix one tablespoon of lemon juice to one quart of water and dip fruit in water to preserve color


Objective

• Apply techniques for presenting fruit as garnishes on individual plates and buffet platters.


Fruit Presentation

• The variety of fruit colors, textures, and shapes makes creating interesting and appealing fruit presentations easy and fun


Fruit Garnishes

• Fruit is often used as a garnish in both sweet and savory dishes– Common fruit garnishes include citrus slices;

crowns; parisiennes, or small balls cut from fruits; and fans


1. Grip a paring knife on the blade at a point that is about the length of the radius of the piece of fruit.

Technique: Preparing Fruit Crowns

continued


2. At the middle of the fruit, hold the knife at a 45° angle to an imaginary line around the middle of the fruit. Insert tip of knife into the fruit and push until it reaches the center.


continued


3. Hold the knife at an opposing 45° angle and make a cut adjacent to the first one. Be sure that the two cuts overlap slightly.

4. Continue these overlapping, zigzag cuts around the center of the fruit until you reach the starting point. Be sure that each cut slightly intersects its adjacent cuts.


continued


5. Grasp the two opposing halves of the fruit and pull apart revealing two crowns.

6. Oranges, lemons, and limes can be used to create fruit crowns of varying sizes and colors.



6. A U-shaped garnishing tool can be used to create an interesting variation to the fruit crown.


©Draz-Koetke/Goodheart-Willcox Publisher©Draz-Koetke/Goodheart-Willcox Publisher


1. Cut a flat side on the bottom of a piece of fruit so that it is stable.

Technique: Preparing Fruit Fans

continued


2. Make a slice at a 45° angle to the cutting board. Cut through all but a small portion of the fruit near the tip of the knife.


continued


3. Make additional slices parallel to the first slice across the piece of fruit. Be sure to leave each slice partially attached to a small portion near the tip of the knife.


continued


4. Press on the piece of fruit in the same direction as the slices to open the fan.



Fruit Plates

• Served as breakfast item, appetizer, main course, or healthy dessert option

• Should include a varietyof textures, shapes, colors, and flavors

• Present in a way that is easy for the diner to eat


Fruit Platters

• Include a variety of textures, shapes, colors, and flavors

• Fruit must be easy to pick up and able to fit neatly on the plate

• A large garnish creates an attractive focal point

• Pieces should be of uniform size


Fruit Salads and Cups

• Often served as a breakfast item, appetizer, side dish, or salad

• Can utilize fruit trimmings• Serve well chilled and on

chilled plates, cups, or glasses


Objective

• Recognize cooking methods for preparing fruits.


Cooking Fruits

• Fruits can be sautéed, fried, baked, grilled, steamed, poached, or stewed

continued


Cooking Fruits

• Cooking time and doneness vary from fruit to fruit

• The degree of ripeness impacts the cook time

• Cooked fruits should be tender when pierced with a fork or tip of a knife


Plumping Dried Fruits

• If not plumped, chewy texture detracts from the dish

• Plumping is done by soaking the dried fruits in hot liquid or simmering them in liquid

• Dried ingredients can also be plumped during the cooking process


Review

• What basic skills are needed for fruit preparation?

– Washing fruit– Coring apples and

pears– Pitting stone fruits– Peeling fruits

– Zesting citrus fruits– Creating citrus

suprêmes– Acidulating fruits

continued


Review

• Name four common fruit garnishes.

– citrus slices– crowns– parisiennes– fans

continued


Review

• What presentation aspects should be taken into consideration when creating fruit plates?

– Textures, shapes, colors, and flavors– Easy for the customer to eat– Plates portioned and presented the same

continued


Review

• What cooking methods can be used to cook fruit?

– Sauté– Fry– Bake– Grill

– Steam– Poach– Stew

continued


Review

• What is the purpose of plumping?

– Adds liquid back to a dried fruit so its chewy texture does not detract from the dish

Documents

21 Fruit Preparation Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Objective Execute techniques used when preparing