I am planning a wedding for July 12, 2009. I feel like I have a very tight budget, $2000 for food (for 100 guests) and decorations. I have learned some great things from this website. I was attempting to create a palm tree made from pineapples for a fruit display. In the process, I discovered a creative way to "cut up" my pineapple. I always see pineapples cut into squares or triangle slivers, and I was looking for something different and unusual.
I cut the top and bottom off of my pineapple. I took a canolli tube (metal) and tapped it down into my pineapple until it went all the way through. I pulled it out, and then had a long round tube of pineapple. We pushed the pineapple out of the tube. It almost reminded me of something we would have done as kids with Play-Doh!
From one pineapple I was able to make 8 tubes (one in the center and 7 around it). They are about 5 inches long each. I'm not sure yet if I will place the pineapple "tubes" in a punch or simply cut them into 1 inch sections and place them on a dish in the fruit section, but if I do this with 2 or 3 pineapples, I will end up with a lot of unique-shaped treats for skewers.
I also thought about taking a pineapple tube and placing a toothpick on one end. Then putting a pineapple ring (the kind you get from a can) over the toothpick and a cherry to secure the ring. It would almost look like an umbrella.
By Barbara Pyne from Atlantic Beach, FL
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I wouldn't serve the core (center tube) of the pineapple - it's usually fairly woody and inedible.
Every summer, I make a fruit bowl, using a long watermelon I scalloped the edge or sides and also carve a handle and fill it with fresh fruit. Anita S. in Olean, New York
How about anchoring one of your tubes(maybe the middle inedible one) with a long wooden skewer to a platform of Styrofoam and then use toothpicks to decorate it by anchoring(at an angle) grapes, cherries, or other mini pieces of colorful fruit to sort of make a fruit tree? You could even make cantaloupe or watermelon balls or other shapes to add to the color and interest.
Hey brittsmama! Congrats on the marriage ;) Have FUN with the wedding. I have been doing a knock off of the famous Edible Arrangements for friends and church functions and it is truly a hit every time. You've got the right idea, just keep playing. Incorporating a few metal cookie cutters and sticking the fruit in wooden skewers, then anchor them into a lettuce head hidden inside a plastic lined basket or glazed pot. fill in any gaps with kale.
The fruit can be made a day in advance and even the kids can help. Note: use fruit that doesn't brown. I have used kiwi, mangoes, pineapple, grapes, strawberries, watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew.
The best part is there is no waste! the "fruit scraps" go in the freezer for smoothies, a quick snack or to flavor my water and I toss the fruit rinds in the garden as compost ;) Here is a pic of my first basket.
Congrat's on the up and coming wedding. Your on to something with your creative way of carving your pineapple. I also enjoy fruit and vegetable carving, I would send some pictures if I knew how:~) zzlking did a great job on her first basket and as she said, you can place a head of lettuce in a basket and then attach your skewers. I am sending you some of my favorite links. I purchased a fruit carving kit at Big Lots for $5.00. All you really need though are some long wooden skewers and a v-shaped serrated cutter, and some cookie cutters.
www.watermelon.org/watermelon_carving.asp
www.thisismyindia.com/women/vegetable-carving.html
www.ediblearrangements.com/
www.fruitcarving.com/gallery.html
www.chiff.com/
If you google " Fruit Carving Techniques" you will find all kind of web sites with great ideas. Stormy Seas/ Texas
You guys are great, and full of ideas!! zzlking- did you use a pastry cutter for the 'crinkle cut' design?? It looks great! Also, we were using the center of the pineapple for a display as it seems strong & solid (we would never eat it, lol).
I bought some more fruit (melons, kiwi, etc.) to practice with this week. Wish me luck! I'm not sure if the melons will be too soft to attempt the fruit tubes with or not. Also, I bought a few metal tubes of various diameter- we'll see how they work...
Here's a basic picture showing what I did with the pineapple, for those that might be confused as to what we are saying. I took a hammer and pounded a cannoli tube into the pineapple to get fruit tubes.
Did you know that you can hull strawberries with a firm plastic straw? It is cleaner and neater than hulling them by hand. Melt some chocolate chips in the microwave for a minute or so; dip the strawberries in and set on waxed paper. Everyone loves chocolate dipped strawberries! And so very easy!
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