A Cambridge firm has unveiled a machine that will let you PRINT your own fruit.
By using a special 3D printer, the firm is able to create artificial fruits such as raspberries and blackcurrents on demand.
The 3D fruit printer was created by a Cambridge-based company Dovetailed and works by dropping droplets of edible gel into a dish of cold calcium chloride. The result is a thin flexible skin which forms around each droplet.
One oddity of the machine is that in order to create a variety of flavours the researchers actually use fruit juice -- potentially leading to the creation of fruits that could look like one type and taste like another.
Designed in partnership with Microsoft Research Cambridge, the 3D fruit printer was revealed at a Tech Food Hack event earlier in the week and is being penned as a new cooking gadget for foodies and technically-minded restaurants.
Speaking at the event, Dovetailed Creative Director and founder Dr. Vaiva Kalnikaite said:
“We have been thinking of making this for a while. It’s such an exciting time for us as an innovation lab. Our 3D fruit printer will open up new possibilities not only to professional chefs but also to kitchens in our home – allowing us to enhance and expand our dining experiences. We have re-invented the concept of fresh fruit on demand.”
If you’re thinking this will just be reserved for the foodie elite then think again: both Dovetailed and Microsoft say this is an idea they want to bring to the mainstream.
You wouldn’t need a degree in gastronomy either, if Dovetailed has its way you’d simply download the recipe, buy the ingredients needed and ‘voila’ a raspberry that tastes like a banana. What a world.