Dovetailed, a company based in Cambridge, U.K., introduced its 3D Fruit Printer, a machine capable of printing three-dimensional fruit.
A molecular gastronomy technique called spherification was used to convert liquid into small spheres appearing similar to caviar, according to CNET.
Fruit juice is mixed with alginic acid, and the mixture is dripped into a bath of calcium chloride. As a result of the reaction, a skin is produced around the liquid ball, which pops when bitten.
Spherification was first discovered in the 1950s by Unilever, 3D Print reported. However, the process hasn't been used within modern cuisine until the last 10 years.
The 3D printer creates customized "fruits" by combining the small spheres of flavor with other spheres that have either the same or different flavor. The fruits can taste and look however the user wants.
"We have been thinking of making this for a while," said Vaiva Kalnikaite, founder and creator director of Dovetailed. "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 our home kitchens, allowing us to enhance and expand our dining experiences. We have re-invented the concept of fresh fruit on demand."
Because the device prints pearls of liquid fruit, it cannot print certain shapes. For example, it cannot print an apple in the shape of an apple, but it can create pearls of apple juice, CNET reported.
"We have re-invented the concept of fresh fruit on demand," Kalnikaite.
Dovetailed said it only takes seconds to print the spheres, 3D Print reported.
The company added that the device can print pears, apples, or any other fruit the user wishes.
Dovetailed introduced the 3D Fruit Printer Saturday at the "experimental food hackathon" known as TechFoodHack, CNET reported.
The company worked with Microsoft Research to organize the event, which was held in Cambridge.
