How to Make a Fruit Basket Centerpiece

You don't need to be a culinary chef to create a fruit basket centerpiece, but garnishing tools and skills do help. The type of centerpiece you make depends on the festivity, the menu, the time of year and your talent at garnishing.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Variety of fruit
• Knifes
• Garnishing tools

1. Decide what type of fruit to use. The most common type of fruit basket centerpiece is a watermelon basket. It's large enough to hold a high quantity of fruit and fits into almost any theme. For a smaller basket, consider using a melon like a cantaloupe or a large orange. Pumpkins work well for fall baskets.

2. Cut into the fruit leaving space for the handle. The easiest way to cut a handle is to leave a 1-inch section of fruit and skin in the center of the top half. For a watermelon basket, you may want to draw the lines with a black marker. You'll cut any visible sections after you get a rough shape cut out.

3. Hollow out your basket. If you plan to use the fruit inside your basket, use a melon baller or a pearl baller for smaller baskets to scoop out the fruit. Otherwise, use a spoon. Leave an inch of fruit along the skin to prevent your basket from collapsing.

4. Make a decorative edge on your basket. Using a small paring knife, cut a zigzag pattern across your horizontal cuts. You also need to cut the bottom of the fruit so it sits securely on the table. Make sure you don't cut too far into the basket or the fruit and liquid will leak out.

5. Decorate the basket. Use garnishing tools like a peeler or zester to cut a design into the rind of watermelon baskets. These tools also work well on oranges. You may want to use a sharp knife to score a design before you begin.

6. Customize your fruit basket centerpiece to fit a theme. Turn a watermelon basket into a baby carriage by adding orange slices to look like wheels. Decorate the handle of the basket with red grapes cut in half and set them on a slice of kumquat. You may want to add edible flowers made from pineapple slices and red grapes or smaller fruit garnishes to fit the occasion.

7. Add fruit based on color and smell. Any bite-size pieces of fruit work well. You can also make salads, mix in yogurt or gelatin or add a splash of port wine to your fruit.

Tips & Warnings

• Attach fruit accessories with wooden toothpicks, and break off any visible part of the toothpick once the fruit is in place.
• If you want to prevent the fruit from becoming soggy, put a drainage hole in the bottom and set the basket in a roasting pan with ice.