Description

This delightful Fruit Caviar recipe creates beautiful, burst-in-your-mouth fruit pearls using fruit puree and agar agar powder. Perfect as a fancy garnish or a fun treat, these caviar pearls are made by dropping a hot fruit-agar mixture into very cold vegetable oil, causing the mixture to set instantly into small spheres. The method is quick, requires minimal ingredients, and results in visually stunning and flavorful fruit caviar that can impress guests or elevate desserts.

Ingredients

Scale

Main Ingredients

170 ml (¾ cup) fruit puree
1 teaspoon agar agar powder
1 teaspoon white granulated sugar
20 ml (1-2 tablespoons) water (optional, to thin out the puree)
500 ml (2 cups) very cold vegetable oil

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Instructions

Chill the Oil: Place the vegetable oil into the freezer and chill it completely until very cold. This step is crucial to ensure the fruit caviar pearls set properly when dropped into the oil.
Prepare Fruit Puree: Blend your chosen fruit until smooth to make a puree. Then, strain the puree through a sieve if needed to remove seeds or pulp for a smoother texture. Pour the puree into a saucepan on the stovetop.
Mix Agar Agar and Sugar: Combine the agar agar powder with the white granulated sugar, then stir this mixture thoroughly into the fruit puree until fully integrated.
Heat the Mixture: Heat the fruit puree mixture on medium heat. Bring it to a boil and maintain the boil for 30 seconds to activate the agar agar. Immediately turn off the heat afterward to prevent overcooking.
Drop into Cold Oil: Remove the very cold oil from the freezer. Using a teaspoon, squeezy bottle, or pipette, slowly drip the hot fruit puree agar mixture into the oil from about one foot above the container. The fruit liquid will form small spheres upon contact with the cold oil and fall to the bottom, setting into caviar pearls.
Collect and Rinse Caviar Pearls: After all the mixture has been dripped into the oil, sieve the oil to collect the caviar pearls. Gently rinse them with water to remove any residual oil for a clean finish.
Serve or Store: Serve the fruit caviar immediately for the best texture and burst. Alternatively, store them in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days to maintain freshness.

Notes

Use fruit purees that are smooth and seedless for best results, such as mango, strawberry, raspberry, or passion fruit.
The vegetable oil must be very cold to help the agar agar set quickly into small spheres.
Ensure to boil the puree mixture just long enough to activate the agar agar but avoid prolonged cooking to retain fresh fruit flavor.
Handle the caviar pearls gently when rinsing to prevent breaking their delicate structure.
Consume the caviar pearls within a few days for optimal texture and freshness.