What starts out as a collection of produce can become a marvelous gift or beautiful centerpiece. Edible bouquets have become quite popular and, although a bit pricey at the shops, they are more economical to make at home.
To make one of your own, start with a pineapple, honeydew melon, cantaloupe, oranges, strawberries, grapes, a head of lettuce, a few leaves of kale and small cookies. Supplies needed to create the shapes are cookie cutters, a melon baller, bamboo skewers, cellophane and a sharp knife. I found skewers, curling ribbon, a roll of clear cellophane, and large gift bags at the
The rule of thumb is to only make the bouquet with fruit that can be eaten within two days. The one in the photo is a gift for a friend who will be eating the fruit as breakfast, lunch, snacks and dessert.
Wash the strawberries, grapes and oranges and set aside to dry. Make three quarter-inch slices in the pineapple approximately the depth of the cookie cutters. Place the cookie cutter in the center of each slice, using your whole hand to press the cutter firmly down on the pineapple and remove from the cookie cutter to a plate.
Slice each melon and orange in eight slices and put aside. Slide the pineapple, melon and orange slices on to skewers and set aside. Using the melon baller on the cantaloupe, carve out a few balls as the center of each pineapple flower and cut each ball in half for easy placement. Slide three to five grapes on to five skewers and set aside. Put the strawberries on the skewers so the small point faces up to become a bud. A head of lettuce is placed in the container as a base for the skewers and the exposed top covered with kale leaves.
Arranging your bouquet is up to your creativity and you can get more ideas from the photos on Edible Arrangements. Each skewer can be cut with sharp pliers for easy placement.
To add interest and crunch to the bouquet, I used small cookies wrapped in cellophane, secured with a curly ribbon. Cookies by themselves make a fun and easy bouquet using homemade or bakery cookies.
