Pectin: Not Just For Jelly

Honeydew and Pineapple Terrine:  Aki Kamozawa and H. Alexander Talbot

Fruit Terrine

A vacuum sealer is needed for this recipe.

1 honeydew melon
1 pineapple
500 grams water
2.5 grams calcium lactate or calcium gluconate
500 grams water at 95ºC
15 grams LM pectin

Clean the fruit. Cut the top and bottom off of the melon and pineapple. Stand the fruit on its end and trim the rind vertically, removing all undesirable pieces. Slice the melon in half vertically. Remove the seeds and slice each half into quarters, leaving you with four large pieces of melon. Slice the pineapple into quarters vertically and remove the core. Trim the pieces of melon and pineapple into planks of equal size, making sure that the tops and bottoms are flat surfaces. Set aside the trimmings for fruit salad or juice.

Make a solution with 500 grams of water and 2.5 grams calcium lactate or calcium gluconate. The choice of one type of calcium over the other is based on taste. Once the solution is made, vacuum-seal the fruit in a bag with the calcium solution. This impregnates the fruit with the calcium. It takes about five minutes for the calcium to be absorbed. Open the vacuum bag and pat the fruit dry.

Place the 500 grams of water at 95ºC in a blender and turn it on low. Increase the speed to form a vortex at the center of the blender. With the blender still running, carefully remove the top and sprinkle in 15 grams LM pectin to hydrate it, and then cool down the solution. Once the pectin is cooled, brush it on one piece of the calcium-infused fruit and lay another piece on top. Repeat with two more pieces of fruit. Vacuum-seal the fruit to compress it together. Repeat process with the remaining four pieces of fruit. Let it rest in the refrigerator overnight. The following morning, cut open the bag and remove the fruit terrine. Slice and serve.