Pineapple & Pear chips

[iii_bake]

I have seen pasrty decoration made from pineapple...so thin and clear like glass without traces of caramelized sugar in the fruit...from books and also had tried Francois Payard's ( spelling?).

Does anyone have any method of how to make those pear - apple -pineapple crisp?

[chiantiglace]

use a meat slicer, and dry them in the oven

also, you can use a mandelin, or special garnishin peelers.

Edited July 27, 2005 by chiantiglace (log)

[KarenS]

First poach your fruit in simple syrup before drying (until transluscent).

[nightscotsman]

It really isn't necessary to poach your fruit slices before drying into chips. Pretty much any fruit that can be sliced paper thin can be made into chips - apples, pineapple, mangos, pears, etc. Some, like apples and pears, should be put directly into lemon or lime juice after slicing, then drained and dipped in simple syrup before spreading out in a single layer on a silpat lined baking sheet. Tropical fruit like pineapple and mango just needs to be sliced.

An electric meat slicer will give you thinner, more even slices and will make your work much faster, though a good mandoline will also work fine.

Dry slowly in the oven at a low 180 degrees so the fruit doesn't brown. The wetter the fruit, the longer it will take. Since the fruit will still be soft when it's warm, you have to peel a slice of fruit off of the sheet and let it cool to see if will be dry and crisp at room temp.

[chiantiglace]

on neils note about being wetter the longer, its also good to use underripe fruit for a stiffer product that doesnt shrivel. This is especially wise with fruits like bananas and mangos.

[KarenS]

Poaching will result in a crisper, prettier chip (the result is more like candy then dried fruit). When poached they will dry almost transluscent- and keep a better color.

Check out the French Laundry Cookbook, they do it that way- I switched and liked their technique better.

[KarenS]

I wouldn't poach mango or bananas (and with bananas, I use whole underipe apple bananas with the skin on- it it easier to cut them thin on the mandolin this way- take the skin off afterwards)

[iii_bake]

It really isn't necessary to poach your fruit slices before drying into chips. Pretty much any fruit that can be sliced paper thin can be made into chips - apples, pineapple, mangos, pears, etc. Some, like apples and pears, should be put directly into lemon or lime juice after slicing, then drained and dipped in simple syrup before spreading out in a single layer on a silpat lined baking sheet. Tropical fruit like pineapple and mango just needs to be sliced.

An electric meat slicer will give you thinner, more even slices and will make your work much faster, though a good mandoline will also work fine.

Dry slowly in the oven at a low 180 degrees so the fruit doesn't brown. The wetter the fruit, the longer it will take. Since the fruit will still be soft when it's warm, you have to peel a slice of fruit off of the sheet and let it cool to see if will be dry and crisp at room temp.

←

Thank you so much for all of you guys' methods, especially yours ..nightscotman.

I will work on it this week and will report to you.

[iii_bake]

Poaching will result in a crisper, prettier chip (the result is more like candy then dried fruit). When poached they will dry almost transluscent- and keep a better color.

Check out the French Laundry Cookbook, they do it that way- I switched and liked their technique better.

←

I will also check on the French Laundry, Thnaks Karen

[Trishiad]

Okay, so poach the pears in simple syrup? Sliced or whole? and after putting them in the oven roughly when should I start checking them?

[ludja]

It really isn't necessary to poach your fruit slices before drying into chips. Pretty much any fruit that can be sliced paper thin can be made into chips - apples, pineapple, mangos, pears, etc. Some, like apples and pears, should be put directly into lemon or lime juice after slicing, then drained and dipped in simple syrup before spreading out in a single layer on a silpat lined baking sheet. Tropical fruit like pineapple and mango just needs to be sliced.

An electric meat slicer will give you thinner, more even slices and will make your work much faster, though a good mandoline will also work fine.

Dry slowly in the oven at a low 180 degrees so the fruit doesn't brown. The wetter the fruit, the longer it will take. Since the fruit will still be soft when it's warm, you have to peel a slice of fruit off of the sheet and let it cool to see if will be dry and crisp at room temp.

←

This method has worked well for me using pineapple slices. I don't have a silplat and I'm trying to recall what type of pan I used or if I treated it somehow. I turned the slices over a few times during the process to minimize sticking and speed the drying. Towards the end I sprinkled on a little sugar and some crushed pink peppercorns. They were a delicious garnish for a pineapple-anise granita.

I also dried some strawberry slices in the same manner.

Edited March 27, 2007 by ludja (log)