Fruitful Bowl

Soaking the wooden picks in bleach for five minutes before inserting into fruit will help the fruit last longer.

2 absorbent floral foam blocks (12 X 3 X 3 inches)

Floral preservative, if desired

Shallow waterproof container, 9 X 2 inches

¼-inch waterproof tape

About 25 wooden picks or skewers (4 inches long)

About 20 to 40 pieces assorted fresh fruit of similar size, such as apples, pears, lemons, oranges, limes, kumquats or grape clusters

Assorted ornamental greens, such as princess pine sprigs, boxwood leaves, magnolia leaves, pittosporum leaves (available at florists’ shops) or moss

Fine wire

Small flowers, such as statice or other dried flowers (statice dries nicely while retaining color), if desired

Bows, colored flowers, small ornaments or garlands, if desired

Soak foam blocks in water with floral preservative about 15 minutes, allowing foam to absorb water rather than pushing blocks to submerge them. Place foam blocks upright in container. Trim corners of foam at an angle to form tree shape, using knife, leaving top 3 to 4 inches in diameter. Fill container with extra foam pieces. Tape across foam and container several times with waterproof tape to anchor foam and container securely. (Stick end of tape on container, bring it up over foam and stick on opposite side of container.)

Insert wooden picks into fruit. Attach 3 pieces of fruit equally spaced around base of foam by inserting picks into foam. Attach remaining fruit to foam in a spiral pattern, starting above each of the 3 pieces of fruit and working from the base to the top. Wire clusters of greens onto wooden picks if necessary (some firm stems can be inserted directly into foam). Insert greens into open spaces. Attach flowers and bows. Store centerpiece uncovered in refrigerator up to 2 weeks (covering tightly causes fruit to spoil more quickly). Mist the leaves and add water to bowl occasionally.

 

It is a quote. Betty Crocker’s New Christmas Cookbook 1993