By . Victoria Woollaston . There is already a 3D printer that creates pancakes, so the next logical step is to top these breakfast items with your very own 3D printed fruit. A Cambridge firm has created a device that uses a culinary technique known as spherification to build replica raspberries and blackcurrants using flavoured gel. The droplets of gel are placed into a dish of solution, and positioned in such a way to mimic the shape and colour of various fruits, which are then spooned out of the dish and are instantly edible. Scroll down for video . A Cambridge firm has created a device that uses a culinary technique known as spherification to build pieces of fruit using flavoured gel.  Droplets of gel are dropped into a dish of solution, pictured, and positioned in such a way to mimic the shape and colour of various fruits . Spherification is a technique used in cooking to shape liquids into spheres, designed to look like caviar. For flavoured liquids, including fruit juices that don’t contain any calcium, the liquid is mixed with powdered sodium alginate, then dripped into a bowl of cold calcium chloride or another soluble calcium salt. Each drop of the alginated liquid forms into a small sphere in the calcium solution. The solution reacts with the aginate to create an outer layer of thin, flexible skin. The printer was created by designers at firm Dovetailed, and is aimed at chefs and foodies. It was revealed at the Tech Food Hack event earlier this week, organised by Microsoft Research Cambridge. To create the flavours, the researchers use fruit juices mixed with powdered sodium alginate, dripped into a bowl of cold calcium chloride. Each drop of the alginated liquid forms into a small sphere in the calcium solution and this solution causes the outer layer of each sphere to form a thin, flexible skin. The printer, pictured, was created by designers at firm Dovetailed, and is aimed at chefs and foodies. It was revealed at the Tech Food Hack event earlier this week, organised by Microsoft Research Cambridge . The firm has already perfected how to create raspberries, pictured, and blackcurrants, and is working on developing larger fruit such as apples and pears. To create the flavours, the researchers use juices mixed with powdered sodium alginate, dripped into a bowl of cold calcium chloride . Dr. Vaiva Kalnikaitė, creative director and founder of Dovetailed, said: ‘Our 3D fruit printer will open up new possibilities not only to professional chefs but also to kitchens in our home - allowing us to enhance and expand our dining experiences. We have re-invented the concept of fresh fruit on demand.’ Dr Gabriel Villar, Chief Inventor at Dovetailed, added: ‘With our novel printing technique, you can not only re-create existing fruits, but also invent your own creations. The taste, texture, size and shape of the fruit can all be customised.’ The firm has already perfected how to create raspberries, blackberries and blackcurrants and is working on developing larger fruit such as apples and pears. Each drop of the alginated liquid forms into a small sphere in the calcium solution and the solution causes the outer layer of each sphere to form a thin, flexible skin. Users can then spoon out the fruit, pictured, and it is instantly edible . Earlier this week, a Norwegian father built a 3D printer, pictured, out of Lego to make pancakes. Miguel Valenzuela, from Oslo, Norway, and his PancakeBot tour the country making presentations to school children, and he has made the plans to his brilliant invention available online . Earlier this week, a Norwegian father built a 3D printer out of Lego to make pancakes. Miguel Valenzuela, from Oslo, Norway, and his PancakeBot tour the country making presentations to school children, and he has made the plans to his brilliant invention available online. The father-of-two wrote on an Indiegogo fundraising page that his unique invention was inspired by his daughters, and he built the contraption to help inspire children to become interested in engineering.
The Dovetailed 3D printer uses a technique called spherification .
It places droplets of flavoured gel into a dish of cold solution .
Each drop is placed in a certain position to mimic the shape of fruit .
It currently ‘prints’ raspberries and blackberries and the firm is working on apples and pears .
Each of the fruits can be customised for flavour as well as texture .
By . Victoria Woollaston . There is already a 3D printer that creates pancakes, so the next logical step is to top these breakfast items with your very own 3D printed fruit. A Cambridge firm has created a device that uses a culinary technique known as spherification to build replica raspberries and blackcurrants using flavoured gel. The droplets of gel are placed into a dish of solution, and positioned in such a way to mimic the shape and colour of various fruits, which are then spooned out of the dish and are instantly edible. Scroll down for video . A Cambridge firm has created a device that uses a culinary technique known as spherification to build pieces of fruit using flavoured gel. Droplets of gel are dropped into a dish of solution, pictured, and positioned in such a way to mimic the shape and colour of various fruits . Spherification is a technique used in cooking to shape liquids into spheres, designed to look like caviar. For flavoured liquids, including fruit juices that don’t contain any calcium, the liquid is mixed with powdered sodium alginate, then dripped into a bowl of cold calcium chloride or another soluble calcium salt. Each drop of the alginated liquid forms into a small sphere in the calcium solution. The solution reacts with the aginate to create an outer layer of thin, flexible skin. The printer was created by designers at firm Dovetailed, and is aimed at chefs and foodies. It was revealed at the Tech Food Hack event earlier this week, organised by Microsoft Research Cambridge. To create the flavours, the researchers use fruit juices mixed with powdered sodium alginate, dripped into a bowl of cold calcium chloride. Each drop of the alginated liquid forms into a small sphere in the calcium solution and this solution causes the outer layer of each sphere to form a thin, flexible skin. The printer, pictured, was created by designers at firm Dovetailed, and is aimed at chefs and foodies. It was revealed at the Tech Food Hack event earlier this week, organised by Microsoft Research Cambridge . The firm has already perfected how to create raspberries, pictured, and blackcurrants, and is working on developing larger fruit such as apples and pears. To create the flavours, the researchers use juices mixed with powdered sodium alginate, dripped into a bowl of cold calcium chloride . Dr. Vaiva Kalnikaitė, creative director and founder of Dovetailed, said: ‘Our 3D fruit printer will open up new possibilities not only to professional chefs but also to kitchens in our home - allowing us to enhance and expand our dining experiences. We have re-invented the concept of fresh fruit on demand.’ Dr Gabriel Villar, Chief Inventor at Dovetailed, added: ‘With our novel printing technique, you can not only re-create existing fruits, but also invent your own creations. The taste, texture, size and shape of the fruit can all be customised.’ The firm has already perfected how to create raspberries, blackberries and blackcurrants and is working on developing larger fruit such as apples and pears. Each drop of the alginated liquid forms into a small sphere in the calcium solution and the solution causes the outer layer of each sphere to form a thin, flexible skin. Users can then spoon out the fruit, pictured, and it is instantly edible . Earlier this week, a Norwegian father built a 3D printer, pictured, out of Lego to make pancakes. Miguel Valenzuela, from Oslo, Norway, and his PancakeBot tour the country making presentations to school children, and he has made the plans to his brilliant invention available online . Earlier this week, a Norwegian father built a 3D printer out of Lego to make pancakes. Miguel Valenzuela, from Oslo, Norway, and his PancakeBot tour the country making presentations to school children, and he has made the plans to his brilliant invention available online. The father-of-two wrote on an Indiegogo fundraising page that his unique invention was inspired by his daughters, and he built the contraption to help inspire children to become interested in engineering.
technique known as spherification to build flavoured gel. The droplets of gel are placed into a dish of solution, and positioned in such a to mimic the shape and colour of various fruits . pictured, and blackcurrants, and is working on shape of the fruit can all be customised.’ The raspberries, blackberries and blackcurrants and apples and pears. Each drop of the alginated Norwegian father built a 3D printer, pictured,