20ml(1-2tablebspoon)water (if needed to thin out the puree)
To set the caviar
500ml(2cups)vegetable oil (very cold)
Instructions
Place the oil into the freezer to chill it down completely. It needs to be very cold.
Blend the fruit to make a puree, and sieve if necessary to remove any seeds. Place into a saucepan on the stovetop.
Mix the agar agar powder with the teaspoon of sugar and then stir it into the fruit puree until fully combined. Heat the mixture and boil it for 30 seconds before turning off the heat.
Take the cold oil from the freezer and use a teaspoon, squeezy bottle, or pipette to drip the fruit puree agar mixture into it slowly from around 1 foot above the glass. Caviar pearls will form on contact with the cold oil and set as they fall to the bottom.
Sieve the oil to collect the fruit caviar and retain the oil for future use. Rinse the caviar in the sieve in water and serve or store it in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Video
Notes
Citrus fruits have too much acid to work well with agar agar powder. I have had the best results from berries and currants.
Thicker fruit purees like mango will need to be thinned out with water to work best.
Gelatin powder can be used instead, but it is not plant-based, and you will need a lot more of it. For best results, use agar agar.
Agar agar needs heat to be activated, so do not skip the step where it is boiled in the fruit puree.
Any non-flavored oil can be used, but it must be very cold and in a tall glass or jug.
The mixture needs to be dropped into the oil from height, so position the pipette around 1 foot or higher above the glass.