Before you read any further, I have to say that this recipe is a bit of a failure. I had made it because I was amused by the last comment  on this grape terrine.

So now you have the choice of ignoring this whole post and just whiz past it, or we can go through what I did wrong and see what could’ve been done better.

Basic fruit terrine recipes consist of fruits set in a solution of gelatin and water or flavoured drinks (fruit juices, champagne, etc), as written in this recipe by Joy of Baking. But because I had intended to submit this as part of the vegan challenge, I swapped the gelatin for Agar powder (made from the components of an algae’s cell wall) which effectively brings us to:

Mistake # 1: Using Agar powder. 

When agar sets, it doesn’t have the elasticity that is required for the finished product to be able to be cut without falling apart. When set, agar is much more firm than jello or gelatin, and in a way, more “brittle” - it crumbles very easily. I would recommend using a gelatin substitute that actually has the texture (or similar to that) of jello. 

And so, moving on with the recipe:

* Prepping the fruits:

There are no specific list of ingredients here, just use any fruits that are in season. I also used some basil leaves.

Peel and cut them to your preference. 

As for the * jelly solution, you’ll need:

[ 2 packets of Agar or any other vegan/vegetarian gelatin substitute + The amount of liquid specified by the packet of your jelly substance + flavourings (sugar, honey, lime juice etc) ]

I’m using basil-infused tea for the liquid in this terrine, which can be easily substituted with any other drinks, in the amount that is required by the Agar-powder packet (which in this case was 3 cups).

Heat up your liquid and cook the jelly/agar/gelatine according to the packaging.

I also added some basil seeds to the liquid mixture just for the sake of texture.

* Assembly:

Prepare some ice cold water in a container nearby.

Take an 8x4 inch loaf pan.

Pour a layer of jelly mixture and dip it in the cold water to set. then layer your first fruit.

Pour some of the jelly mixture on the fruits so that they’re submerged.

Mistake # 2: Overcrowding the fruit. 

I used too much fruit slices in one layer, therefore the jelly mixture cannot seep in properly in between the spaces (or lack thereof). As a result, when cut, the fruit pieces falls off from the terrine because they’re not suspended properly in the terrine. Definitely space out the fruit pieces so that they’ll actually be able to move around as they float.

Keep repeating this step (fruit, jelly, fruit jelly) until you’ve filled the container.

When you get to the last layer, make sure that all the fruit pieces are submerged - push down or take some out if you have to. 

Then chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours.

To unmold, either place in hot water or use a hair dryer to loosen the terrine from the sides of the loaf pan.  Invert onto your serving plate and unmold.  If not serving immediately, return to refrigerator. 

Enjoy! (I guess?) :D