The Proper Way To Cut Bar Fruit
Again, don’t spend too much time on this, as it’s all common sense. This is a quick, easy lesson. Just remember – sanitation first!
Note: The “Cutting Bar Fruit” video is currently being “re-done.” Cutting bar fruit is easy, so for now just Google the term and see how others are doing it.
Most bars carry only a few types of fruit. If you can slice a lemon or lime into 8 pieces – slices or wedges – you have passed the test!
I’ll get into Bar Sanitation in more detail in a later lesson. For now, let’s go over a few things you really need to know:
Bar Safety and Sanitation First!
- Never wash the knife or cutting board in the 3-sink glass washing tubs!
- Cutting board should NOT be wood!
- The bar should have some sort of sanitizing solution for the knife and cutting board
- Have the kitchen staff sharpen the knife regularly
- Practice proper food handling procedures for all fruit and other garnishes
- Store both knife and cutting board in its proper place
- Never cut fruit on top of the bar! Bartenders, many times, are cutting fruit while the bar is open – nothing wrong with that. There’s a lot going on, and the last thing you want is a customer handling your fruit. Or breathing/sneezing all over it. Or grabbing your knife, so…
- Never leave the knife within a customer’s reach!
You will most likely cut fruit on your very first day on the job. Some bars pride themselves on having a ton of fancy garnishes. Most bars won’t. Stick to the basics, below, and you’ll be just fine.
Common Bar Fruit For Garnish
- Lemons: Wedges, Twists, Wheels, Spirals
- Limes: Wedges, Wheels, Spirals
- Oranges: Wedges, Wheels, Spirals
- Strawberries: Whole, sometimes halved
- Pineapple: Wedges, Spears
- Celery: Stalks, sometimes hearts with tops only
Not So Common Bar Fruit Garnishes
- Grapefruit
- Melon
- Passion Fruit
- Apples
- Coconut (Fresh)
- Chocolate
- Mint
- Berries
- Dried Fruit
- Cucumber
- Leaves (Mint and other stuff)
That’s it – not a lot of information here on cutting fruit. If you want, pick up some fresh fruit at your local market, have a party with your friend’s over – and get to it.
If you’re following along in the Basic Bartending Course:
Next Lesson: Bar Glassware
Previous Lesson: All About Garnishes
Back to the Course Start Page: Basic Bartending Course