A purée is a cooked food that is a smooth, creamy substance or thick liquid suspension that has been made (usually) from crushed or ground fruits or vegetables. It has usually been run through a sieve, blender or food processor to achieve its consistency.
Vegetable purées are used either as a base for soup and thinned with water or stock, or they can be eaten as a fancy side dish. Tomato purée is used for things like spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce and soups. It can be made from removing the seeds from slightly cooked tomatoes and taking out the pulp, using a strainer.
Fruit purées can be used for desserts such as mousses, soufflés, cake fillings, fruit curds and more. Fruit purée can offer slightly more calories than normal fruit as it is more concentrated, but the amount of vitamins, minerals and beneficial nutrients are relatively the same. Fruit purées, as well as fruit, offer antioxidants that can help boost the immune system and help limit cell damage within the body.
Though a purée is typically created from fruits or vegetables, almost any soft food can be processed to achieve these results. Whether you’re wanting to create a purée simply because or for health reasons, here are some other foods that purée well:
chicken, beef, or turkey
macaroni and cheese
scrambled eggs
cottage or ricotta cheese
squash
mashed or sweet potatoes
yogurt
oatmeal, grits, cream of wheat
How Do You Make A Purée?
- Cook down fruits and vegetables in a pan or slow cooker, then mash up or blend the mixture, using a blender, food processor or sieve until smooth.
- To thin the consistency, you can mix in water, stock or broth.
- It’s okay if there are some lumps in the purée as long as you can mash it with your fingers.
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