Making fruit puree is quick and easy. Only 2 ingredients are needed for this strawberry pure recipe that you can flavor and adjust for sweetness depending on what you use it for. It's perfect for drinks, glazes, icings, cakes, fruit fillings, and many desserts. It lasts a week (maybe more in the refrigerator and can be frozen.
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What is a puree?
Theoretically, you can make a fruit puree with just one ingredient, the fruit itself. Blend sweet strawberries, and that's it, you have strawberry purée.
Just two ingredients are needed to make this berry puree. You can add other ones for a flavor twist, depending on what you're using it for. Some sugar is added for flavor and consistency when using it for baking and drinks. Other flavorings can be added, such as citrus or spices, like lemon juice, orange juice, vanilla extract, a pinch of cardamom or cinnamon or liquor of your choice.
It's great for when you have a small number of leftover strawberries or very ripe ones that have seen better days. Blend them with sugar and freeze them for later use.
Uses for strawberry puree
- Drinks and cocktails: Use this homemade strawberry puree to make pink lemonade, for cocktails that call for muddling strawberries with sugar, like the strawberry and passion fruit caipirinha or strawberry margarita, or add it to a pitcher of regular lemonade with vodka to make a quick strawberry vodka lemonade.
- Glazes and icings: powdered sugar glaze is a staple here and one of my favorite ways to spruce up simple cakes, scones, and cookies. Use the puree as the liquid component and create an eye-catching pink icing as we do for the fresh strawberry scones and strawberry pound cake.
- Strawberry cake: you can add it to a vanilla cake batter and make it strawberry-flavored, or use it to make strawberry frosting. If you want a more concentrated flavor and texture, make a reduced strawberry puree by cooking it over medium or low heat until it thickens.
- Ice cream: You start with a puree when making no-churn strawberry ice cream (or the regular kind).
- Fruit sauces: add pureed berries to a homemade strawberry sauce for extra texture and flavor.
- Cheesecake and cheesecake pie: swirl it on a cheesecake filling before it goes into the oven. Or use it for a no-bake cheesecake pie like our frozen strawberry pie.
- Smoothies: add a splash of fresh strawberry flavor to the blender. It pairs well with banana, orange, mango, other berries, peach, kiwi, pineapple, and some greens like spinach and kale if you're into power smoothies.
- Waffles and pancakes: you can drizzle puree over them together with fresh berries and some yogurt or whipped cream for a quick topping.
Testing notes
Use fresh strawberries if possible. Very ripe strawberries are perfect for this recipe. Frozen berries also work, but they have more water content, which can weaken the flavor.
Frozen strawberries: You can use them straight from the freezer. If they have too much ice around them (something that happens when they've been frozen for a long time), thaw them a little just to release some of the icy water, not the juices. The strawberry itself will still be pretty frozen.
Sweetness: this strawberry puree recipe can be adjusted to your taste by adding as much (within limits, of course, as lots of sugar will overpower the fresh strawberry flavor) or as little sugar as you want. So find your sweet spot.
No sugar: the truth is that you can make it with just strawberries and maybe a little bit of liquid if needed. Fresh berries will release their natural sweetness as they blend, especially when strawberry season hits and the market is flooded with different varieties. This is also known as a strawberry coulis.
Other sweeteners: the recipe does work with brown sugar, coconut sugar, and muscovado sugar. The last two don't sweeten as much though, so you may have to adjust the quantities. You can use other natural sweeteners like maple, agave, corn syrup, honey, or artificial sweeteners like Splenda, stevia, or light sugar. Always start with small amounts until you find the right amount of sweetness you need.
Storing: it keeps well for at least a week in the refrigerator and a month in the freezer, always in an airtight container.
Ice-cube trays: this is a great way of freezing fresh strawberry puree if you want small, individual servings for drinks, strawberry milk, or as a topping for ice cream or sweet whipped cream (on top of a slice of pound cake, cheesecake, or angel food cake, for example). It's convenient when you have a small amount of leftover puree.
Variations
Strawberries pair well with several flavors, and they can be added to this easy puree recipe.
- Citrus - lemon, orange, and lime, all pair very well with strawberries. My rule is that if the strawberries are very sweet (usually seasonal), I use lemon or lime juice. If they taste more acidic, I use orange or tangerine juice, which are mellower and add sweetness.
- Alcohol - a tablespoon of champagne, golden rum, Cointreau, or Grand Marnier is wonderful if you want a boozy strawberry puree.
- Flavorings - add a few drops of pure vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, fresh mint, or fresh basil to add another layer of flavor, depending on the use you're giving it.
How to puree strawberries
It's simple. You have to process the strawberries with the sugar until completely smooth and no chunks of fruit remain.
Both a regular blender and an immersion blender will render perfect results. A food processor usually won't completely disintegrate the fruit, so I don't recommend it unless you want a chunky mixture.
Super smooth puree: sieve the blended strawberry mixture if you want a seedless, perfect puree. I tried it with a very fine mesh sieve, but it did not go through easily as the puree was thick. You'll have to be patient as the seeds are there but quite disintegrated.
Immersion blender
I find this is the best and easiest way to do it because you do it directly in the bowl you're using.
- Mix strawberry pieces with sugar in a medium bowl and start mixing with the immersion blender.
- Process until completely pureed and smooth, and no chunks remain.
Regular blender
In terms of ease, it's similar to the one above, but the puree is harder to take out of the jar afterward.
- Add strawberries and sugar to the blender jar.
- Blend until completely pureed.
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How to Make Strawberry Puree (2 ingredients)
Ingredients
- 1 pound strawberries, fresh or frozen
- ¼ cup sugar
- flavorings, optional, see Notes below
Instructions
- Wash and hull 1 pound strawberries cut them into pieces, and put them in a large bowl if using an immersion blender or the jar if using a blender. If using frozen strawberries, see Notes below.
- Sprinkle with ¼ cup sugar and stir to mix. If adding citrus zest, do so now. You can leave it for an hour to macerate and create a strawberry syrup before you blend it and make the puree.
- Blend everything until completely smooth and no pieces of fruit remain. If adding vanilla or liquor, do so at the end and blend a little more to incorporate.
- Store in an airtight jar or container in the refrigerator for a week or in the freezer for a month.
Notes
Citrus - lemon, orange, and lime, all pair very well with strawberries. My rule is that if the strawberries are very sweet (usually seasonal ones), I use lemon or lime juice. If they taste more acidic, I use orange or tangerine juice that adds sweetness.
Alcohol - a tablespoon of champagne, golden rum, Cointreau, or Grand Marnier is wonderful if you want a boozy strawberry puree.
Extracts, herbs, and spices - add a few drops of pure vanilla extract, orange extract, ground cinnamon, fresh mint, or fresh basil to add another layer of flavor, depending on what you're using it for.
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