Making a Fruit Purée

Appears in

Published 1991

For the smoothest purée, whizz the stewed fruit in a food processor, then push through a fine nylon sieve using the back of a ladle. Or you can simply use either the sieve or processor alone for a slightly less smooth result.
For a fruit fool, whip double cream until it forms soft peaks and is about the same consistency as the puree, then gently fold the same amount of stewed or pureed fruit into the cream. Chill well before serving.

Fools are nicest when they have a little texture, so I tend to use very mushy stewed fruit for fools without pureeing it. Smooth purees are better for sorbets and ice creams, or for a fruit coulis sauce to accompany fresh fruit.
If making a fool from strong-coloured fruits such as blackcurrants you can achieve a marbled effect by mixing in the whipped cream only very roughly in swirls.
Gooseberries or apricots stewed with elderflowers take on a scented muscatel flavour and make irresistible fools. If you have some muscat wine, such as Beaumes-de-Venise, add a little to the gooseberry puree before combining it with the whipped cream.
Decorate fools with strips of fresh mint leaves, feathery fennel and dill leaves, curls of plain chocolate or toasted, flaked or chopped nuts.
Flavour syrups for poaching fruit with fruit juice or wine and whole spices such as mace, cinnamon, black peppercorns and cloves if appropriate.
A simple compote of poached fruit can seem more sophisticated if the syrup contains an interesting liqueur. Experiment with what you have at home. Stir it at the end of the cooking for the strongest flavour.
As well as using fruit juices, you can also make fruit jellies with sweetened wine or lemon juice or with the cooled juices of stewed fruits.
Fresh pineapple and kiwi fruit contain an enzyme which destroys the setting power of gelatine. If you want to use fresh pineapple juice in a jelly you must boil it for 3 minutes.

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