Puréed Fruits

Although many fruit purées are commercially available, at The French Culinary Institute we often make them using ripe fresh fruit that we have on hand. Purées can be made using either fresh or cooked fruit or berries. Fresh fruit should be washed, stemmed, cored, and, if necessary, peeled—or, in the case of berries, washed and patted dry. If making fresh fruit purée, the fruit should be cut into small pieces and then processed to a smooth purée in a blender or food processor. If cooking, the fruit should be cut into small pieces and placed in a heavy-bottomed saucepan with just enough water to keep the fruit from sticking. The pan should be covered and placed over medium-low heat. As soon as the liquid begins to simmer, cook the fruit, watching carefully, just until it is soft but has not burned or stuck to the bottom of the pan. Additional water can be added, but the more water added, the less concentrated the fruit flavor. The cooked fruit is then processed to a smooth purée in a blender or food processor. For the smoothest consistency, the purée should then be pushed through a fine-mesh sieve. If the fruit has a tendency to oxidize, as do apples and pears, lemon juice can be added to the puréed fruit to halt oxidation. Fruit purées can be stored, covered and frozen, for up to 3 months.