Puréeing Vegetables

Appears in

Published 2014

About

Vegetable purées are served as side dishes or garnishes, and they are also used as ingredients in other preparations. Purées were introduced in the discussion of soups. The vegetable purées we are discussing here are similar, although they are of course much thicker than soups. Procedures for puréeing vary depending on the vegetable and how the purée is to be used, but some general guidelines can be stated.

Guidelines for Puréeing Vegetables

Vegetables to be puréed should be cooked until tender. Undercooked vegetables make a grainy purée. Be careful not to overcook green vegetables, which discolor when cooked too long.

Exception: A few vegetables, such as avocados and tomatoes, are tender enough to be puréed raw. Whether or not they are cooked depends on the vegetable and the desired use for the purée.
Vegetables for puréeing can be cooked by any method, but the most commonly used methods are boiling, steaming, and baking. Baking is used most often for starchy vegetables such as sweet potatoes and white potatoes.
Vegetables cooked by boiling or simmering should be drained well when done. If a stiff purée is desired, it may be necessary to dry the cooked vegetable before puréeing. Place the colander of drained vegetables on a sheet pan and set in a moderate oven for a few minutes to dry.
Always purée cooked vegetables while they are still hot. Cold vegetables are harder to purée to a smooth texture.
Select appropriate equipment. Ricers, food processors, vertical cutter/mixers (VCMs), food mills, and sieves can be used for puréeing. Food mills, ricers, and sieves make lump-free purées, but they may leave a grainy texture, depending on the vegetable, although a fine drum sieve (tamis) makes a very smooth purée (Figure 11.3). Food processors and VCMs can create a smooth texture, especially with starchy vegetables, but they do not eliminate vegetable fibers and may leave a few lumps. First using a processor and then passing the purée through a food mill or tamis yields the smoothest result.
Season and finish the purée as desired. Butter or cream is often used to finish vegetable purées. Alternatively, use the purée as an ingredient in another recipe as directed.

Figure 11.3 Puréeing vegetables using a tamis.

Rub the cooked vegetable through the tamis using a pestle (as shown) or a plastic scraper.
Scrape the purée from the bottom of the sieve.