Puree

Purees are used to make soups, dips and spreads, and to add body to sauces, purees are made by reducing solid foods to a paste. It may be savory or sweet. Vegetables such as potatoes, parsnips, or carrots can be pureed to make comforting side dishes. And fruit purees are often used as sauces and fillings for cookies, cakes and tarts.

Some of the basic -

• To puree small quantities of food : Use a mortar and pestle, the perfect tools for crushing small amounts of food with minimal effort.

• To make chunky purees of vegetables or fruits : Use a wire masher.

• To make the finest-textured purees : Add only a small amount of liquid.

• To puree fruits and vegetables and eliminate any seeds or skins in the process : Use a food mill. The best ones have interchangeable plates to make fine to coarse purees.

• To puree very liquid mixtures, such as soups : Use a food processor, blender, or handheld immersion blender.

• To make perfectly smooth purees : Strain the puree through a sieve.

• To store leftover purees : Refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze up to 1 month.

Vegetable purees make a unique and flavorful side dish, and when steamed, the vegetables retain their nutritional value. If serving more than one vegetable puree, place contrasting colors side by side, swirling the two together (such as spinach and butternut squash). You can also use a vegetable puree as a low-fat base for soups or sauces. Purees lend a velvety texture that allows you to eliminate or use less cream, milk, or other dairy products.