Berry Berry Quite Contrary: Purred Fruit

There is nothing I hate more than berries that spoil. And strawberries seem particularly good at this activity even after a few days.  So as soon as those berries loose their ripe firmness and before they grow mold, they are perfect for a puree.

Puree comes from the French word meaning purified or refined. A puree is created by putting fruit into a blender, food processor or food mill then passing it through a fine sieve.  Some purees call for cooking to influence the flavor, color and purity but due to the softness and size of strawberries, the MiddleBar Strawberry Puree does not call for this additional step.  This puree is great in a cocktail as well as drizzling over desserts such as cheesecake. Yum! Purees can be made with any berry, stone fruit or combination of the two (I also make a summertime white peach puree with cooked peaches which is perfect for a Bellini).

Ingredients:

2 containers of fresh strawberries hulled and quartered

1-2 tablespoons of sugar (omit for extremely sweet strawberries)

filtered water

Place strawberries and sugar into a blender or food processor.  Slowly add water while blending until the strawberries are smooth but still retains some thickness. Adding too much water will overpower your puree and effect the flavor of your cocktails due to it's high water content.  Gently press puree through a fine mesh strainer and into a jar for storage. 


Homemade puree is wonderful for a cocktail, it adds depth, sweetness and has much more flavor than any store bought brand. This puree is perfect for cocktails with rum, gin, and vodka, and is especially tasty in a margarita. 

Enjoy Ya’ll!