Strawberry Purée is the “berry” best way to add a burst of sweetness to your summer recipes!
Strawberries have an identity crisis. Although these bright red fruits have “berry” in their name, they’re actually not berries at all. They are part of the rose family. Weird, right? But that’s not the weirdest part. Get this: Eggplants and avocados are true botanical “berries!”
No matter what the botanists say, everyone knows strawberries are a refreshing fruit and a staple of summer snacking. Whether you enjoy eating sliced strawberries, making smoothies, or topping strawberries with decadent chocolate, there are many reasons to fall for these delicious and nutritious treats.
Plus, you don’t always have to eat strawberries whole to enjoy their sweet flavor. Have you ever thought about puréeing your strawberries into a syrupy sauce? Yes, puréeing strawberries is a great way to incorporate this fruit into more recipes.
Whether you’re interested in dessert toppings, baking additions, or cocktail infusions, strawberry purée will become your new BFF in the kitchen.
Is Strawberry Purée Healthy?
Blueberries sometimes hog the health spotlight for their antioxidant profile, but strawberries aren’t slouches! Containing a high amount of healthy vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber, a fresh strawberry purée can give everyone a serious dose of wellness.
There’s only one significant concern people have with their strawberry purée’s health score: added sugars. Although sugar helps smooth out the tart edges of your strawberry purée, it introduces an unhealthy element to this recipe.
The solution? You could simply omit the sugar if you don’t mind a little extra tartness. Otherwise, experiment with no-carb sweeteners like stevia and monk fruit as an alternative to plain white sugar. As a final tip, try a dab of raw honey rather than sugar as your purée’s primary sweetener.
Making Strawberry Purée Without A Blender
Blending strawberry purée is a breeze, but don’t worry if you don’t have one of these appliances. There are plenty of other ways to make a jar full of this sweet sauce without blitzing your berries.
For instance, you could put washed and hulled strawberries in a covered saucepan over medium-low heat. Check your strawberries every 10-15 minutes until they’re super soft and the natural juices are bubbling. Keep mashing your strawberries with a fork or potato masher until you have a thick sauce. Lastly, put your strawberry purée directly into a mason jar or strain it through a sieve or cheesecloth, and wait for it to cool before popping it in the fridge.
You could also push pieces of strawberries through a fine-mesh sieve to make a perfect purée. For this method, wash, hull, and cut your strawberries into small chunks, then place them in your fine-mesh strainer. With a spoon, force your strawberries through the sieve into the final container to get all that good juice out. Although this method takes a bit of elbow grease (and strawberries that are perfectly ripe!), it will still give you a tasty strawberry purée.
How To Make Ahead And Store
Whether you use a blender, saucepan, or sieve to make your strawberry purée, you can store your berry blend in an airtight container and put it in the fridge or freezer. Strawberry purée typically stays in the refrigerator for around 5 days, but it lasts for around 6 months if you freeze it. Pro tip: Consider freezing the strawberry purée in an ice tray for extra simple portioning.
Serving Suggestions
Trust me, once you have a jar of strawberry purée, you’ll be drizzling this sauce on everything! As long as you believe a food or drink could use a little extra sweetness, chances are strawberry purée is a great option. Drizzle some strawberry purée on top of The Best Waffles Ever or Strawberry Pancakes for a great start to the day. You can also spoon it over a slice of Sugar-Free, No-Bake Cheesecake or enjoy it as a topping on a Vegan Banana Ice Cream Bar.
Ingredients
- 16 ounces ripe strawberries cleaned and hulled
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar or to taste
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Combine the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a blender or food processor.
- Blend the mixture until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary.
- Taste and adjust sweetness if needed, then transfer the purée to an airtight container.
Nutrition Info:
Nutrition information are estimates only and may vary based on the specific brands, ingredients, and portion sizes you use. This data is provided for informational purposes only.
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