How to puree food using a blender: an easy guide

What is puree?

Pureeing is a processing method that transforms solid foods like fruits and vegetables into a smooth texture. A puree is usually made in either a food processor or a blender, and its consistency is typically thicker than a juice.

Can a regular blender puree food?

Many types of blenders are capable of creating a delicious puree, though the results will vary by model. A more powerful blender, or certain features can help ensure a finer puree than some entry-level blenders. Some blenders even offer a blending setting that will help you create luscious purees with the press of a button.

However, if you often puree hot soups or sauces you’ll need a blender with a thermal control jar or an immersion blender.

The KitchenAid^® Pro Line^® Series Blender with Thermal Control Jar can blend and heat soups in minutes and offers an asymmetric stainless steel blade that is designed to cut through hard ingredients like kale and almonds.

Which foods are best for making a puree?

A wide variety of fruits and vegetables can be pureed, like cooked potatoes, squash, carrots and bananas. You can use fresh or frozen berries to make tangy fruit purees to top your favorite desserts, or blend together a combination of fruits and veggies to make homemade baby food.

You can puree fresh, frozen and cooked foods and achieve smooth results. However, cooking methods like steaming, simmering or braising in liquid add moisture to meats and produce that can help make pureeing easier.

You can also add other ingredients like broth, cream and herbs to boost flavor and create a more complex flavor profile. Use your blender to puree homemade hummus to serve at parties or enjoy at snack time. Create a creamy cashew puree to pair with roasted halibut or make a white bean puree to serve with grilled red snapper.

What foods cannot be pureed?

Generally speaking, tough meats, nuts, seeds and raw vegetables cannot be pureed in a blender. These ingredients can be tougher to break down, which can affect the texture of your puree.

How to make a smooth puree

You can make a smooth-as-silk puree in minutes with the help of a powerful countertop blender, including models from KitchenAid brand. Read on below to learn how to achieve the right consistency when making puree in a blender.

Ingredients

• Produce of choice, like cooked sweet potatoes, carrots, peas, fresh bananas or berries

• Liquid of choice, such as water, broth or cream

• Seasonings of choice (optional)

Tools

• A blender, like the KitchenAid^® High Performance Series Blender

• Saucepan

• Spoon

Step 1: Cook your produce

Before you can begin blending your puree, you need to soften any hard produce. Wash and cut up your fruits and vegetables, removing any stems, skins or inedible seeds. Steam, roast or sautee your fruits and vegetables using your preferred technique. Soft produce such as bananas, mangoes or avocados can be pureed fresh. Cut whole produce into halves or quarters.

Step 2: Load ingredients into the blender jar

Once ingredients have been prepared, add them into your blender jar along with any liquids and seasonings.

To avoid creating a juice rather than a puree, make sure to add any liquids in a 1:4 ratio with your solid ingredients. For example, pureeing 1 cup of squash only requires ¼ cup of water or broth.

Step 3: Puree your ingredients

Secure the lid onto your blender jar, then select the proper blending speed. This can vary depending on the model of your blender. If your blender has a puree function, select that option. Otherwise, blend on high speed for 1–3 minutes or until the mixture is completely smooth. Select KitchenAid^® blenders feature Pre-Set Recipe Programs for purees like soups and smoothies that take the guesswork out of blending.

If you’re using an immersion blender to make your puree, simply combine your ingredients in a bowl, pot or even a single-serve cup. Fully submerge the blender blades at a slight angle and select your speed. Move the blades around, up and down throughout your mixture while keeping them submerged. Repeat this process throughout your container until you achieve smooth results. Learn more about using an immersion blender with these tips and tricks.

What are the benefits of blending your own puree?

Pureeing your own soups, sauces and dips allows you to completely customize the recipe to fit your taste and dietary needs. You can create purees with unique flavor profiles to give new life to all of your tried and true recipes. Homemade purees also allow you to use the freshest ingredients from your local market or garden.

Making batches of homemade puree in bulk can also help you put fresh ingredients to good use before they spoil or wilt, so you don’t have to worry about wasting produce.

Can you puree meat in a blender?

Yes, you can puree, or mince, tender meats in a blender instead of using a meat grinder to achieve the smooth texture needed to make meatloaf, burgers or even Swedish meatballs. It's recommended to cut chicken, beef and pork tenderloin into small chunks before blending.

How long can you store a puree in the fridge?

You can meal prep batches of purees and typically store them in the refrigerator for around 48 hours depending on the ingredients. Be sure to transfer your puree into an airtight container and label it with the date before storing. When you’re ready to use the puree, you can reheat it on the stove or in the microwave if needed.

Can puree be frozen for long term storage?

If you’ve accidentally made more puree than needed, you can store some purees in the freezer for up to 8 months. You can even freeze puree into individual portions by transferring the mixture into an ice cube mold or small containers, tightly covering the tray with cling wrap.

When you’re ready to use your frozen puree, you can either place it in the refrigerator overnight or defrost it in the microwave using the defrost setting.

Puree recipes

You can experiment with new pureed recipes to keep your culinary creativity flowing. Use your blender to surprise dinner guests with the smooth and complex flavors of this Coconut Curry Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup or this Zesty White Bean Dip.

On a chilly day, warm up from the inside out with this Thai Green Curry Chicken Soup that highlights the flavors of green curry, cilantro and citrus, or cool down in the summer heat with this refreshing Green Pea and Mint Hummus recipe.