This easy to make strawberry puree has just three ingredients, is no cook and takes minutes to make. Ideal for freezing to enjoy the fresh taste of strawberries all year long.
Strawberry puree
We love strawberries and come late spring eagerly look forward to the first punnets of British grown strawberries arriving in the store.
The thing about strawberries is that they really do not keep (or freeze) well and chilling them in the fridge destroys their flavour, so are best enjoyed the day you buy them.
See also
- If you prefer a sauce with whole fruit pieces, my strawberry compote is perfect for you.
- Strawberry coulis is another way to enjoy the delicious fruit.
- Later in the year, it’s time for tasty plum compote
- All my fruit compote recipes
This easy to make strawberry puree can be kept in the fridge for a few days to make that precious flavour last longer, and is delicious enjoyed on puddings, cake, yoghurt or even in a cocktail.
It can also be frozen so you can enjoy that fresh strawberry taste all year round.
Simply blitz up fresh strawberries with a little added sugar and lemon juice with a stick blender. The blender makes quick work of the seeds so there is no need to sieve.
Puree vs coulis vs compote
What’s the difference between a puree, coulis and compote?
A puree contains whole fruit that’s been blitzed or blended, with added sugar and lemon juice. A coulis has fruit, sugar and lemon juice, but the mixture is cooked before blitzing. Depending on the fruit used you may need to sieve purees and coulis to remove and seeds or pips.
A compote is also cooked, but it’s not blitzed so contains larger pieces of fruit, or whole pieces, depending on the fruit.
Why make strawberry puree
- No cook 3 minute 3 ingredient recipe that does not need to be sieved
- A quick way to make strawberries last a few more days in the fridge
- Strawberry puree can be frozen making it an ideal way to use up a glut of homegrown produce
Strawberry puree ingredients
- Strawberries – Check that all the strawberries are red all over, without any white or green showing. Get them as fresh as you can, using your favourite varieties. The varieties will change through the season, as each one comes into its peak ripeness.
- Sugar – I like the flavour of golden caster sugar, but regular caster sugar is fine.
- Lemon – juice only
How to make strawberry puree – step by step
Before you start, read my step-by-step instructions, with photos, hints and tips so you can make this strawberry puree recipe perfectly every time.
Scroll down for the recipe card with quantities and more tips at the bottom of the page.
Step One – Prepare the strawberries: wash and then remove the leaves, stalk and de-hull each one. Cut into halves, and large fruit into quarters. Cut the berries in half, or into quarters for larger fruit.
Taking a moment to cut the fruit makes blitzing it far easier and quicker.
Step Two – Put the cut berries into a jug or bowl, and add the sugar. Then juice the lemon and add the juice to the fruit.
Helen’s Fuss Free Tip
For best results, roll the lemon under the heel of your hand on a hard work surface to break down the membranes and release more juice.
Step Three – Using a stick blender, blitz the fruit until all the strawberries and pips have been completely pulped.
Check the flavour, and add a little more sugar if needed; mixing the extra sugar through the puree with a quick blitz.
Step four – transfer to a serving jug and enjoy.
Serving suggestion
Enjoy at breakfast over cereal or yoghurt, and weekend pancakes or waffles
Enjoy the puree with vanilla ice cream, or pour over a knickerbocker glory, Eton mess, or fruit pavlova
It’s a great substitute for jam to top a rice pudding.
Use it in a cocktail.
Variations
- Add a glug of elderflower cordial for a hint of floral flavours.
- In winter, you can use frozen strawberries. I find that I get better, riper strawberries in freezer bags bought out of season.
- Not enough strawberries? Add some other seasonal berries for a mixed fruit puree.
Storage
Fridge – Transfer the puree to an airtight container to keep in the fridge. Store for up to five days.
Freezer – Pour into a airtight container and freeze. The sugar content means the sauce won’t completely freeze solid. Keep container upright or the sugary juice will slowly leak out and make the everything beneath it sticky. Don’t ask me how I know this!
Defrost overnight in the fridge to use.
Hints and tips
- The best flavour will come from strawberries at the peak of ripeness. It’s best to make the puree on the same day that you buy the strawberries, and keep the puree in the fridge rather than wait a day or two
- I prefer to use caster sugar. I find granulated too gritty, and icing/ confectioner’s sugar too sweet.
FAQs
A fruit puree is a smooth sweet sauce made from blending fresh strawberries. A puree is uncooked, but is blended until it’s a smooth liquid with no pieces of fruit visible.
No, it hasn’t been cooked like a jam or jelly, so will only keep for a few day and needs to be stored in the fridge. It’s not like jam, where using much more sugar and cooking it makes it something that can be stored for months or even years.
It’s also too liquid to spread onto toast!
Hopefully, you won’t need to thicken your strawberry puree if you are using fresh fruit. However, if you do need to, you can use just a little cornflour slurry. This is much more likely to be an issue if you are using frozen berries.
Cornflour may be also be useful if you are using the puree to top a dessert rather than serving it on the side. A thicker puree will be more likely to stay in place and not run down the sides of your cheesecake!
More fruit recipes
- Roasted plums are lightly spiced: a delicous fruit dish
- A different way to enjoy strawberries: black pepper and strawberry gin
- Explore more fruit recipes
Strawberry Puree
Ingredients
- 300 g strawberries (1)
- 1 tbsp (15 g) caster sugar (2)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (fresh)
Instructions
- Wash the strawberries and remove the leaves and hulls. Cut the berries in half, or into quarters for larger fruit.300 g strawberries
- Put the strawberries in a jug or bowl and add the sugar. Then juice the lemon and add the juice to the fruit.1 tbsp caster sugar, 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Blitz with a stick blender until completely smooth. Transfer to your serving jug and serve.
Notes
- Strawberries When buying strawberries check they are red all over, with no unripe fruit with white patches. Turn the punnet over and look at the ones at the bottom too, as these tend to go bad first.
- Sugar I use golden caster sugar, white caster sugar is also fine. Granulated sugar is too gritty, while icing / confectioners sugar is too fine.
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