Fresh flavorful Strawberry Puree is a great recipe to showcase this wonderful summer fruit without needing to know any special kitchen skills (like canning). Homemade strawberry sauce is incredible on baked goods, pancakes, yogurt, and so much more.
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Summer is such a great time for fresh produce, with the star of the show being strawberries!
Homemade strawberry puree is one of those incredible recipes that you can make yourself and use in so many different ways. Let me show you to make (and freeze) a batch today!
What is Strawberry Puree Made Of?
This recipe uses:
- Strawberries (fresh or frozen)
- Lemon juice/zest
- Just a touch of sugar, but this is entirely optional
If you’re using fresh strawberries and want to save some of that goodness for later, check out this post on How to Freeze Strawberries.
How to Make Strawberry Puree
*I’ll walk you through it here with some photos and tips, and you’ll also find a printable recipe card at the bottom of the post with exact measurements, etc. You can click “jump to recipe” to skip down.
Using Out-of-Season Berries:
Grocery store berries are grown for shipping and their looks, and not really for taste. If you’re dealing with some sad berries that are lacking flavor, macerating them before blending will go a long way to create a tastier sauce.
To macerate strawberries: slice clean berries into quarters and sprinkle with 2 tbsp of sugar and stir gently.
Allow them to sit uncovered on your counter for 2-3 hours or in the fridge for at least 5 hours. The sugar will draw out any natural juices in the berries and greatly improve the finished product.
Using fresh ripe berries:
Blend sliced berries, lemon, and sugar (if using) in a food processor, blender, or using a stick/immersion blender. You can make it as smooth or as chunky as you’d like.
How to Make Strawberry Sauce Without Seeds
Do you want to remove all the seeds from your sauce? Place a fine-mesh strainer over a clean bowl and pour the blended berries into the strainer.
You may need to “push” the sauce through with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon to get every last drop. You can also use this filtered sauce as the base for homemade Strawberry Syrup.
How to Make Thick Strawberry Sauce
If you want a thicker sauce for cheesecake or baked goods, you’ll want to make a strawberry reduction. This is so easy to do.
You’ll take the puree you made above and cook it down in a saucepan over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring often, until the sauce has thickened. It will have the delicious consistency of Strawberry Freezer Jam.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you use lemon juice and sugar, your strawberry sauce is good for up to five days. No lemon juice or sugar? Make sure you enjoy it within three days.
Absolutely! If you’re using frozen strawberries, allow them to fully defrost before blending. This will prevent the sauce from becoming watered down.
Discard the liquid or drink it with sparkling water.
To freeze, place in ice cube trays, Souper Cubes, or small canning jars (4 and 8 oz are my favorites), and store for 3-6 months.
Absolutely! You don’t actually need any sweetener at all, but if you’d like to use honey, feel free. Start with 1 tbsp, blend, and then adjust to taste.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Try using lime juice instead of lemon for a different flavor profile.
- Scrape a bit of vanilla seed (or use Vanilla Extract) and mix it into the sauce for an even more delicious flavor.
- If you’re using a high-powered blender, make sure you “pulse” or blend on low to process the fruit. Something like a Vitamix or Blendtec will liquify rather than “sauce” the berries if you’re not too careful.
How to Use Strawberry Puree
Homemade strawberry sauce is great on whole wheat pancakes, incorporated into Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream, drizzled over cold start Instant Pot yogurt, or Powdered Sugar Pound Cake.
You’ll also love adding it to drinks like a Mojito Mocktail, Instant Pot Iced Tea, or a Ginger Beer Mocktail.
More Delicious Recipes Like This
- What to Can and Eat in Spring
- What to Can and Eat in Summer
- Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
- Peach Preserves
- Strawberry Simple Syrup
- Pineapple Jam
- Blueberry Freezer Jam
- Strawberry Waffles
- Gluten-Free Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
- Frozen Strawberries in Syrup
- Strawberry Truffles
- Low-Sugar Strawberry Jam
- Freezing Rhubarb
- Canning Applesauce
WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS
One serving has 0 WW Freestyle SmartPoints (when sugar is omitted).
Strawberry Puree
Ingredients
- 4 cups strawberries {hulled and quartered}
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp sugar {optional}
Equipment
Instructions
Strawberry Puree
- Wash berries, remove the green tops and cut into quarters (eights for huge strawberries).4 cups strawberries
- In a food processor or blender, "pulse" the berries until the consistency is smooth.
- Stir in lemon juice and optional sugar.1 tsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp sugar
{Optional} Strawberry Reduction
- Take the puree and cook it down in a saucepan for 10-15 minutes over medium-low heat until the sauce has thickened. Stir often.
Notes
- (optional) remove seeds by pressing the finished sauce through a fine-mesh strainer.
- Storage: if you use lemon juice and sugar, your strawberry sauce is good for up to five days in the fridge. No lemon juice or sugar? Enjoy within three days.
- To freeze: place sauce in ice cube trays or small canning jars, and store for 3-6 months.
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Can this recipe be made with other fruits, such as blueberries or mango? If so, would 4 cups of fruit be used? Thank you.
I haven’t tried it with other fruits, but I assume it would. Since I haven’t done it, I can’t give you a firm answer on the amount of fruit needed.
One thing about blueberries is that unless you have a very powerful blender, the skins become very annoying in the final product. You may want to heat them a bit so they soften and THEN blend them to avoid the issue with the skins.
10/10 would recommend! I usually am solely focused on jam, but had enough good berries to expand to something else and this was perfect to have on hand over several months. Pulled out of freezer for cocktails, to stir into yogurt and once just to eat.
Yes, it’s so freezer-friendly. I’m thrilled it’s been so helpful for you!
Thanks for taking the time to leave a review. 🙂