How To Puree Without A Blender

Blenders are very handy household appliances. And today, most foodies have some type of blender at home. However, unfortunately, not all blenders are made equal. Some of them don’t last very long or need to be serviced regularly.

Whatever your reason is for not having a blender at the moment, even if that’s just that you’re deciding on a specific one, there are a couple of alternatives you can use in the meantime to help puree ingredients.

So, how do you puree fruits and vegetables without using a blender? Your next best option is a food processor. They are easy to find, work incredibly effectively, and can create varying textured purees. Then, you can also cook and puree the ingredients through a sieve. A more labor-intensive but effective option is using a pestle and mortar or chef’s knife.

These are only a few of the methods we will be discussing in more depth today. We’ll take a look at how to choose the best method for your ingredient, how to properly use it, and some other alternatives you can try too.

How Does A Blender Work? What Are Its Functions?

A blender has at least 1 set of sharp metal blades. These blades rotate at the bottom of a blending jug (or cup) at very high speeds.

The motor that powers the blades is very strong to chop and slice through many different kinds of ingredients.

Ultimately, you can use a blender to puree ingredients, which is what it is mostly used for. The puree can then be used to make smoothies, soups, stews, sauces, ice creams, and much more.

Then, it can also be used to liquefy ingredients (for juices), emulsify them (like mayonnaise), and crush them (like crackers for a crust).

One thing to just keep in mind about blenders is that you need to use softer fruits or vegetables — the harder ones need to be cooked; otherwise, a blender won’t be able to effectively puree them.

How To Puree Without A Blender

Now, unfortunately, not everyone has a blender. They can be quite expensive and take up a lot of space. While we hands-down believe that a blender is one of the most useful and versatile tools to have in a kitchen, it just isn’t always possible.

Luckily, there are many alternative tools and methods you can use to perform the same functions. Today, we will specifically look at alternative techniques that can puree fruits and vegetables.

Choosing The Best Technique

As you will soon see from our list below, some of these methods aren’t one-size-fits-all solutions.

A great example of this is when you use a pestle and mortar — it’s an amazing option for making pureed herbs or small amounts of fruits.

However, if you want to puree an entire large potato (for mash), it will take forever! In that case, a strainer or food processor will work better.

Next, you can also consider the texture of the puree you want to make. Yes, puree is traditionally silky smooth. But today, many people talk about puree with varying consistencies.

Again, we will take mashed potatoes as an example. Many people like their mash a little chunkier and not baby-food smooth. In that case, a method like a food processor or using a chef’s knife would be better.

These techniques can better control the consistency of your puree instead of just pulverizing it.

Now, all of this information is great, but irrelevant if you don’t have the tools. Therefore it’s always better to check what you have available before choosing a method.

If you have multiple options before you, you can then weigh the pros and cons of each.

Method 1: Food Processor

Using a food processor to make puree is by far the best option to use. You can control the consistency of the puree to some degree, and it works almost just as quickly and easily as a blender.

One thing we would still recommend is straining the puree if you want it to be completely smooth and free of any texture. A food processor merely breaks down ingredients — it doesn’t liquefy them like a blender can.

A food processor is generally a little cheaper than a blender, but it is bulkier and, to some degree, a little less versatile than an actual blender.

However, it is the best alternative option and is still a worthwhile investment. It’s easy to use, quick, and hassle-free.

Method 2: Cook And Strain

This is a tried and tested method that many chefs have been using for decades. It’s arguably the original manual blender that existed!

However, it is very labor-intensive, especially with some harder vegetables and fruit. It does not work for herbs.

This method requires you to cook (or soften) the ingredients first. And when we say “soften,” we mean soften.

If you have semi-cooked potatoes, carrots, or apples, forget about it. It is going to be an uphill battle to get it passed through the fine-meshed sieve.

So, always properly cook the ingredients. You can steam them, boil, roast, and fry — whatever it takes and whatever will provide the best flavor for your dish.

Once the ingredients are completely cooked, you can remove their skins (which can also be done before cooking them) and pass them through the sieve.

Use the back of a big metal spoon to help push the ingredient through. It also helps if you use smaller pieces of fruit or vegetable — it prevents you from overloading the sieve, which would make it harder to press them through.

Method 3: Chop With A Chef’s Knife

This is one of the most labor-intensive options, but it works. Don’t use it as a method for very juicy ingredients unless you have to — it works best for ingredients like cherries, herbs, garlic, carrots, and root vegetables.

It’s also best used for more textured purees. It means less work and fewer juices all over the chopping board.

Here’s another tip: to make the process quicker and so much easier, grate your ingredients first. Then, chop them with a chef’s knife. Then, you can also just chop away at the ingredients.

But there is actually a technique that helps speed up the process. First, obviously, the ingredient should be finely chopped.

Once that’s finished, you can angle it almost completely flat but at a slight angle. That helps crush and chop the ingredients simultaneously.

As you lift your chef’s knife, you can come down in a sweeping motion, pressing the ingredients against the chopping board.

Again, while it is a labor-intensive option, everybody has some type of knife and a chopping board.

Method 4: Food Mill

While a food mill arguably works better than Methods 2 and 3, it isn’t a very common household tool anymore.

Food mills are manual food processors and strainers. But, they are very bulky and not as easy to find as they were back in the day.

It has been designed to crush, mash, and puree soft ingredients with a manual crank at the top of the sieve.

It is a little labor-intensive, but works incredibly well and can easily make larger batches of puree at the same time.

Method 5: Pestle And Mortar

Using a pestle and mortar is another method, but it has its downsides.

First, you can only make as much as the mortar can take. And more often than not, they aren’t very big. So, making mashed potatoes is possible, but you will have to make a ton of small batches.

Secondly, they are quite labor-intensive and take a while to completely pulverize the ingredient.

You also need to ensure that it’s completely clean and free of any previously crushed ingredients. Otherwise, you may just end up having a chili, cumin, and pepper-flavored pineapple smoothie! Not the most appealing flavor combination.

While it is a method that will work, it should be a last-resort option.

Method 6: Chinois Strainer

Our final tool for pureeing vegetables and fruits is very similar to a common household strainer. It’s just intended for more commercial purposes and to make silky smooth ingredients and liquids.

A chinois strainer is a type of conical sieve with an uber-fine mesh net. They are sold in various sizes, usually at commercial kitchen supplies or baking stores.

You should also only pass very soft and juicy ingredients through this sieve. Its larger surface area allows you to pass the puree through much more easily and in larger batches.

This isn’t a tool most people have in their kitchens, but it’s still a great option that is readily available and relatively cheap. So, we highly recommend giving it a try. It will even work better than a regular sieve!

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