On food and cooking the science and lore of the kitchen ( PDFDrive ) 1177

Thebindingpowerofthepureeparticles
themselvescanbesupplementedbyadding
someotherthickener,dryspicesornutsfor
example,orflourorstarch.
FruitandVegetablePurees

Anyfruitorvegetablecanbeturnedintoa
saucebycrushingit.Herearebrief
observationsaboutsomeofthemore
commonlypureedfoods.
RawPurees:FruitsRawpureesaregenerally
made from fruits, whose ripening enzymes
oftenbreakdowntheircellwallsfromwithin,
andthusallowtheirintactfleshtoturnintoa
pureeinthemouth.Raspberries,strawberries,
melons, mangoes, and bananas are examples
of such naturally soft fruits. The flavor of a
raw puree is usually accentuated by the
addition of sugar, lemon juice, and aromatic
herbs or spices. But that flavor is fragile and


changeable. Pureeing mixes the cell contents
witheachotherandwithoxygenintheair,so
enzyme action and oxidation begin
immediately (see below for the effects in
cooked purees of tomato, a botanical fruit).
The best way to minimize this change is to
chill the puree, which slows all chemical
reactions.
RawPurees:PestoTheItalianpureeofbasil

leaves,pestogenovese,alsocontainsoliveoil
and so is partly an emulsion as well. Pesto
takes its name from the same root that gives
uspestle,andthebasilleavesandgarlicwere
traditionallygroundwithapestleandmortar.
Because this takes some time and effort,
modern cooks usually prepare pesto in a
blender or food processor. The choice of
appliance and how it’s used influence both
consistency and flavor. The crushing and
shearing action of the pestle, the shearing
actionoftheblender,andtheslicingactionof