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How to Puree Without a Food Processor? Best Alternatives

How to Puree Without a Food Processor? Best Alternatives

The food processor is a handy kitchen tool that helps you prep for cooking faster. You can use it for chopping, grating, and even mixing various ingredients.

Food processors are also often used to create different kinds of purees.

So, what can you use in place of a food processor if you need to puree something quickly? Keep reading this article to learn more about those alternatives.

How to Puree without a Food Processor?

Other machines that can be used to puree food in place of a food processor include blenders, immersion blenders, and stand mixers. A manual kitchen tool like a rolling pin, grater, food mill, or mortar and pestle can also be used to create purees. In a pinch, forks, spoons, and knives will also work.

How to Puree Without a Food Processor
How to Puree Without a Food Processor

What Are the Alternatives to Using a Food Processor if You Want to Create a Puree?

Food processors are useful pieces of kitchen equipment. They are especially useful for creating purees made from fruits and/or vegetables.

Of course, not everyone has a food processor available.

Does that mean that creating a puree with no food processor present is impossible? Thankfully, that is not the case.

Use the tools and techniques detailed below if you wish to create purees without relying on a food processor.

Blenders

Arguably the best kitchen tool you can use to make purees if you don’t have a food processor is a blender. They function pretty similarly so it should come as no surprise that they both excel at creating purees.

The only catch with using a blender is the size of the container. Most blenders have containers that are narrower compared to what food processors have.

You may have to chop up the fruits and vegetables to be pureed before you can put them inside a blender.

A blender is the best kitchen tool to use for purees if you do not have a food processor.
A blender is the best kitchen tool to use for purees if you do not have a food processor.

Immersion Blenders

Immersion blenders may be better than both standard blenders and food processors if your goal is to create a puree.

You can simply place the immersion blender over the item you want to puree and turn it on. After a few minutes, you’ll get the puree you’re looking for.

Immersion blenders can even be used while the food is still in the pot or pan. There’s no need to process the food prior to pureeing if you are using an immersion blender.

Immersion blenders can be used while the food is still in the pot or pan.
Immersion blenders can be used while the food is still in the pot or pan.

Stand Mixers

To puree food using a stand mixer, you will need to use the provided whisk attachment. Crank up the stand mixer and let it repeatedly mash the food you placed in the adjacent container.

The main drawback to using a stand mixer for pureeing food is that it lacks high-end power. That will cause it to struggle against fruits and vegetables that feature hard flesh.

You will need to soften those foods up before enlisting the help of your stand mixer to puree them.

Rolling Pins

Pureeing involves mashing food until it develops a smooth and almost liquid texture. If your goal is to mash something up to that point, then a rolling pin should prove very useful.

To create a puree using a rolling pin, you need to start by placing the item you want to mash inside a plastic bag. Set that bag down on your countertop and start working it over using the rolling pin.

It will take a while to create a puree using a rolling pin, but its consistency will be quite good.

Graters

Graters excel at processing food until they turn into very fine shards. That ability will come in handy if you’re looking to puree something.

The hardest thing about pureeing using a grater is handling the food. Since the food was likely boiled first, holding on to it firmly can be difficult.

Consider wearing gloves or using a handguard if one was bundled together with your grater.

Graters can also be used to make purees but as food can become difficult to handle, consider using gloves or the included handguard.
Graters can also be used to make purees but as food can become difficult to handle, consider using gloves or the included handguard.

Food Mills

A food mill is a mechanical kitchen tool that uses a crank, a grinding plate, and a perforated disk to process food. They are often used to create mashed potatoes, but they are also good for producing batches of fruit-based sauces.

According to The Spruce Eats, food mills are also great to use because they cut down on food waste.

You don’t have to peel food before placing it inside a food mill. The tool itself will separate the food from the peel.

With peeling removed from the equation, you should be able to extract more substance from your pureed fruits and vegetables.

Mortars and Pestles

You can also use a mortar and pestle to puree food.

With a mortar and pestle, the main issue is the type of food you can process. Only small items will fit into the mortar and that will limit the amount of pureeing you can do.

Knives

To puree something using a knife, you must start by setting that item on a flat surface. A plate can work as your flat surface.

Next, place the knife on top of the food and line it up parallel to the plate. From there, simply push the knife down flat and use it to mash the food.

Keep the edge of the knife away from you to avoid a potential mishap.

Spoons and Forks

Lastly, common eating utensils like spoons and forks can also be used to produce purees.

Use the fork to create indentations in the food. Those indentations will help soften the item in question.

Once the item is soft enough, you can mash it thoroughly with the spoon.

Conclusion to How to Puree Food without a Food Processor

A food processor is not the only tool you can use to puree food. Try out the tools and techniques detailed above and see which of them work best as you produce your purees.

There are many other tools you can use to make food purees if you don't have a food processor. Some might be better than others depending on the kind of puree you are making.
There are many other tools you can use to make food purees if you don’t have a food processor. Some might be better than others depending on the kind of puree you are making.

Frequently Asked Questions about How to Puree Food without a Processor

How Do You Create a Smooth Puree?

Adding liquid to your puree will help give it a smoother texture. Carefully add the liquid so you don’t end up making the puree too watery.

What Foods Are Suitable for Pureeing?

Just about any fruit or vegetable is suitable for pureeing. Even pieces of meat are candidates for pureeing if they are tender enough.