Plum Puree
<p ><b>Purée</b> and (more rarely) <b>mash</b> are general terms for cooked food, usually <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetable" title="Vegetable" >vegetables</a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legume" title="Legume" >legumes</a>, that have been ground, pressed, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blender" title="Blender" >blended</a>, and/or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sieve" title="Sieve" >sieved</a> to the consistency of a soft creamy paste or thick liquid.
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<sup id="cite_ref-LAR_0-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pur%C3%A9e#cite_note-LAR-0" >[1]</a></sup> Purées of specific foods are often known by specific names, e.g., mashed <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potato" title="Potato" >potatos</a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_sauce" title="Apple sauce" >apple sauce</a>. The term is of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_language" title="French language" >French</a>origin, where it meant in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_French" title="Old French" >Old French</a> (13th century): <i>purified</i> or <i>refined</i>.
Purées overlap with other dishes with similar consistency, such as thick <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soup" title="Soup" >soups</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creaming_(food)" title="Creaming (food)" >creams</a> (<i>crèmes</i>) and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravy" title="Gravy" >gravies</a>—although these terms often imply more complex recipes and cooking processes. <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coulis" title="Coulis" >Coulis</a></i> (French for "strained") is a similar but broader term, more commonly used for fruit purées. The term is not commonly used for paste-like foods prepared from cereal flours, such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gruel" title="Gruel" >gruel</a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muesli" title="Muesli" >muesli</a>; nor with oily nut pastes, such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peanut_butter" title="Peanut butter" >peanut butter</a>. The term "paste" is often used for purées intended to be served along with children, used as an ingredient, rather than eaten.
Purées can be made in a blender, or with special implements such as a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potato_masher" title="Potato masher" >potato masher</a>, or by forcing the food through a strainer, or simply by crushing the food in a pot. Purées generally must be cooked, either before or after grinding, in order to improve flavour and texture, remove toxic substances, and/or reduce their water content.
It is common to purée entire meals (without use of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt" title="Salt" >salt</a> or other additives) to be served to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toddler" title="Toddler" >toddlers</a> and<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby" title="Baby" class="mw-redirect" >babies</a> as sufficient, nutritious meals.</p>