Blackberries on a wooden table.
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Blackberries contain seeds that can make for an unpleasant texture. Blackberry puree gives you the sweet-tart taste of the dark purple berries without having to deal with the annoying crunch of the seeds. The puree can also be used to give foods a blackberry flavor when the fruit is not in season. Make blackberry puree using fresh or frozen berries.

Blackberry puree can be made with uncooked or cooked berries, but gently warming the berries, whether they are fresh or frozen, with a bit of sugar, helps them release their juices. To prep blackberries for making a puree:

Heat the blackberries, fresh or thawed, in a saucepan over medium heat

Add 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice for every 1 cup of berries, fresh or thawed

Heat to warm the berries through, stirring as needed.

Blackberry puree can be made with or without seeds. One cup of fresh blackberries produces 1/2 cup of puree, while 1 cup of thawed berries produce 3/4 cup of puree.

Store the puree, seeded or seedless, in an airtight container or jar in the fridge for three to five days.

For longer storage, place puree in a freezer-safe container or plastic bag, leaving no more than a 1/4 inch of headspace, and freeze. While the puree remains safe to eat indefinitely, unsweetened puree's quality deteriorates after two months. Sweetened puree lasts three to five months, properly stored in the freezer.

Blackberry puree can be used as is, unsweetened or sweetened, on ice cream or cakes as a fresh fruit sauce. It can also be added to fresh juices or to yogurt to make a blackberry juice or smoothie. The fruit puree can also be used for savory sauces, especially for seasoning gamier-tasting meats, such as venison or duck.