Who doesn’t love the sweet taste of homegrown raspberries? There is nothing quite like that burst of flavor, whether you’re snacking on them straight from the bush or swirling them into a homemade jam or sauce. To get that silky-smooth professional finish, though, you’ll want to strain them first. Here is my go-to guide for getting it done!
Straining Raspberries the Easy Way
You can use freshly picked berries from your garden or a bag of frozen ones from the store. Just follow these simple steps:
- If you’re using fresh raspberries, go through them by hand first to weed out any mushy or moldy berries.
- Give your fresh berries a quick rinse under cool running water—a colander works best for this.
- Let the raspberries drain well so your sauce isn’t too watery.
- Place the fruit in a tall container or blender and puree them until smooth.
- Pro tip: This is the perfect time to add a splash of lemon juice or a sprinkle of powdered sugar if you like.
- If you want to get rid of those tiny, crunchy seeds, you’ll need to strain the puree through a fine-mesh sieve.
- Use the back of a spoon to press the puree through the mesh into a bowl below. Keep stirring and pressing until only the seeds are left in the sieve.
How to Use Your Raspberry Puree
Now that you have a gorgeous, smooth raspberry sauce, you can gently simmer it and use it to level up all sorts of treats:
- Drizzled over fancy desserts
- As a topping for vanilla ice cream
- Swirled into pudding
- Mixed into yogurt or cheesecake dip
- Served with sweet dumplings or pancakes
- Spread over a bagel with cream cheese
You can also take that raw sauce and cook it down into a seedless raspberry jam. It’s much more elegant and easier to spread than the chunky version! Oh, and don’t throw those leftover seeds away. If you dry them out and mix them with sea salt, you get a unique, fruity “raspberry salt” that tastes amazing on savory dishes.