because the fragments are usually denser than the cell fluids, they end up sinking and separating from the fluids Heating without stirring tends to speed this separation, because the free water is able to flow and rise from the bottom of the pot through the thicker particle phase, and accumulate above it Some sauces and related preparations aren’t meant to be suave and smooth; instead the cook leaves some pieces of tissue intact to highlight the texture of the fruit or vegetable itself Mexican tomato and tomatillo salsas, unstrained cranberry sauce, and applesauce are familiar examples Food Words: Puree The word puree, meaning thoroughly crushed fruits, vegetables, or animal tissue, comes ultimately from the Latin purus, meaning “pure.” England borrowed a form of the French descendent, the verb purer, which had both a general meaning, “to purify,” and a specific one: to drain excess water from beans and peas left to soak The beans and peas would go on to be cooked into a mush, and the consistency of that mush appears to be the prototype of other purees Refining the Texture of Purees Cooks can refine the basic coarseness of purees by modifying either the solid plant particles or the fluid that surrounds them Making the Plant Particles Smaller There are several ways to make the plant particles as fine as possible The pureeing process itself is a physical crushing or shearing that breaks the plant tissue into pieces and liberates thickening molecules from them Blenders and mortars are the most effective tools for this; food processors slice rather than crush Producing a fine puree can take some time even in a ...purify,” and a specific one: to drain excess water from beans and peas left to soak The beans and peas would go on to be cooked into a mush, and the consistency of that mush appears to be the prototype... prototype of other purees Refining the Texture of Purees Cooks can refine the basic coarseness of purees by modifying either the solid plant particles or the fluid that surrounds them Making the Plant Particles Smaller There are... Making the Plant Particles Smaller There are several ways to make the plant particles as fine as possible The pureeing process itself is a physical crushing or shearing that breaks the plant tissue into pieces and liberates