Puree

A puree, also called a mash, is cooked food, usually vegetables, fruits or legumes, ground, pressed, blended or sieved to the consistency of a smooth, creamy paste or liquid; specific purees often carry their own name, such as apple sauce or hummus. The word is French in origin, meaning purified or refined in thirteenth-century Old French. Purees can be made with a blender, with tools such as a potato masher, by forcing food through a strainer, or simply by crushing it in a pot, and the food is generally cooked, either before or after grinding, to improve flavor and texture, remove toxic substances or reduce water content; pureed food is also commonly served to toddlers, babies and people unable to chew.