Fruit Preparation

Fruit brings vibrancy to frozen desserts but also brings water—the enemy of smooth texture. Proper preparation concentrates flavor while managing water content.

Preparation Methods Overview

Method	Best For	Water Reduction	Flavor Intensity
Fresh purée	Delicate fruits	None	Moderate
Cooked purée	Most fruits	Moderate	High
Roasted	Stone fruit, berries	High	Very high
Reduced syrup	Berries, citrus	Very high	Concentrated
Macerated	Mix-in chunks	Some	Moderate
Freeze-dried	Any	Complete	Moderate (brittle)

Fresh Purée

Best For

• Delicate fruits: strawberry, raspberry, peach
• Maximum freshness required
• Sorbet applications

Method

Select Ripe Fruit

Use fully ripe, even slightly overripe fruit. Under-ripe fruit lacks sugar and flavor.

Clean and Prep

Wash, hull, pit, or peel as needed. Remove any damaged portions.

Purée

Blend until smooth. High-speed blender produces silkier texture.

Strain (If Needed)

For seedless purée, pass through fine-mesh strainer. Press to extract all liquid.

Measure Brix

Use refractometer to measure sugar content. Record for formula adjustment.

Use or Freeze

Use immediately or freeze in portions. Fresh purée oxidizes quickly.

Fresh Purée Yield

Fruit	Yield (purée per 500g fruit)	Typical Brix
Strawberry	400g	6–8°
Raspberry	350g (strained)	8–10°
Blueberry	380g	10–12°
Peach	420g	10–14°
Mango	350g	14–18°
Banana	450g	20–24°

Cooked Purée

Cooking develops flavor and reduces water.

Best For

• Stone fruits (peach, apricot, cherry)
• Berries needing intensification
• Apples, pears

Method

Prep Fruit

Wash, pit, peel as needed. Cut into 2cm pieces.

Cook

Place in saucepan with 10% sugar by weight. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fruit breaks down (15–25 minutes).

Purée

Blend smooth. Pass through sieve if needed.

Reduce (Optional)

For more intensity, simmer purée until reduced by 20–30%.

Cool

Cool completely before using. Measure Brix.

Roasted Fruit

Roasting caramelizes sugars and evaporates water for concentrated flavor.

Best For

• Stone fruits (peaches, plums, cherries)
• Strawberries
• Figs
• Bananas

Method

Prep Fruit

Halve or quarter larger fruits. Leave berries whole. Toss with 10% sugar.

Roast

Spread on parchment-lined sheet pan. Roast at 400°F / 200°C for 20–40 minutes until caramelized at edges and juices are syrupy.

Cool and Purée

Cool slightly. Purée with any pan juices.

Strain If Needed

Remove skins or seeds as needed.

Tip

Roasted strawberries develop an almost jam-like intensity. Roast until deeply colored and slightly charred at edges.

Fruit Integration in Ice Cream

Swirl/Ribbon

For distinct fruit ribbons through the base:

Preparation	Consistency Needed	Amount per 1 Qt
Fruit purée + pectin	Thick, pipeable	100–150g
Fruit jam	Ready to use	100–150g
Reduced purée	Thick, sticky	80–120g

Method: Layer during packing. Drizzle 1/3 of fruit per layer, drag knife once to swirl (don’t over-mix).

Folded Into Base

For fruit flavor throughout:

Preparation	Amount per 1 Qt	When to Add
Fresh purée	150–200g	Before churning
Cooked purée	120–150g	Before churning
Roasted purée	100–120g	Before churning

Note: Adding purée increases water content. Reduce other liquids in base or use concentrated purée.

Fruit Chunks (Mix-In)

For bites of whole fruit:

Preparation	Treatment	When to Add
Fresh chunks	Macerate with sugar	Pack time
Roasted chunks	Cool completely	Pack time
Frozen fruit	Keep frozen	Pack time

Maceration

Macerating draws out water and infuses sugar, improving texture of fruit chunks.

Method

Cut Fruit

Cut to desired size (5–10mm for ice cream chunks).

Toss with Sugar

Combine with 15–25% sugar by weight.

Rest

Refrigerate 2–24 hours. Fruit releases juice.

Drain

Strain fruit from liquid. Reserve liquid for another use (add to sorbet, cocktails, etc.).

Use Promptly

Fold into ice cream during packing. Use within 24 hours.

Why macerate: Un-macerated fruit freezes into ice chunks. Sugar-treated fruit stays softer, integrates better.

Fruit + Acid Balance

Most fruits benefit from added acid for flavor balance:

Fruit	Acid Addition per 500g Purée
Strawberry	5g lemon juice
Peach	10g lemon juice
Mango	15g lime juice
Banana	10g lemon juice
Blueberry	5g lemon juice
Raspberry	None needed (naturally tart)

Preventing Color Loss

Some fruits oxidize (brown) quickly:

Fruit	Prevention
Banana	Add citrus juice immediately
Apple	Toss with lemon juice
Peach	Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) powder
Pear	Lemon juice
Avocado	Lime juice

Troubleshooting

Problem	Cause	Solution
Icy fruit chunks	No maceration	Macerate with sugar before adding
Weak fruit flavor	Too diluted	Use concentrated purée; reduce base liquid
Fruit sank	Added too thin base	Add at colder temp; fold quickly
Brown color	Oxidation	Add ascorbic acid; work quickly
Grainy texture	Seeds not strained	Strain through fine mesh
Too tart	Insufficient sugar	Add more sugar to purée
Fruit ribbons disappeared	Too thin consistency	Use jam-like consistency

Seasonal Fruit Guide

Season	Peak Fruits
Spring	Strawberry, rhubarb
Summer	Peach, cherry, berry, plum, apricot, melon
Fall	Apple, pear, fig, grape
Winter	Citrus, banana, tropical (imported)

Note

Frozen fruit is acceptable when fresh isn’t available. Quality frozen fruit (IQF at peak ripeness) often outperforms out-of-season fresh.

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