When I see nice fresh berries at the store, I usually end up buying more than needed, and as they don’t keep fresh for long, I always try to find ways to use the extra amount. A crumble or crisp is always a nice quick option that doesn’t require too many ingredients (click HERE for recipe), but if you’ve made too many of those, cooking a nice coulis is also a great way to utilize the extra berries.
Coulis is a thick strained cooked fruit or vegetable sauce. It usually has a short ingredients list and isn’t cooked for long, so that the fresh flavor or the fruit is kept. It is great on top of pancakes, leftover cakes, fruit salads, rice puddings and more. A tablespoon of the coulis in a glass of lemonade or soda is a wonderful way to elevate the drink. Another tasty option is to use it as a perfect base for quick homemade popsicles.
Here I’ve added orange zest and juice to the berries, and sweetened the coulis with a fairly small amount of sugar and pure maple syrup – and the result is a fresh, not overly sweet and fragrant coulis. If you have a sweeter tooth, you can add more sugar, but do try not to add too much, or you’ll end up with a jam instead of a light and refreshing coulis.
Makes: about 4 cups
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
1 lb (450 grams) assorted berries (I used blueberries, blackberries and raspberries)
1/3 cup fresh orange juice (from 1 large orange)
2 Tbs orange zest
3 Tbs sugar
¼ cup pure maple syrup
1. Place the berries, orange juice, orange zest and sugar, in a wide pot. Mix gently, cover the pot and cook on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, so that the berries will release their liquids and the sugar will dissolve.
2. Lower the heat to medium. Uncover the pot and cook for about 5 minutes longer, until the berries are soft. Add the maple syrup and stir gently. Turn off the heat and let cool to room temperature.
3. Blend the mixture with a hand blender, or in a blender, to a thick sauce, and strain through a fine sieve.
The coulis will keep, in an airtight container in the fridge, for up to a week.
Use on cakes, rice pudding, fruit salads or to make tasty all-natural popsicles.
Looks berry refreshing…errr…I mean very refreshing (berries on the brain).
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Thank you for your comment. It really is very refreshing and even frugal. 🙂
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Love that!
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Ooh, that looks so delicious and the perfect way to use up the extra berries!
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Thank you! 🙂 It is such a simple recipes, yet so very tasty and with many uses.
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Gorgeous!!! Love berries!!!
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Same here! 🙂
Thank you for your comment. 🙂
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Great way to keep cool, use extra berries and have a healthful treat!
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Thank you! I’m glad you liked the idea. 🙂
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Looks amazing, the colour is gorgeous and i love the Popsicles x
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Thank you Elaine. 🙂 The popsicles are a fresh treat in the summer.
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Lovely 🙂
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Some great ideas on how to use this recipe in a variety of ways! Such a rich colour and all natural too…
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Thank you! 🙂 I’m glad you liked the recipe and ideas. 🙂
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I love that color! You had a great idea, I will try to do it soon!
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Thank you Margherita 🙂 I’m glad you liked the idea. The coulis can be used in so many ways – it’s great to have it in the fridge. 🙂
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Berry colorful and amazing 😉
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lol Thank you! 🙂
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Your coulis has to be very flavorful and is such a beautiful color.
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Thank you Karen. It was very tasty indeed and the color really stands out. 🙂
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This is definitely on my list of things to try. The coulis is gorgeous and such a great idea to make it into a popsicle! Must be deliciously fresh.
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Thank you! It is so easy and quick to make, and has so many uses. I hope you’ll enjoy it. 🙂
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mouth watering Popsicle:)
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Thank you! I have to say, they disappeared quickly… Already made a new batch. 🙂
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Thought so:)
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I think it would be perfect with cheesecake, my mom used to make the one you don’t bake in the oven and she served it with this kind of fruit sauce- oh it was yummy! I will try this recipe for sure:)
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Yes, I definitely think it will go great with cheese cake! It would be lovely to see your mother’s no-bake cheese cake recipe 🙂
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They look so delicious! Mouthwatering…
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Thank you Sarah! 🙂
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just perfect for the summer!
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Thank you! 🙂
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Delicious and healthy. Thanks for sharing!
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My pleasure! 🙂
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Beautiful final product! Looks/sounds delicious and bonus points for being healthy and perfect for the season. 🙂
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Thank you Nancy! 🙂 I have to admit that these Popsicles disappeared quite quickly. 😀
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