Berries and Orange Coulis and Popsicles

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.