Fresh Fruit Base

When we were testing milkshake recipes for Bobby’s Burger Palace, I learned some interesting things about fruit-based milkshakes, especially about milkshakes made with fresh berries: Berries are very expensive. Berries are extremely perishable. Berries are inconsistent in taste (ranging from sweet to tart) and texture (ranging from watery to dense). All these factors presented a problem when we were trying to create a thick, flavorful milkshake. We needed to find an alternative, still using fresh fruit, that would produce a consistently thick and flavorful milkshake every single time. We found a company on Long Island that produces fresh fruit purees. The purees are thick and almost jam-like in texture, and they add incredible fresh fruit flavor while not compromising the thickness of the shake. Now the recipe from the company that produces the purees for us is top secret, but I have created something very close to make at home. In addition to providing a wonderful fresh fruit flavor, these bases will also keep in the refrigerator or freezer for a good amount of time—unlike fresh berries, which tend to go bad in a few days. Just add 1/4 cup or so to vanilla or chocolate ice cream for an intensely good shake.