Caramanfruit Shelf-Stable Purées

[lebowits]

Has anyone ever used Caramanfruit shelf-stable purees? Do they perform the same as frozen?

Any comments appreciated.

[beacheschef]

Has anyone ever used Caramanfruit shelf-stable purees?  Do they perform the same as frozen?

Any comments appreciated.

←

Will Albert Uster provide you with samples so you can test the purees?

[lebowits]

Has anyone ever used Caramanfruit shelf-stable purees?  Do they perform the same as frozen?

Any comments appreciated.

←

Will Albert Uster provide you with samples so you can test the purees?

←

don't know if they'll provide a sample to a micro customer like me. I'll hopefully get a chance to talk to their corporate chef in the next week or 2.

[beacheschef]

Has anyone ever used Caramanfruit shelf-stable purees?  Do they perform the same as frozen?

Any comments appreciated.

←

Will Albert Uster provide you with samples so you can test the purees?

←

don't know if they'll provide a sample to a micro customer like me. I'll hopefully get a chance to talk to their corporate chef in the next week or 2.

←

Let them know you'll review the product on EGullet - thus promoting these purees to a huge audience. You can also tell AU that you'll be a reference account for them. (I guess I did learn something from those years at IBM!)

[ejw50]

I'd be interesting in hearing from somebody who used them too. I can't believe they'd perform the same as frozen. If I were guessing, I'd guess they're like UHT milk you buy in Europe, or drink boxes you'd buy here. I could be totally wrong of course.

[RWood]

The chef I used to work with gave me several bags of them last year. From what I can remember, they seemed fine. I mainly used them for sorbets in the restaurant. I tried raspberry, mango & blackberry. I haven't tried them for anything else though.

I used to order a different frozen puree from Albert Uster, but it seems the Caramanfruit is the only thing they show online. Since being laid off, I'm not in contact with my rep, but I can email him. He was always good with info.

Edited May 15, 2009 by RWood (log)

[lebowits]

I actually spoke with the Corporate Pastry Chef at AUI this morning and asked him about the shelf stable puree. He indicated that they would probably work just fine for what I wanted. Unfortunately we didn't have long to talk as he was getting ready to leave on a trip to teach a class.

Another source told me that they would likely have slightly different flavor profiles and that I might expect to need to experiment a bit and adjust recipes for variations in flavor and sugar content.

[rickster]

I'd be interesting in hearing from somebody who used them too. I can't believe they'd perform the same as frozen. If I were guessing, I'd guess they're like UHT milk you buy in Europe, or drink boxes you'd buy here. I could be totally wrong of course.

I would guess this is right. I do know that any shelf stable aseptically packaged product is heat processed, just at not as high a temperature as a bottled or canned one. But frozen does nto have to be at all, so I'd expect some degradation in flavor, which I guess is the tradeoff for convenience.

[ejw50]

Latest issue of Dessert Professional (the fusion of pastry arts+Design, chocolatier and one other) lists funkin as selling these too.

Shelf stable unopened for 1 year, 7-10 days opened according to the ad.

www.funkin.us

Note, I know nothing about this product or their service, just noting another example of this type of product.

Edited June 4, 2009 by ejw50 (log)

[sugarseattle]

i would ask for an ingredients list. the shelf stable product most likely has tons of preservatives, which will likely affect the flavor quite a bit.

i agree with rickster about the shelf stable products likely being cooked, which will affect the flavor of the fruit substantially.

I prefer frozen fruit purees, but have not been able to find a good source other than Napa Valley Fruit purees, which are quite nice, but quite expensive. a lot of times i just end up making my own for simple fruits like straw/ras/blueberries.

i was at a smoothie place the other day, and they seemed to have these cool exotic fruit purees.

[RichardJones]

Sorry to dig up an old thread but it appeared when I was googling for info on Caramanfruit. I've recently got hold of some but have not yet used them. I just wanted to say in response to this

i would ask for an ingredients list. the shelf stable product most likely has tons of preservatives, which will likely affect the flavor quite a bit

that there are no preservatives in the Caramanfruit shelf-stable products, just added sugar. That might be of interest to someone!

[JeanneCake]

I have lately been using the refrigerated/frozen purees from Ponthier - they are, quite simply, excellent. Some of the flavors I've tried are so clearly superior to what I've been using that I gave all my perfect puree and some of my caramanfruit stuff to the caterers I share with.

The Ponthier mango is outstanding. The coconut has no grit. And blueberry! Wow, the blueberry. I got a taste of it when the rep came in, and while I do not have blueberry anything on our menu, I bought it anyway. I have never made sorbet before, but this blueberry has sorbet written all over it! When I use the strawberry or raspberry in our buttercreams, people swoon even more than they used to.

They arrive in a pouch with a flip top (which is unfortunately easy to snap off) and can be frozen for 2 years or kept refrigerated for one year. Once opened, the standard 7-10 days thing applies but when I know I am not going to use all of something, I will just freeze it after I've opened it.

OK, I will stop sounding like a walking advertisement for them. But seriously, Ponthier is just fantastic. I did not think I would find anything better than the caramanfruit coins or purees, but this is.