How to make pureed carrots for babies
Mmm! Carrot season in Rhode Island runs July through December, and I for one can’t get enough of them! Sweet and crunchy and perfect to eat raw, but also a staple for several wintertime comfort foods – carrots are in high demand in our household.
credit: Farm Fresh RI |
Selecting Carrots
- One regular sized carrot will equal about 3 ounces of baby food (about 3 ice cubes worth)
- When choosing carrots, pick ones with a smooth form with a bright orange color
- Avoid carrots with cracks or wilting greens
- If you can get carrots with the greens still attached – even better!
- Medium sized carrots are easier to work with than larger carrots
- I don’t recommend pureeing “baby carrots” which are just big carrots cut into small sticks. They do not taste nearly as good as the real deal
Storing carrots
- Cut off green tops – they steal the nutrients from the carrot
- Carrots can be stored for several days
Make Baby Food
- Rinse carrots in cold water, peel, remove top if you haven’t already and cut into small pieces. I usually just cut them into disks a quarter inch thick or so
- Steam carrots until tender
- Drain, but save the water for the puree
- Cool the hot carrots. Trust me, the last thing you need is hot sprayed carrot steam all over your face.
- Put that squishy carrot goodness into your food processor or blender and blend until it reaches your desired consistancy. Add water to help If your baby is ready to eat with their fingers, you can skip the purreeing part~
You can serve carrots alone, or mix it in with applesauce, peaches, broccoli, peas, brown rice, chicken, beef, you name it!
Save Leftovers: You can refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days, or free your carrot puree for up to three months. Thaw frozen carrot puree overnight in your refrigerator.
Note: If your child eats tons of carrots (or sweet potatoes) they may turn a tad orange – just like you or I would if we ate a ton of carrots. Don’t be alarmed, but take this as a sign to start mixing up their diet a bit.
What is your favorite way to eat carrots?
Wow this is so helpful, and I love the pictures. Making baby food seems so hard but it really isn't and it is so much better for your baby. Thanks for sharing this helpful post. I would love if you stopped by my blog at http://www.anannysperspective.com
YUM! My kids did not like pureed carrots as babies, but they love to eat carrots as kids — my daughter walks around with a whole carrot and eats it to the greens!
Love this post… proves you don't need no fancy machine to make baby food! We loved just using our blender and steam basket 🙂 Happy eating Big Tiny Baby!
Roasted with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a little dill. Actually, that was my dinner tonight.
My kids were ALWAYS orange! I love adding a little olive oil to mine too!
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