Homemade Baby Purees (for a 6 to 7 month old)

As a first time older mum I recently attended a Baby Puree making workshop and learned about nutrition, and how easy it is to make my own baby food. If you need a little motivation, here are some homemade baby puree recipes for you to try ...

Sweet Potato Puree, Pumpkin or Squash Puree
Peel and cut 2 or 3 medium to large size sweet potato into cubes. Steam for 15 to 20 minutes, until soft. Reserve the cooking liquid. Puree the cooked cubes of sweet potato with a stick blender or a kitchen blender until very soft and fine. As you are blending add some of the reserved cooking liquid to make a nice soft consistency for baby to swallow.

Remember that sweet potato, and, if you are cooking pumpkin or squash will absorb quite a bit of water when blending into a puree, so add at least a 1/2 to 1 cup of cooking liquid.

The same recipe can be made with carrots, BUT you must ensure that when you puree the carrots use freshly boiled, slightly cooled water and NOT the cooking liquid.

Carrots contain nitrates that leak into the cooking liquid and are too strong for a young baby.

Green or Yellow Bean Puree
Another good source of vegetable containing fibre to start introducing to your 6 month old. Steam the beans until soft and puree together with some of the cooking liquid.

Zuchinni Puree
Quick and easy to steam lightly.

My six month old seemed to really enjoy it unpeeled, cooked and pureed finely.

There is no need to add water to this mixture when blending Zuchinni as it contains alot of liquid.

Apple Puree
Peel and slice your favourite eating apples. Simmer until soft in freshly boiled water, use approximately 1/2 cup of water to 3 to 4 large apples. Puree when slightly cool. Freezes well in ice cube trays.

Prune Puree
Soak approximately 2 cups of pitted prunes in 2 - 3 cups of boiling water for 20 minutes (in a pot). Then simmer gently in a pot on the stove for 15 to 20 minutes. Once slightly cooled blend with blender stick. Note: Prunes can be frozen in small containers, but will remain slightly sticky (which makes them more difficult to freeze into ice cube trays).

Freezing homemade baby purees
Vegetable and Fruit Purees can be made at home quite easily, cooled and frozen into ice cube trays. Once frozen store them in labelled containers or ziplock bags. Remember to rotate and use up older frozen purees first. Frozen fruits and vegetables have a relatively short shelf life (no longer than up to 6 months in a large deep freezer, or 2 to 3 months in the freezer compartment of your refrigerator). Pureed frozen meats, frozen purees containing milk and frozen legumes (lentils and tofus) should be used within 2 to 3 months.

Remember it will be only a few short months and your child will be enjoying table food (around 11 or 12 months of age you will be able to make them dinners almost the same as you are serving the rest of the family, simply mashed lightly with a fork, without a lot of spices or added sugar or salt.)