How to Make Easy Organic Baby Food

To make your own organic baby food, all you need is some basic kitchen equipment and the right ingredients. Follow these steps.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Fork
• Microwave oven
• Microwave-safe glass dish with lid for cooking vegetables
• Blender
• Metal steamer basket
• Saucepan with lid that can accomodate the steamer basket
• Spatula
• Ice cube tray, preferably with lids
• Resealable plastic bags
• Infant spoons
• Microwave-safe unbreakable bowls

1. Buy ripe, in-season produce. Banana or mango, if they are available, are great choices. Both can easily be mashed with a fork for a lumpy consistency, or in a blender for a smoother one.

2. Steam organic sweet potatoes, fresh carrots and peas to make terrific baby food. Check occasionally to see if the produce is mushy, and then puree it in the blender with a little of the cooking water if it hasn't boiled off. This is a great way to preserve vitamins and minerals that would otherwise be lost by boiling.

3. See what options are available in the frozen organic section. Slightly overcook the vegetables and fruits in your microwave until they are mushy and soft. Puree them in a blender for a few minutes and serve.

4. Boil some organic turkey, chicken or beef as you would if you were preparing a soup. Add just enough water to cover and boil until the meat is falling off the bone. Tear or cut it into chunks, add some of the cooking water and puree it in your blender.

5. Freeze your purees in ice cube trays overnight. Pop out the cubes and store them in resealable plastic bags in the freezer. Date and label the bags, and use the contents within 3 months.

6. Take out the cubes you will need for the next day each night, and thaw them in your refrigerator.

7. Jazz up your purees with small amounts of spices. Cinnamon works great with fruits, while dill, rosemary, thyme, parsley and small amounts of garlic work great with vegetables and meats.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't add salt or sugar to your organic baby food.
• Add filtered water when making your purees if there is not enough cooking water left over.
• If you have forgotten to take out the cubes the night before, you can microwave them for a minute. However, you will need to stir them and let them sit for a moment before serving to eliminate any hot spots that could burn your child.
• Measure out a small amount of food for the baby first, and then refrigerate or freeze the rest. Throw out any leftovers that the baby has eaten instead of serving them again so there is less risk of bacterial contamination.

[tipperbooth]

on 4/19/2009 Great tips :)