Baby Food Making- Day 5 - Carrots

And so it began... My attempts at making baby carrots which I am proud to say was not that hard nor was it really that time consuming. After trying some myself I will be making carrot popsicles in the future. I thought they were just delicious! I would much prefer my carrots frozen and on a stick than in cooked pureed form!

So Shenandoah and I set off... her with her teething ring in hand while I scrubbed the beautiful bounty of carrots which I have been drooling over for days. We began and the beautifully fresh organic carrots were smelling lovely. (I wish I had taken a picture of the carrots before I broke them from their stems and greenery!)

Now they were scrubbed, prepped, and ready for cooking!

I added about and 1/2 in of water to the bottom of my pot sliced the carrots fairly thin (so the would cook faster) and added it to the water. They steamed for about 20-30 minutes on high heat until they were very tender.

Shenandoah says... that was quick!

Mmm, my kitchen now smells delicious!

 All of the materials you need to make baby food out of your carrots are pictured here. Fancy baby food makers are nice but really my experiences with my blender have been super easy. 

I added the carrots to the blender and I added about a 1-2 cups of water (or breastmilk) small amounts at a time. (this will depend on the "stage" of baby food you desire to make and also how much water is already in your carrots.) 

I found much of my information about carrots and other baby food here... http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/nitratearticle.htm

 Once I blended the carrots well I alternating adding water and more carrots until I reached my desired consistency.

Since my food here is "1st" foods consistency, all i had to do is pour the food into the hard plastic ice cube trays and guide with a spoon.

Once all of the trays are filled give the tray a little rap on the counter so that they settle. (I advise against the cheap plastic ice cube trays. They are a pain to get the food out of and not to mention for repeated use the type of plastic DEFINITELY matters!)

As far as storing your freshly made wholesome baby food, most guidelines say frozen baby food can be stored between 1-3 months. If you are going to use it sooner, refrigerated baby food should be used within  a week.

Bagged and tray baby foods! (and a lasagna)

Then all that is left is finding room in your freezer and letting the set overnight! The next day I pop them out of the trays and put them in ziplock bags and label them. 

Next time I would love to find the right type of peas to make with my carrots!!! Mmm.. peas and carrots!

That was a lot of description but all in all it is not that hard. 

For all the concise folks here is your "recipe" for success!

Now that all the work is done... I think its time for a nap!

1. Clean (peel carrots if not organic) & chop carrots

2. Steam carrots until tender.

3. Puree carrots and water or breast milk until desired consistency achieved. 

4. Add to desired containers.

5. Store
6. Enjoy!