A few weeks ago, I mentioned that I have been making some of Brady’s baby food. To see tips on how to make sweet peas, click HERE. The method in that post would work for any type of frozen vegetable that comes in the steam bags. For non-steam bags, you’d just need to cook the vegetables on the stove per the directions and then proceed from there with making your puree.
3. Cut sweet potatoes down the middle lengthwise and scoop out the middle. This is where the fork tender part is really crucial! If you are having trouble cutting them, then cook them more!
4. Pour the “meat” of the potato into your blender or food processor and let it cool for a few minutes. Add some water to the blender. Start slow b/c once you add the water, you can’t take it back. You can always add more as you go to get the consistency you want. Don’t be alarmed if you have to add more than you expect.
5. Start your blender! I tend to stick with the puree and liquefy settings, but you may have to experiment with your blender. Continue adding water as needed to get your targeted consistency. I aim to get the smoothest puree possible when baby is first starting out. Since sweet potatoes are soft anyway, it’s easier to get a smoother puree!
6. Spoon puree into ice cube trays.
7. Cover ice cube tray with plastic wrap and put in freezer overnight.
8. Pop frozen cubes out and store in labelled freezer bag. Enjoy for up to 1 month. Each ice cube is approx. 1 oz. of food and can be thawed out as needed. If you plan ahead, you can take out what you will need for the day and let it thaw in the refrigerator. You can also thaw it out in the microwave for approx. 30 seconds, but make sure you check it is not too warm for baby.
If you’re like me and looking to save some money, here’s the breakdown (I did not include the costs of the blender and freezer bags, as these are standards items in my kitchen).
•Cost of sweet potatoes (4 @ $.99/lbs) = $4.03 at Kroger
◦(made approx. 76 ozs.)
•Cost of Gerber sweet potatoes (15.2 packs @ $.98 each) = $14.90 at Kroger or Walmart
◦(each pack has 2-2.5 oz. jars)
•Savings of $10.87 or 73%
Note: I have used this method for butternut squash as well, but I have opted to buy it from the store for Brady since it is out of season and prices were crazy when I went to Kroger. I don’t remember the exact math from when I did it for Savannah, but I am pretty certain you’d save a decent chunk of change by making it at home in the fall months when you can get a good sale on it.
ENJOY!
great tip! thanks for posting!