201 Organic Baby Purees (4 page)

3.   
Grown your own
: Planting a garden is an inexpensive way to provide fresh organic produce for your dinner table. Many vegetables and berries can be grown with little effort in your backyard or even in containers on a small balcony or patio.

4.   
Buy in bulk
: A clever way to get the most for your money is to purchase fresh produce in bulk, where the more you buy the more you save. If you don't want or need a lot, share the cost with a friend or neighbor and split the harvest. Many warehouse stores, which require membership, offer fresh organic produce at cheaper prices than smaller stores.

5.   
Get the most out of the season
: Fresh produce in season is usually a lot less expensive than foods that are not in season. Stock up on these goodies and purée and freeze the extra to extend the season and save money by not purchasing at the higher out-of-season price later on.

Once you get in the habit of shopping organically, it will become second nature and you won't think twice about it. You'll find that you
can
have the organic foods that you need for your baby and are actually under budget because of the savings from not purchasing packaged baby purées off the shelf.

Next you'll learn how to turn your brilliantly colorful organic pantry into delicious homemade meals for baby (and family). Let's explore how to equip your kitchen with the gadgets you need, safety in the kitchen, and how to purée!

CHAPTER 3

Baby Purée Essentials

Tips, Tricks, and Techniques for Healthy Homemade Meals

When your baby has reached six months of age, you can safely introduce solid foods as long as she is showing signs she is ready and you have already discussed starting solids with your pediatrician. Cooking meals for your baby is easy, fun, and rewarding. In this chapter you'll find the tools you need to get started, the requisites of food safety, and how to prepare and store baby purées. You'll learn all about making large quantities to freeze for later use and how to make the consistency perfect for your baby at each developmental stage.

If you go into any kitchen supply store, you will find a gadget for everything, which can add up really quickly if you try to buy it all! Instead, save your money to purchase the organic food you need and leave the unnecessary gadgets at the store. You probably own all the things you need to make food for your baby. Not to mention, too many gadgets can overwhelm your kitchen with clutter, which will only drive you out of it. Keep your kitchen as serene as possible. Put fresh flowers out on your counter each week and maybe keep a radio or small television handy for company. Keep clutter off the counters and leave only the most commonly used
practical
items at hand. The first step to getting started making food for your little one is making sure you are relaxed and ready for this great experience! If you can't find what you did with the steaming contraption or your pantry is in chaos and you can't find the rice cereal, that's a recipe for a hot mess!

Here are the tools you need to get started making organic baby purées:

•  Large cutting board

•  Large chef's knife

•  Small paring knife

•  Vegetable peeler

•  Wooden spoons

•  Measuring cups and spoons

•  Baking sheets

•  Stock pot

•  2-quart saucepan

•  12-inch nonstick skillet

•  Baking dishes

•  Mixing bowls

•  Cooling rack

•  Large pot with steamer insert or collapsible steamer

•  Meat thermometer

•  Fine mesh stainless-steel strainer

•  Blender or mini food processor

•  Food mill

•  Ice cube trays

•  Plastic wrap

•  Freezer bags

•  Black permanent marker for labeling

As you can see, making and preparing healthy organic food for your baby doesn't require a large investment. You may find that you only need a few items from the list. How wonderful is that? Read on to learn about the pieces of equipment that will truly become indispensable when making organic baby food.

In order to keep sanity in the kitchen it's important to practice safe hygiene every time you make a meal. Contaminated counters, appliances, and feeding supplies are a sure way to drive you insane—and possibly everyone you've fed to the hospital.

Safe food handling practices are a
must
for preparing baby purées or any food that you make. Follow these tips to reduce the risk of contamination and illness.

•  Always wash your hands for twenty seconds with warm, soapy water before and after handling food. Make sure you clean your wrists and under your nails.

•  Frequently clean the areas where you prepare food, including counters, sinks, faucets, and floors, with an eco-friendly cleaning solution.

•  Separate meat and poultry from other food items.

•  Wash cutting surfaces with hot soapy water after each use. Cross-contamination can occur when you place cooked meat or produce on surfaces contaminated by raw meat.

•  Always cook food to proper temperatures. Use a meat thermometer to make sure meat is completely done.

•  Refrigerate your food right away so bacteria cannot grow on the food. Don't let the food sit out on the counter!

Following these safety guidelines will ensure the health and safety of your family.

There are many ways to cook purées for your baby. Knowing the pros and cons of your appliances will help you decide which to use to cook foods thoroughly. When deciding on a cooking technique, consider the season and the reason. For example, if it's cold outside and you're swamped with things to do, consider baking. Or, if you planned on making steamed broccoli for the family, you might decide to steam apples or cauliflower for your baby while the pot is already out. The following are commonly used cooking methods for making baby purées.

Baking retains the most nutrients but takes the longest to cook foods until tender, especially potatoes, squash, and meats. However, while the food is in the oven, you can get other things accomplished around the house. You will bake most things at 350
°
F, which is the most common temperature used for baking. Because of the oven's large capacity, you can bake up to four different dishes simultaneously, making it easy to prepare a couple months' worth of food. For example, you can bake sweet potatoes, squash, apples, and eggplant at the same time. If you have a double oven, you can even double that amount!

Steaming preserves more nutrients and antioxidants than boiling or microwaving. Therefore, it is a good way to cook fruits and vegetables. To steam using a pot and steaming basket, simply fill the pot with enough water to reach the bottom of the basket. Add the food to the basket and turn the burner on medium-high heat. You'll find that most food cooks quickly using this method. Steam until the fruit or vegetable is pierced easily with a fork.

Microwaving is quick and convenient for cooking many fruits, vegetables, and cereals. With microwave cooking, there are definite space limitations—you can only cook small batches. In addition, there's much controversy swirling around whether this method retains nutrients in food. Until there's definitive evidence, it's up to you to decide, but recent studies have shown that microwaving does destroy precious antioxidants found in food. Therefore, just like with boiling, use it as a last resort for heating foods used to make baby purées. If you are going to reheat food, reduce the power to 30 to 50 percent to reduce hot spots.

Consider these additional warnings when using the microwave. First, never heat up food in plastic dishes that are in plastic wrap or not marked “microwave safe.” Research has shown that the plastic causes toxic chemicals that seep into the food and can cause long-term detrimental effects. Look on the bottom of a plastic dish to see if it is marked as microwave safe. If you are unsure, play it safe and don't use the dish in the microwave. Instead, use a glass dish. Second, never heat up food covered in aluminum foil or leave metal eating utensils in the bowl. That is a quick way to send your kitchen up in flames!

Boiling is the least beneficial cooking method, so turn to it as a last resort. Studies show that about 50 percent of the nutrients seep into the water during the cooking
process. Many people don't know this and pour the remaining nutrient-rich liquid down the drain. Now that you're equipped with this important knowledge, be sure to incorporate the remaining liquid in your purées, should you decide to use this cooking method.

There are three types of baby purée consistencies—smooth, semismooth, and chunky.

A smooth purée is appropriate for babies just starting to eat solids, at around six months of age. Smooth purées are free of bumps, lumps, and fibrous materials. It is similar to the consistency of plain yogurt or commercial stage 1 baby food. Your blender will achieve this purée with water or other liquids added. The purée will eventually resemble a whirlpool while being processed, which is a good indicator of a smooth texture. Starchy foods such as potatoes may require lots of added water, while some foods that naturally retain water, like pears, may not need any additional liquid. Therefore, turn on the purée function first and then gradually add liquid in small quantities at a time to achieve a smooth texture.

The semismooth consistency is smooth like yogurt but has small chunks of food here and there to help babies around eight months old learn to chew. These tiny chunks of soft food can be things like rice, pasta, and diced cooked vegetables. The semismooth consistency is comparable to commercial stage 2 baby food. A good way to achieve a semismooth consistency is to add minced pieces of cooked, soft foods to a smooth purée.

The final consistency is chunky. You can achieve a chunky consistency with less puréeing, or you can also purée to a smooth consistency and then add diced chunks of fruit, vegetables, or pasta back in. A chunky consistency is comparable to commercial stage 3 baby food.

Purchasing these three stages of commercial organic baby food will give you some idea of what the purées are like at each stage. Don't be afraid to take a taste. After all, it will be a great reminder of why you are making baby food in the first place!

With your first few attempts of making purées, it is possible to make simple mistakes like adding too much liquid or not adding enough. If this happens to you, don't start over. It is not necessary to throw out the food because it is not the right consistency. Instead, try making these few minor adjustments to get the consistency just right.

•  Thinning: If your purée is too thick, try thinning it out by adding cool boiled water or by using any leftover liquid from steaming or boiling. You may also use fresh breast milk or formula for an added nutritional boost. However, if you plan on freezing the purée, don't add formula or breast milk.