Carrot puree is one of the best first-stage baby food purees for infants. What better way to keep babies healthy than to feed them vegetables, right?
Pin this recipe on Pinterest to save for later
Making this carrot puree baby food is fun and easy; let’s start!
How to Make Baby Food Carrot Puree
Its vibrant and appetizing color can make the baby curious about what it tastes like. Once your baby tastes this sweet and creamy puree, you can trust that it will improve overall health!
Ingredient
Carrots
Carrots are the perfect beginner foods for babies trying out their first solid food. It contains lots of fiber to fight constipation and blood clotting. These are also rich in beta-carotene for better eyesight, stronger immunity, and heart health.
Its subtle sweet flavor is just enough not to irritate the baby’s digestion and to excite the baby into trying more. The smooth texture of the puree will help the baby swallow and taste the food easily. Even its gorgeous orange color is enticing.
Don’t throw away your leftover carrots. Instead, convert them into carrot oil, powder, or juice!
Directions
Before anything else, ensure that your hands, kitchen, and utensils are clean for safe consumption.
- Wash the carrot.
- Use your knife to cut the vegetable into small pieces.
- Pour water into a pot with a steaming basket.
- Cover it with a lid.
- Leave it to steam over medium heat for 10 minutes or until the slices are soft and tender.
- Transfer the steamed ingredient to your blender.
- Add water or milk if preferred.
- Blend until smooth or until preferred consistency is achieved.
Once contended with the consistency, pour it into a baby bowl, and it’s ready to eat!
Tips for Baby Food Carrot Puree
How to Select the Best Carrots
- Since these are for baby food, it’s best to choose bright orange colors and firm to the touch.
- The carrot’s skin should be smooth in texture without any cracks or holes.
- The leaves on the tops should also be a healthy shade of green.
- Avoid carrots that are pale in color, soft, and wilted.
How to Store Carrots
- The key to the tastiest and healthiest puree is ensuring that the carrots are fresh and properly stored.
- To effectively prolong the carrot’s freshness, separate the main vegetable from the taproot.
- Don’t throw away the taproot because these can be used as a garnish in other dishes.
- Don’t rinse them before storage because this can lead to mold growth.
- Washing these is recommended before the actual time to cook them.
- For long-term preservation, store them in a container in a dark and cold area.
- Root cellars are excellent options for this kind of storage. With this method, carrots can last up to several months.
- Alternatively, you can place the unpeeled carrots in a container or resealable bag with cold water.
- The water will become cloudy within 4 to 5 days; replace it with another cold water.
- Another method you can try is to freeze them to last several weeks. For this option, rinse and scrub the vegetable first.
- You can blanch them before storing them in the freezer. You may also store them in freezer bags, but airtight containers are also suggested.
Baby Food Carrot Puree Without a Blender
As long as they are steamed, you can mash them with a masher, a fork, or a fine-mesh sieve and spatula. Alternatively, use a food processor or hand-held blender instead.
Variations
For carrot puree combinations, some excellent choices are:
- Apple Carrot Puree
- Apple Carrot Sweet Potato Puree
- Banana Carrot Puree
- Carrot and Pear Puree
- Apple, Carrot & Parsnip Puree
You can also convert them into juice or powder form! Avoid seasoning the carrots to preserve their natural taste and nutrients. Foods that are natural, fresh, and healthy are always best for babies.
An alternative to blending is to boil the carrots until soft and puree them using a potato masher. If the carrots are incredibly soft, you can use a spoon and fork to mash them into the milk or water.
You can skip the puree and feed it to babies aged six months and older as boiled carrots. However, ensure that they are under adult supervision to prevent choking.
Recommended Tools
- Knife: Slice the carrots with a knife.
- Steaming basket: Soften the vegetable on a steaming basket.
- Pot: Let the water boil in a pot to steam the carrots.
- Blender: Puree the carrots in a blender.
- Pot lid: Cover the pot to boil water.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I earn commission income from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Please read the full disclosure for more information.
How to Serve Carrot Puree
Pour the puree into the baby’s bowl to serve. You can serve it slightly refrigerated, warm, or at room temperature. For refrigerated or frozen puree, reheat it in the oven at 165 °F for a few minutes.
If it’s your baby’s first time trying this carrot puree, start with a few teaspoons and see if they like it.
More Baby Food
Storage Tips For Baby Food
- At room temperature: Refrigerate homemade baby food within two hours of cooking.
Don’t forget to write the date on the bag for better monitoring. Freezing can make the carrot puree last up to 1 to 2 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can raw carrots be pureed?
Yes, you can, but it will work best if you use a food processor to achieve a finer texture. However, it is still best to steam the carrots to soften them up.
How soon can babies eat carrot puree?
Since carrot puree is beginner-friendly baby food, you can feed it to your baby at six to eight months old. Remember the 3-Day Rule: wait 3 to 4 days before introducing your baby to new food.
Can the carrot puree cause constipation?
A baby’s response to a new food can differ from baby to baby. Some babies may find it better for digestion and bowel movements. But some babies can also have stomach problems from purees
Start feeding the carrot puree little by little to determine whether it has positive effects on the baby.
How can you thaw frozen carrot puree baby food?
Never reheat the carrot puree twice. Once they are thawed, dispose of the leftover carrot puree for safer consumption. You can thaw the puree in the fridge for four to twelve hours. When thawing, put the frozen puree in an airtight container.
It can also be thawed in the microwave at 15-second intervals or on the stove at low heat for a few minutes. Alternatively, you can place the frozen carrot purees in a plastic bag and submerge them in warm or hot water for 20 minutes or until totally thawed.
Carrot Puree
Ingredients
- 1 carrot (peeled and sliced)
- ½ cup water (filtered)
- breast milk or baby formula (optional)
Instructions
- Peel the carrot.Wash the carrot before peeling it with a knife or peeler. Unpeeled carrots can be bitter in taste and quite dusty in texture.
- Slice it.Use your knife to cut the carrots into small pieces for faster steaming and easier and smoother blending.
- Steam the carrot.Pour ½ cup of water into a pot with a steaming basket on top. I highly suggest steaming the carrots to retain most of the nutrients. Cover it with a lid. Leave it to steam over medium heat for 10 minutes or until the carrot slices are soft and tender. To check softness, pierce a chunk of carrot with a fork.
- Blend the carrot. Transfer the steamed carrots into your blender. You can incorporate breast milk or formula milk for a creamy and thick consistency. Alternatively, you may use the water from the steaming pot. The amount of liquids you pour in depends on how thick you want the puree to be. For this process, you can also use a hand blender or a food processor for the best results. Blend until smooth or until preferred consistency is achieved.
Video
Notes
- Feed the baby with carrot puree little by little.
- Don’t leave the carrot puree baby food at room temperature for longer than two hours.
- Choose the best and freshest carrots for the healthiest carrot puree.
- Unpeeled carrots can be bitter in taste and quite dusty in texture.
- Use your knife to cut the vegetable into small pieces for faster steaming and more manageable and smoother blending.
- I highly suggest steaming the vegetable to retain most of the nutrients.
- To check softness, pierce a carrot with a fork.
- You can incorporate breast or formula milk for a creamy and thick consistency. Alternatively, you may use the water from the steaming pot.
- You can also use a hand blender or a food processor to puree.
Nutrition
