Sunday, August 28, 2011

Using Your Slow Cooker to Make Baby Food

"Work smarter, not harder!"  What a great quote!  I'm all about working smarter!  I've decided the best way to make batches of baby food is to use my slow cooker whenever possible!

This week, I cooked Sweet Potatoes and Butternut Squash in my Slow Cooker.  Both things would have heated my house up tremendously and seeing how it's summer, I don't really want to do that!  Plus, I could let my Slow Cookers cook the veggies for me while I was out and about doing other things I needed to do!  I was then able to come home, let them cool a bit and then puree them!  SO wonderful!

Making home made baby food is so easy!  After the veggies are cooked, you add a bit of the cooking liquid or water and puree them in a blender or food processor!  Then, you poor or spoon the mixture into ice cube trays.  Freeze your baby food and then put the cubes into freezer bags for later use!  They thaw quickly in the refrigerator (or a short amount of time in the microwave).  This will save you a ton of money and give your baby food in it's purest state!  Organic baby food is extremely pricey in the store!  I think you will find this extremely worth your time!  If you make large batches on the weekend once in a while, you will have plenty stocked up for a while!

Here's a couple of the baby foods I made:

Butternut Squash Baby Food

Ingredients:
2 Butternut Sqashes
water

Directions:
Cut your butternut squash in half 
and scoop out the seeds and guts.
Place them into your slow cooker.
Cook on LOW for approximately 4 hours.  
You will know it's done when you can easily poke the flesh with a fork.
Next, let them cool for a little bit with the lid off and then take them out.
Pour the liquid that has pooled inside your squash into the blender or food processor and then scoop all the flesh into the blender or food processor.


Add a bit of liquid little by little as you blend until you reach the desired consistency.
Pour into Ice cube trays, cover with plastic wrap and freeze.
When frozen, place cubes into a labeled freezer bag until ready to serve them.



Sweet Potato Baby Food

Ingredients:
6 (or so) Sweet Potatoes, washed and dried
water

Directions:
Place your sweet potatoes into your slow cooker insert

Cook on LOW for 4-5 hours depending on how many or size of your sweet potatoes.
You will know they are done when you can easily poke your fork into them.

Take the lid off and let them cool a bit.
When they are cool enough to handle, slice them in half and scoop the flesh into a blender or food processor.


As you blend, add water a little at a time until you have your desired consistency.
Pour or spoon into ice cube trays.

Cover with plastic wrap and freeze. 
When frozen, place cubes into a labeled freezer bag until ready to serve them.


Print Friendly and PDF

8 comments:

  1. so when you cook them do you cover them with water or just enough in the bottom of the pot?

    ReplyDelete
  2. You do not cook them with ANY water. You add the water when you blend them to your desired consistency.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Do you know how long these should last when frozen in a normal freezer versus a deep freezer?
    I am SO doing this with the next baby! (Current baby is on more finger foods now)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Here are some guidelines on freezing baby food and how long it's good for. I used this myself. http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/FreezePage.htm

      Delete
  4. Loved this ideas! Tk u!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Why do you need to remove the skins? I have organic sweet potatoes.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Nice to read this article will be very helpful in the future, share more info with us. Good job!

    ReplyDelete