Having a significant nutritious value, carrots are definitely a must in your diet. Because they are sweeter and easier to work with than full-grown carrots, baby carrots are the perfect choice for your family. Using them for cooking or just for a fun snack, they are healthier than many other delicious but dangerous treats. On the following, you will find some useful hints about homemade carrot baby food.
There are plenty of carrot baby food combinations but to make it easier for you, we selected three easy recipes for the whole family:
1.How to Make Carrot Puree for Babies
Procedure:
For this basic puree, you can use any amount of fresh baby carrots you desire and suits your baby.
-> First you have to wash, peel and dice the carrots into small pieces.
->Place the carrots into a steamer set over boiling water and cook them until tender (about 15-20 minutes).
->Drain the carrots and rinse them with cold water for a few minutes so you can stop the cooking process.
->Puree the cooked carrots using a blender and add water or some of the cooking liquid to achieve desired consistency.
The amount of liquid you add depends on your baby’s preferences.
2. Roasted Baby Carrots with Ginger and Honey
This is a simple and tasty dish that will be ready in 55 minutes. You will need honey roasted carrots :
Ingredients:
-> 2 lbs baby carrots (cut 1 inch x 1/4 inch)
-> 1/4 cup butter
-> 1/4 cup honey
-> 1/2 tbsp ginger (crushed)
-> 1 tbsp lemon juice
Procedure:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet or cast iron pan and pour in the carrots. Melt the butter in a bowl and stir in the honey, ginger and lemon juice. Pour the sauce that you obtained over carrots and stir to mix them together. Roast for 40-50 minutes until tender and golden brown. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste.
3. Honey Glazed Baby Carrots with Parsnip
Ingredients:
-> 2 pounds carrots (1 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter)
-> peeled, halved lengthwise
-> 2 pounds parsnips (1 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter)
-> peeled, halved lengthwise; 6 tablespoons olive oil
-> 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
-> 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
-> 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar.
Procedure:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with foil and divide the carrots and the parsnips between prepared sheets. Sprinkle with the salt and the pepper then add 3 tablespoons of oil over the vegetables on each sheet. Roast the vegetables 20 minutes stirring after the first 10 minutes and reverse sheets. Continue to roast until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes longer. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in honey and vinegar. Drizzle the honey glaze over vegetables and serve. I am sure you will enjoy this delicious and easy to cook recipe.
Many People Are Wondering If We Can Freeze Baby Carrots.
The answer is yes, we can. Here is the best way on how to freeze carrots for baby carrot food. Before you put them in the freezer, you have to plunge them into boiling water for 2 minutes and chill them quickly in ice-cold water. Drain off excess moisture, package in freezer bags or airtight containers, and freeze immediately. If they will be properly restored, baby carrots will maintain the best quality for about 12 to 18 months. If mold appears or they have a bad appearance or smell, discard the baby carrots.
After I mentioned that raw carrots have a lot of vitamins and nutrients you may ask yourself, what about the cooked carrots nutrition? Maybe you will be surprised to find out that cooked carrots are more nutritious than the raw ones. The vitamin content of vegetables is reduced after cooking them, especially after boiling. But carotenoids such as beta-carotene in carrots are more available when vegetables are cooked or processed. These processes help them release the carotenoids which are bound to the “heart” cell of the vegetables.
There are 82 calories in 1 cup of sliced cooked carrots, Vitamin A 504%, Vitamin C 9%, Calcium 4%, Iron 3%.
All these being said, I hope you feel more confident and you learned something new about carrot baby food. You don’t have to think twice before choosing this delicious and essential vegetable as part of your alimentation. I am sure your family will be thankful for the new recipes that you will try for them. You can never fail with the 3 easy recipes above and now you know more about how to make carrot baby food. Just enjoy it and you will have a lot of fun.