I've made carrot baby food before, but have always boiled the carrots, so I decided to try roasting them for a change of pace. In general, I think roasting carrots brings out a nice sharp carrot flavor that is lost when they are boiled. Unfortunately, roasting them also dries them out a bit, which seemed to effect the final texture of my baby food today.
Despite adding quite a bit of milk to the roasted carrot puree, it was still a bit course-- not smooth enough for an early eater like Lila. The texture will be perfect for her in a month or two, so I froze the puree and will use it later. So I ended up re-making the carrots the way I always have --by boiling them until very tender and then pureeing.
Here's a very simple recipe for carrot baby food --roasting or boiling the carrots, depending on your preference.
Carrot Puree
Ingredients: Whole carrots (I suggest buying the freshest ones possible- farm fresh carrots are so yummy!), expressed breast milk or formula
Directions:
1. Cook carrots-
Roasting- preheat oven to 350, line sheet pan with foil, wash carrots - cut carrots into one inch pieces and scatter on sheet pan - bake until very tender (around 45 minutes for large carrots) OR Boiling - wash carrots, cut into even sized pieces, bring pan of water to boil - add carrots to boiling water and boil until very tender - drain and allow to cool slightly
2. Puree carrots in blender or food processor.
3. Add liquid, if necessary, until mixture reaches appropriate consistency for your baby.
4. Serve warm or cold. Store in airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to three months.
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