Carrots are packed with nutrients that are great for your baby: beta-carotene, vitamin A, C, and calcium. However, when preparing your own baby food, there is some concern about nitrates and possibility of blue baby syndrome as a result of nitrate poisoning from certain vegetables, such as carrots.  (Read the article on nitrates on WholesomeBabyFood.com, it’s very informative and reassuring!)  Just be sure you are not introducing these vegetables too early and that you don’t reserve the water from the steaming process to thin your pureé as nitrates may seep into the water.

Of course, as luck would have it, I made a batch of carrots and automatically used the reserved water in the pureé before I realized what I was doing.  I was on auto-pilot and it didn’t occur to me until after I had poured them into the covered ice trays and set them in the freezer.  I wasted about half a dozen carrots, but I figure it’s better safe than sorry.

The carrots were an instant favorite. There was no need to mix the carrots with anything to make it palatable for her, but I did find that mixing in some rice cereal gave it some added texture which is good for her at this age.

Here’s the process. Super easy!

• Use organic carrots. (If organic is not available, be sure to wash carrots with a vegetable brush and peel them.)  For even more convenience, buy organic baby carrots: already peeled and comes in pieces small enough to steam as is!
• Peel and cut carrots into 1″ pieces. (If using baby carrots, this is not necessary.)
• Steam carrots until tender. Discard water from cooking process. Do not reserve water for pureé.
• Pureé in a food processor, using fresh water for thinning to desired consistency.
• Storage:  Refrigerate in an airtight container for 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.