To make first foods, peel, scrub or prepare your chosen fruit or vegetables and cut into pieces
DO NOT add any salt or sugar
Cook them by covering with a little water and simmering gently until soft; you can also steam or microwave the fruit or vegetables
When they are cooked, add a little of the cooking water (as this will contain dissolved vitamins from the fruit or vegetables) or your baby’s usual milk
Blend or thoroughly mash the cooked foods. If you need to remove any pips or tough fibres push the food through a sieve using the back of a metal spoon.
You can adjust the texture by adding more water or milk until you find a consistency your baby likes.

When you start weaning your baby, you can make up a full recipe, and freeze the rest in the Pea in a Pod Baby Food Freezer Tray and then transfer to polythene freezer bags.
You will need a freezer which can freeze food to 0F(-18C) or below in 24 hours.
Do not freeze bananas or avocados.

To Freeze your Baby's Food

Make up the recipes below, then cover the tops and leave to cool. When cool put mixture into the Pea in a Pod Baby Food Freezer Tray. Put them into the freezer and when frozen solid put into polythene freezer bags. Label the bags with the name of recipe and date made and expiry date. Now they are ready to be put into the freezer.
You can make up a whole months worth of your baby food doing this.

Approximate Freezer storage times

Vegetables = 6 months
Fruit = 6 months
Puree's with milk = 4-6 weeks
Fish = 10 weeks
Meat & Chicken = 10 weeks

Thawing and Re-heating your Baby Food

When you want to feed your baby, just take a cube of the frozen baby food out of your polythene bag (more if required) and leave it at room temperature for at least an hour. Then heat through thoroughly and cool for your baby's taste. Serve immediately.
If you use a microwave, make sure you stir well as it heats food up unevenly and you may accidentally burn your baby's mouth.
If you are defrosting fruits to be eaten cold, then you can leave in the fridge overnight to defrost.

Never re-freeze foods which have been frozen before and never re-heat baby food more than once.

Carrot and parsnip purée
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1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 parsnip, peeled and diced

Steam the vegetables until they're tender. Purée in a blender or mouli and adjust the texture with boiled cooled water or baby's usual milk. Freeze any excess puree in your Pea in a Pod Baby Food Freezer Tray

Broccoli and cauliflower purée
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1 large floret broccoli
1 large floret cauliflower

Steam the vegetables until they are tender. Purée in a blender or mouli and adjust the texture with boiled cooled water or baby's usual milk. Freeze any excess puree in your Pea in a Pod Baby Food Freezer Tray

Lentils with butternut squash
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50g split red lentils
120g butternut squash, peeled and diced

Boil the lentils in water until soft. Steam or microwave the squash until tender. Drain the lentils in a sieve. Add the squash to the sieve and place the sieve over a bowl. Using a wooden spoon press through the mixture, stir and serve. Freeze any excess puree in your Pea in a Pod Baby Food Freezer Tray

Root Boost
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1 parsnip
1 carrot
1 small swede
1 small sweet potato

Peel and chop all the vegetables, place in a pan, cover with water and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, until all the vegetables are soft. Drain the vegetables, reserving the cooking liquid, then mash or puree, adding the reserved liquid to obtain the required consistency. Freeze any excess puree in your Pea in a Pod Baby Food Freezer Tray

Sweet Potato & Butternut Puree
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Equal quantities of the vegetables make for the best mix and taste.

1 sweet potato
½ butternut pumpkin

Peel the potato and dice, peel and de-seed the pumpkin and dice. Place both vegetables in a saucepan, cover with water and simmer for 40 minutes, until very soft. Drain and reserve the water then liquidise the vegetables, adding a little of the reserved cooking water to obtain the correct consistency. Freeze any excess puree in your Pea in a Pod Baby Food Freezer Tray

Potato and spinach purée
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1 medium potato, peeled and quartered
20g (a handful) spinach

Boil the potato in unsalted water until tender. Steam the spinach over the potato in a sieve for the last few minutes of cooking. Drain and mash the potato with a little of baby's usual milk. Purée the spinach and add to the potato. Adjust the texture with boiled cooled water or breast milk or formula. Freeze any excess puree in your Pea in a Pod Baby Food Freezer Tray

Christmas vegetable puree
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This easy recipe will allow your baby to join in with your Christmas meal even at a very young age! If you cook your baby's vegetables at the same time as you cook your own, remember don't add any salt.

1 carrot
1 parsnip
2 brussel sprouts
1 potato

Peel and chop all the vegetables, place in a pan and cover with water. Simmer for 30 minutes then drain, reserving the cooking water. Blend all the vegetables and add extra cooking water until you have the desired consistency. Enjoy your Christmas meal together! Freeze any excess puree in your Pea in a Pod Baby Food Freezer Tray

Pear and apple purée
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1 ripe pear, peeled and sliced
1 apple, peeled and sliced

Place the pear and apple in a small saucepan with one tablespoon of water and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until the fruit is tender. Purée in a blender or mouli. Freeze any excess puree in your Pea in a Pod Baby Food Freezer Tray

Banana purée
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1 small ripe banana
1-2 tsps of baby rice
2 tbsps of breast milk or formula

Mash the banana well until smooth. Mix the rice and milk, and stir into the banana. Adjust the texture with milk or rice to make a runnier or firmer purée. Do not freeze banana.

Apple & dried apricot puree
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150g dried apricots
2 apples, peeled and cored
water to cover

Place the apricots in a small pan and gently simmer for 15 minutes, more water may need to be added, if the mix gets dry. Add the chopped apple and simmer for a further 5 minutes, remove from the heat, cover the pan with a lid and allow the mixture to cool for 10 minutes. Mash or place in a processor and whiz until smooth, add more water if needed. Freeze any excess puree in your Pea in a Pod Baby Food Freezer Tray

Peach or Apricot Puree
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Bring a small saucepan of water to the boil. Cut a shallow cross on the skin of 2 peaches and submerge them in the water for 1 minute. Then put them straight into cold water. Skin the peaches and chop them getting rid of the stones. Steam the peaches until tender (approx 5 minutes) and then puree.
You can prepare fresh Apricots in the same way. Both can be eaten raw after your baby is 6 months as long as they are ripe. Freeze any excess puree in your Pea in a Pod Baby Food Freezer Tray

Mixed Dried Fruit Compote
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Dried fruits and fresh fruits are delicious combined. When you baby is older you can mix these with natural yogurt or fromage frais.

50g/2oz each of dried apricots, dried peaches and prunes
1 eating apple and pear, peeled, cored and chopped,
or 1 apple and 3 fresh apricots, skinned stoned & chopped.

Put the dried fruit into a saucepan, cover with plenty of boiling water and simmer for 25 minutes until tender. Add the apple and pear or apricots to the saucepan. Continue to simmer for another 10 minutes, adding more water if necessary. Puree in a mouli. Freeze any excess puree in your Pea in a Pod Baby Food Freezer Tray

FROM 7 MONTHS

Chicken & Butternut Mash
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1 fillet organic or free range chicken
1 butternut pumpkin
20g butter or 1 tbs. olive oil

Chop the chicken into small pieces. Using a sharp knife top and tail the butternut and cut away the skin, cut in half, remove the seeds, chop the butternut into small pieces. Place in a saucepan with the chicken, cover with water and bring to the boil and simmer for 40 minutes. Drain reserving the water and mash until a suitable consistency, add some reserved cooking liquid to soften the mix, add the butter or olive oil mix well and serve. Freeze any excess in your Pea in a Pod Baby Food Freezer Tray

Butterbean & Tuna Puree
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This is the ultimate no-cook home-made baby food! Make sure you rinse the beans well, as the liquid in the tin is very salty.

2 tbs. tinned butter beans
1 tbs. tinned tuna
a little milk or water

Place the rinsed butter beans and tuna in a small bowl. Mash with a fork or blend, adding milk or water until the desired consistency is achieved.

Christmas Meal Puree
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1 carrot
1 parsnip
2 brussel sprouts
1 potatoes
1 small onion
50g fillet of white turkey meat

Peel and chop all the vegetables and place in a pan. Roughly chop the turkey meat and add to the pan. Add enough water to cover the vegetables and turkey and place on a medium heat. Simmer for 30 minutes. Drain the pan, reserving the cooking water. Blend all the mix, adding extra cooking water until you have the desired consistency. Enjoy your Christmas meal together! Freeze any excess puree in your Pea in a Pod Baby Food Freezer Tray

Cod & Rice Puree
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This is very simple to make and a great way of introducing fish into your baby's diet. If you wish it to be a little richer add milk instead of water.

50g rice
100ml water
100g cod fillet, skinned and de-boned
A few sprigs of parsley

Place the rice and water in a small pan and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the cod fillet and cook for a further 10 minutes, add extra water if needed. Finally add the parsley and cook for two minutes. Blend to the desired consistency, adding a little extra boiled water if needed. Freeze any excess puree in your Pea in a Pod Baby Food Freezer Tray

Cheesy Courgette Risotto
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10g butter
50g risotto rice
water or salt free chicken or vegetable stock
½ courgette, finely diced
20g grated parmesan or cheddar

Melt the butter in a pan, add the rice and stir well to coat the grains. Add enough hot water or stock to cover the rice, stir well and simmer, adding more water/stock as it evaporates. Cook for 15 minutes. Add the finely diced courgette and stir well. Cook for a further 5 minutes. The rice should be very soft and what I would call 'over-cooked', but this is what babies like. Add the grated cheese, stir well. Allow to cool and serve.
Note: This dish can be frozen in your Pea in a Pod Baby Food Freezer Tray but do not store cooked rice in the fridge for more than one day and, when reheating, always reheat thoroughly.

Lamb & Pearl Barley
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1 small clove garlic
1 small onion
1 carrot
100g lean minced lamb
50g pearl barley
1 tbs. tomato puree

Peel and chop all the vegetables and place in a saucepan with the minced lamb, pearl barley and tomato puree. Cover with water, stir well, breaking up the lamb mince and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring from time to time and adding more water if necessary. When cooked, allow to cool slightly then puree to the required consistency. Freeze any excess puree in your Pea in a Pod Baby Food Freezer Tray

Baby Ratatouille
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1 teaspoon olive oil
Half a small onion, finely chopped
1 small courgette, diced
1 small pepper, yellow or red, seeded and diced
Few slices of aubergine, diced
4 tomatoes, skinned and seeded

Lightly fry the onion in the oil, and add all the other vegetables. Stir, cover and turn down the heat, allow to cook until the vegetables are tender. Purée or mash to an appropriate consistency for your baby. Freeze any excess puree in your Pea in a Pod Baby Food Freezer Tray