I decided to follow the instructions in The Petit Appetit Cookbook for Summer Squash Puree (pg 72). If you’re not going to use in-season/local foods I highly suggest using frozen because it’s picked and frozen at it’s peak.
In my arsenal:
To prepare-
-2 squash
-cutting board
-sharp knife
-tall pot
-steamer basket
-toothpick (to test for done-ness)
-tongs (to remove squash if steam is too hot to grab steamer basket)
-spoon
To freeze-
-two plain Jane, run of the mill ice trays
-aluminum foil
(they make “fancy” ice trays for the purpose of freezing baby food but I prefer the nesting bag method for long term storage)
-freezer bag(s)
-permanent marker
The recipe:
3 large organic summer squash, cut into 1-inch-thick rounds (about 4
cups)
Steamer Method (there is a microwave method also but you’ll have to buy the
book for that one): Place and prepare squash in a steamer basket set in a pot
filled with about 1 to 2 inches of lightly boiling water. Do not let water touch
squash. Cover tightly for best nutrient retention and steam for 7 to 9 minutes,
or until squash is tender. Squash should pierce easily with a toothpick.
Squash does not need to be peeled. Puree in a food processor with a steel
blade. Additional liquid is not usually needed.
What I did:
-I set-up the pot with the water and placed the steamer basket inside.
For those not familiar with a steamer basket it looks like this…we bought it at either Target or Walmart for a few bucks, I don’t remember.
-I had 4 squash, I only used two today.
-I cut the very top and bottom off (and gave them to our guinea pig) and cut the rest up into circles, like the recipe said
-I transfered the cut pieces into the steam basket inside the pot
Covered and let steam on “8″. I had to nurse Kadie so when they skin was quite easily pierced with the toothpick at 9 minutes I turned off the burner and went to nurse her.
-When I came back they were almost falling a part. It was still too hot to reach in and grab the steamer basket so I picked the pieces up using tongs and put them in the food processor cup. I filled it up half way
-Then pureed it on “2″ until I thought it looked like baby food (scientific, I know!)
True to the recipe I did not need to add any extra water, but in case you do you should keep the water that you cooked in that way you put whatever nutrients escaped through cooking back into the food.
-I scooped the Squash puree out of the food processor and into the ice trays.
-The half processor cup full made one tray, so I wrapped it tightly with aluminum foil and put it in the back of the freezer and repeated the process for the rest of the Squash in the pot.
-Once they’re frozen I’ll remove them from the ice tray, but them in sandwich bags labeled with the consistency (if necessary) since one batch came out slightly thicker than the other, and the date. I’ll then put the little sandwich bags into a bigger freezer bag that I labeled with the name of the food. There are a bunch of different ways you can freeze food, but like I said I prefer the nesting bag method using instructions I learned from Super Baby Food.
