You baby is ready for vegetable purees after she has mastered single-grain cereal. Mild peas are delicious alone or mixed with a variety of other veggies (and even yogurt). Here's how to make pea puree for babies.
Step 1: Select & Buy Peas
You can make pea puree with fresh or frozen peas. Buy fresh in the spring and look for pods that are intact and have a bright green color. Avoid canned peas—they're filled with sodium.
Step 2: Wash the Peas
If you decide to use frozen peas, skip this step and move to the next. If you choose to use fresh peas, remove from pod, place in a colander, and rinse with cold water.
Step 3: Cook the Peas
Place the peas in a steamer and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until tender. Drain peas and rinse with cold water for three minutes to stop the cooking process.
Step 4: Puree or Mash the Peas
Puree peas in a food processor or blender until smooth. Add water as needed to reach desired consistency.
For chunkier pea puree, which is ideal for babies 10 months or older, mash the peas with a potato masher instead of pureeing them.
Step 5: Serve Pea Puree
Pea puree is delicious with sweeter veggies, yogurt, and rice. Try mixing pea puree with:
Step 6: Refrigerate or Freeze Leftover Pea Puree
Cool pea puree and refrigerate leftovers in BPA-free containers for up to 3 days. Freeze leftovers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in your refrigerator.
