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The child is growing, he no longer has enough breast milk and the time comes to introduce the first complementary foods. Pediatricians recommend using zucchini for first complementary feeding. It’s good if this time comes in spring or early autumn, when zucchini grows in the garden, and it’s not difficult to buy them at the market.
In winter, of course, you can also buy zucchini, but it is not a fact that they were grown and preserved without the use of chemicals. You can, of course, buy ready-made zucchini puree in the store, or you can prepare it yourself. About, how to freeze zucchini for feeding infants, will be discussed in our article. If everything is done correctly, they are perfectly stored in winter.
About the benefits of zucchini
Zucchini is considered a dietary vegetable that normalizes the water-salt balance of the human body and removes excess fluid. In addition to sodium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, iron and copper, it contains a large amount of vitamins of various groups. And, most importantly, delicate fiber is easily digestible. It’s not for nothing that this pumpkin relative is called the northern pineapple. That is why the vegetable is recommended for baby food from infancy, including for the first feeding.
The effect of a vegetable on a child’s body is multifaceted:
- A large number of different vitamins strengthens the immune system and promotes the formation of the nervous system.
- The contained minerals help saturate the blood with oxygen, therefore improving brain activity.
- Delicate fiber helps improve peristalsis. It is essentially a mild laxative.
Zucchini has a neutral taste, so small children eat zucchini puree well. As for its relatives - pumpkin and zucchini, because of their dense pulp and special taste, children often refuse puree from these vegetables.
Zucchini puree:
Choosing the “right” zucchini
Young mothers and grandmothers are interested in the question of how to properly freeze zucchini for babies. First of all, you need to know which vegetables to choose for storing in the freezer.
- Not all zucchini are suitable for baby food: you need to choose young specimens that have delicate skin and a seed chamber that is practically undeveloped. It is these frozen vegetables that retain whole pieces after thawing.
- Vegetables should be fresh, smooth, the skin thin and shiny.
Right frozen vegetable can be used for the first complementary feeding without fear. After all, all nutrients, vitamins and microelements are preserved in it. They prepare puree and light soups from frozen squash. Zucchini can be baked, just like fresh vegetables.As your child gets older, you can prepare soups and purees with the addition of other vegetables.
Freezing zucchini for the winter
General rules for preparing vegetables for freezing
It is important to know not only how to freeze zucchini for the first feeding of a baby in winter, but also how to prepare it correctly. What needs to be done to ensure that the vegetable benefits children and retains its nutritional and taste qualities.
Basic Rules:
- Having selected young specimens, we reject zucchini for freezing even with the slightest flaws.
- We wash the vegetable in several waters to get rid of the slightest contamination.
- Cut off the ends and peel the peel. This is easy to do with a vegetable peeler.
- Wash the peeled vegetables again with cold water and dry.
The first stage of preparation is completed. Let's start freezing zucchini.
Freezing cubes
- Cut the prepared and dried vegetables into strips. Then prepare small cubes. They should be no more than 2 cm, then the freezing will be more intense, and, therefore, the beneficial properties will be preserved better. The middle of the zucchini with the seed chamber can be left or removed with a spoon.
- Pour clean water into the pan so that the chopped pieces can fit in it. If you live in a city apartment, then for blanching zucchini for feeding your baby it is best to buy bottled water; it does not contain chlorine. Place the pan over high heat and bring to a vigorous boil.
- When the water boils, add the cubes and blanch for 5 minutes. No more, otherwise they will boil!
- We place the frozen product in a colander and let the water drain. Let the zucchini pieces cool completely in this container.
- Stretch cling film over the board (so that the zucchini does not freeze to the board) and place the dried pieces of zucchini on it at a short distance so that they do not freeze. Place in the freezer for about 4 hours. This time is enough to prevent the zucchini from freezing into one lump in the future.
- Take out the frozen food for feeding your baby and pour it into a bag or plastic container. Label each bag noting when they were frozen. And back into the freezer.
In this state, the product will be stored for a long time without losing its nutritional qualities.
Zucchini puree in the freezer
Pediatricians advise mothers to complement their infants after four months if bottle-fed and after six months if breastfeeding. It is this vegetable that ensures intestinal peristalsis. In addition, zucchini has a lot of useful qualities. How else can you prepare zucchini for the winter to feed a small child?
It is not necessary to buy ready-made puree in jars, because you can prepare it for the winter with your own hands. It’s not difficult to make the preparation, and, most importantly, you will always be confident in the quality of baby food.
- We wash the young zucchini without damage and peel them. You don’t have to cut out the middle if the seeds have not yet formed.
- Cut the vegetable into pieces and boil in boiling water for no more than 10 minutes. Boiling and blanching removes nitrates from the zucchini.
- Place the vegetables in a colander to drain the liquid.
- Using a blender, prepare the puree. It turns out homogeneous and tender.
- The cooled mass is frozen in ice cube trays or small containers. Single servings depend on the age of the child. We place them in the refrigerator.
Place the frozen cubes in a plastic bag and put them away for storage.
How to properly freeze zucchini puree for complementary feeding:
Useful tips
Listen to our recommendations:
- cut the zucchini into small pieces, so they will freeze faster;
- put in the bag the amount of vegetables needed for one feeding;
- there should be no meat or fish semi-finished products next to the zucchini in the chamber;
- When you remove the zucchini from the freezer, do not wait for them to completely melt; heat them immediately.
As you can see, there is nothing scary or complicated. The main thing is desire and love for your baby. In winter, you don’t have to buy zucchini and puree at the store. Just take the freezer out of the freezer and prepare any vegetable dish for your child.
