How to Blend Baby Food Purees

Pureeing homemade baby food is a very straightforward event. However, it can take some practice to get the smoothest, creamiest puree for your baby.

1. Place Produce In Blender: place cooked produce into a blender or food processor.
2. Start Machine: turn the machine starting on low and increasing until you reach the highest setting.
3. Add Liquids: add liquids (water, reserved cooking water, fresh breast milk, or formula) in small increments if needed to help smooth out the puree. Root veggies may require up to a cup of liquid, while fruits may not need any. Add 1/4 cup of liquids at a time to make sure not to add too much liquids, causing your purees to become too thin. 
4. Blend: it usually takes 1-2 mintues to fully blend a puree for your baby. If you are getting a chunky puree, add in a little bit more water and keep blending.

Note on Blending: you will always get a smoother puree when you use a blender over a food processor. Most babies will not notice a difference between the texture of baby food made in a blender versus a food processor but if your baby is having trouble with the texture of a puree made in a food processor, you may want to try using a blender.

TIPS FOR GETTING THE SMOOTHEST BABY PUREES

1. Give It Time: Give your blender or food processor some time to work its magic. It takes 1-2 minutes of blending for each puree to get the smoothest puree. But it may take longer if you have an older blender model or you are using a food processor.
2. Add Liquids: You may have to add extra liquids like water, reserved cooking liquid, fresh breast milk, or formula into the blender or food processor in order to get the blender really going. Hard root vegetables, such as carrots, sweet potatoes, or beets, often take at least 1-2 cups of liquids because they do not have high water content. We recommend adding liquid into the blender in 1/4 cup increments or smaller, so you don’t get a runny puree.
3. Cyclone Effect: You will know you have the right amount of liquid and are at the right speed when you get the cyclone effect. This is when all the ingredients are completely circling the blender without any interference.
4. Scrape Down Sides: While blending, make sure to scrape the sides with a spatula to get all the produce and spices incorporated into the puree.
5. Blender vs. Food Processor: A high-speed blender will give you the smoothest puree. A food processor will also work but the result is a slightly thicker puree. The upside of the food processor is that you don’t have to add as much liquid to the puree.