Pumpkin Baby Food
Is there a way to tell if my pumpkin is ripe enough to make baby food with? It's very hard when I cut into it and the inside is a little like spaghetti squash after I've cleaned it out. I have never cooked anything with pumpkin before.
Best Answer
Raw pumpkins are very hard and more or less inedible. They are similar to potatoes: you have to cook them before you can eat them.
Most pumpkin varieties are not as stringy as spaghetti squash, at least their edible portion isn't. The fibers in which the seeds hang are not eaten, you eat the hard part (after cooking it to make it soft). It is also possible that you got the wrong kind of pumpkin - while you can eat pumpkins meant for carving, their texture is not so nice as that of pumpkins grown for food purposes.
Practically all recipes for pumpkin involve creating soft pumpkin purée first, and this must be even more important for baby food. Our user derobert wrote an extensive guide on making good pumpkin purée on our community blog. The basic idea is that you clean and bake the pumpkin, then process the result to a homogenous but watery mass, which is basically already edible. He recommends to dehydrate it to achieve a better tasting product which requires less freezer space for storage. I don't know if the last step is desirable for baby food, maybe the parents around here have an opinion on it.
While an unripe pumpkin would be as hard as a ripe one, I doubt that anybody would sell unripe pumpkins, I have never encountered any, not even at the discounter supermarkets. And even if you should get one which is slightly unripe, I don't think this would be much of a problem. With fruit which is eaten raw, the problem with being unripe is that it is too hard and tasteless for eating. Baking the pumpkin will soften it enough even if it is unripe, and while tasteless pumpkin is unfortunate, it shouldn't upset anybody's digestion, not even a baby's.
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Can babies eat pumpkin?
Pumpkin may be introduced as soon as baby is ready to start solids, which is generally around 6 months of age.Is pumpkin a good first food for babies?
Pumpkin Puree is a great first food for babies but can also be used to make your favourite pumpkin recipes. Ditch the canned puree and use this homemade pumpkin puree in baked goods, stir it into oatmeal or add it to pasta sauces, risottos and soups.Can I give pumpkin to my 4 month old baby?
Pumpkin, also called squash, is one of the first vegetables along with sweet potatoes and carrots that you can safely introduce to babies around 6 months. They are full of vitamins, fiber, and beta carotene.What kind of pumpkin can I feed my baby?
Look for pumpkins that are labeled pie pumpkins or sugar pumpkins. They have the best flavor and a rich, creamy texture that works well in recipes. Don't make the mistake of buying a carving pumpkin for baby food! The stringy flesh does not have a pleasant taste and will not make a smooth pur\xe9e.How to Make Pumpkin Puree for Babies
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Answer 2
If the pumpkin is completely orange (on the outside) and the skin is hard, it's ripe. All squash are somewhat hard to cut.
I recommend slicing it into wedges then roasting after coating in a little oil (grapeseed is apparently the most hypoallergenic) then scraping it off the skin before blitzing it up for baby.
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