How to freeze zucchini for feeding 

The child grows, he no longer has enough breast milk and the time comes for the introduction of the first complementary foods. Pediatricians advise using zucchini for the first 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 on the market.

In winter, of course, you can also buy zucchini, but not the fact that they were grown and preserved without the use of chemicals. You can, of course, buy ready-made squash puree in the store, or you can prepare them yourself. How to freeze zucchini for feeding babies will be discussed in our article. If everything is done correctly, then they are perfectly stored in the winter.

About the benefits of zucchini

Zucchini is considered a dietary vegetable that normalizes the water-salt balance of the human body, 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 digested. No wonder this relative of the pumpkin 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 vegetables on the children’s body is multifaceted:

1. A large number of various vitamins strengthens the immune system, contributes to the formation of the nervous system.
2. The contained minerals contribute to the saturation of the blood with oxygen, therefore, brain activity improves.
3. Delicate fiber improves peristalsis. It is essentially a mild laxative.

Zucchini has a neutral taste, so young children eat zucchini puree well. As for its relatives – pumpkins and zucchini, because of the dense pulp and special taste, children often refuse to puree from these vegetables.

Zucchini puree:

Choosing the “right” zucchini

Young mothers and grandmothers are interested in the question of how to properly freeze baby zucchini. First of all, you need to know which vegetables to choose for storage in the freezer.

1. Not all zucchini are suitable for baby food: you need to choose young specimens that have a delicate skin, and the seed chamber is practically not formed. It is in such frozen vegetables that whole pieces remain after thawing after thawing.
2. Vegetables should be fresh, smooth, skin thin and shiny.

A properly frozen vegetable can be used fearlessly for the first feeding. After all, it retains all the nutrients, vitamin group and trace elements. Mashed potatoes, light soups are prepared from zucchini freezing. Zucchini can be baked, just like fresh vegetables. As the child grows 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 baby food in winter, but also the correct preparation. What needs to be done so that the vegetable benefits children, retains its nutritional and taste qualities.

Basic rules:

1. Having chosen young specimens, we reject zucchini for freezing even with the slightest flaws.
2. We wash the vegetable in several waters to get rid of the slightest contamination.
3. Cut off the ends and peel off the skin. This is easy to do with a vegetable peeler.
4. Rinse the peeled vegetables again with cold water and dry.

The first stage of preparation has been completed. Let’s start freezing zucchini.

Freeze cubes

1. Cut the prepared and dried vegetables into strips. Then we prepare small cubes. They should be no more than 2 cm, then the freezing will be more intense, which means that the beneficial properties will be preserved better. The middle of the zucchini with the seed chamber can be left, or removed with a spoon.

   

2. Pour clean water into the pan so that the sliced ​​uXNUMXbuXNUMXbpieces can fit in it. If you live in a city apartment, then it is best to buy bottled water for blanching zucchini for feeding babies, it does not contain chlorine. Place the saucepan over high heat and bring to a simmer.
3. When the water boils, add the cubes and blanch for 5 minutes. No more, otherwise they will boil!

   

4. We recline the blank for freezing in a colander and let the water drain. In this container, the zucchini pieces should cool completely.

   

5. Stretch cling film over the board (so that the zucchini does not freeze to the board) and spread 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 so that in the future the zucchini does not freeze in one lump.
6. Take out the freezer for baby food and pour it into a plastic bag or container. Make a label on each bag, noting when they were frozen. And back in the freezer.

   

In this state, the workpiece will be stored for a long time without losing its nutritional qualities.

Zucchini puree in the freezer

Pediatricians advise mothers to feed babies after four months with artificial feeding and after six if they are breastfeeding. It is this vegetable that provides intestinal motility. In addition, zucchini has a lot of useful qualities. How else can you prepare zucchini for the winter for feeding a small child?

It is not necessary to buy ready-made mashed potatoes in jars, because you can prepare it for the winter with your own hands. It is not difficult to make a blank, and, most importantly, you will always be sure of the quality of baby food.

1. We wash young zucchini without damage, peel them from them. The middle can not be cut out if the seeds have not yet formed.
2. Cut the vegetable into pieces and boil in boiling water for no more than 10 minutes. Boiling and blanching rids zucchini of nitrates.
3. Drain the vegetables in a colander to drain the liquid.
4. Using a blender, prepare a puree. It turns out homogeneous and tender.
5. The cooled mass is frozen in ice molds or small containers. Single servings depend on the age of the child. We put them in the refrigerator.

We transfer the frozen cubes to a plastic bag and put them away for storage.

How to freeze squash puree for 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 complementary food;
• next to the zucchini in the chamber should not be meat or fish semi-finished products;
• after removing the zucchini from the freezer, do not wait until they are completely melted, immediately subject them to heat treatment.

As you can see, there is nothing terrible and complicated. The main thing is the desire and love for your baby. In winter, you do not have to buy zucchini and mashed potatoes in the store. Just take the freezer out of the chamber and cook any vegetable dish for your child.