Sweet Potato - How to prepare? - Infant Care (up to 18 months old) Message Board

miffy · 04-23-2007, 12:31 PM

This is a stupid question (but I don't know how to cook....). I would like make sweet potato for my 6 months old dd.

(1) First off, is it sweet potato or sweet yam?

(2) Do I first peel off the skin before boiling it?
(3) How long do I boil it?

Thanks.

rosequartz · 04-23-2007, 12:53 PM

you could boil it until it's soft when you stick a fork in it, like a regular potatoe, or you could put it in the microwave for 5 minutes or so.

Hope2Heal · 04-23-2007, 03:32 PM

Hi

I make all my own baby food (and I'm not much of a cook either) I get recipes and ideas online and have a baby food recipe book.

Sweet potatos and yams i think are the same thing. I scrub the skins and bake them wrapped in foil at 350 degrees until very soft (about an hour)then I cut it open and scoop out the potato when it's cooled off a bit. Then i put it in the food processer and puree it until very smooth by adding a little water. My baby loves them.

If you are interested in making your own food it is very easy just time consuming. but to me worth it. I work full time and have been making his food for 3 months now. I make sweet potato, butternut squash, carrots, broccoli, parsnips, chicken breast, apples, bananas, pears, peaches, melon, etc. I stopped making peas and green beans and just buy those since they are too consuming to strain out all the skins after pureeing. I make a big batch of food then pour the puree into ice cube trays and freeze. I save the cubes in freezer bags and just heat them up when ready to eat. He eats all kinds of combinations. Also I save a lot of money and it is so much more nutritious.

Good luck and if you are interested just do a search for baby food recipes.

miffy · 05-02-2007, 10:15 AM

Thanks Hope2Heal, this is sooooooo helpful! A couple more questions for you:

(1) What do you use to scrub the potato skin with?
(2) How do you heat up the frozen cubes? Microwave or steamer? Is it safe to use microwave?
(3) You mentioned you fed your baby all kinds of combination. My baby is 6 months, she's been eating rice cereal for a month now. I'm going to start her with vege (eg: carrots). Do I serve her a combo of rice cereal + carrots, or just carrots at one meal?

Thanks.

Miffy

MissT · 05-02-2007, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rosequartz

you could boil it until it's soft when you stick a fork in it, like a regular potatoe, or you could put it in the microwave for 5 minutes or so.

the microwave is definitely the easiest. I've done sweet potatoes and regular potatoes like this. Times vary per microwave but you just check to see if its mushy enough. You don't even have to peel it just poke holes in it and since it will be really hot when it gets out I usually either stick them in the freezer just long enough to cut back on the heat enough that I can handle them and then I scoop the insides out with a melon baller but you could use a spoon.