Cauliflower For Baby Ways To Cook & Serve (Puree & Baby Led Weaning)
ThrivingNest
You can start serving cauliflower to your baby at around 7-8 months of age. Cook until tender by steaming, roasting or boiling. Serve whole florets, riced or pureed by itself or incorporated in other baby foods. If it's causing discomfort, wait until your baby is a little older before introducing again.
Remove the stalk, then start removing the florets by cutting each cluster from the core, leaving a little of the stem with each cluster. Divide into smaller florets if you need smaller pieces.
Steaming Cauliflower
Add enough water to a pot and bring to a boil ( it should not touch the steamer basket when it is placed in the pot).
Place the steamer basket with cauliflower pieces over the pot. Cover and cook for 6 to 9 minutes until tender when pierced with a fork. Cooking time will depend on the size of the florets.
Roasting/Baking Cauliflower
Place the cauliflower on a baking sheet in a single layer. Drizzle some oil on top and season with some sea salt (optional).
Roast cauliflower in the preheated oven at 425F / 220C, for 35-40 minutes.
Boiling Cauliflower
Boiling is the same as steaming, but this time you drop the cauliflower in the pot covered with water and boil for approximately 10 minutes or until tender. Keep in mind, the most nutrients will leach into the boiling water. This method is best when you make soups and purees as you would keep the water with all the leached nutrients.
Cauliflower Puree Stage 1
After baking, roasting or steaming, you just take the cooked cauliflower, mash or puree the cauliflower in a blender until smooth. Add water as needed to reach the desired consistency. No salt or spices needed.
Cauliflower Puree Stage 2
Same procedure as with stage 1 but you can make a thicker texture, mix with other purees and serve larger portions. See puree combinations in the notes below.
Notes
Tips For Cooking Cauliflower
For even cooking, ensure that the cauliflower florets are assembled in a single layer or evenly distributed in the steam basket.
Do not overcook cauliflower. Overcooking will turn it mushy, lose its color, change its taste, and will lose lots of nutrients.
The perfectly cooked cauliflower should have a crisp-tender texture.