Potatoes can be served as first solid baby food beginning with 6months of age: steam, roast/bake or mash/puree. Whether you're doing baby led weaning or spoon feeding, you can serve potatoes to babies cut as finger food with different sizes and textures adjusted by age.
1-2cupsliquid for boiling or steaming(water or stock/broth)
Add ins For Mashed Potato (Or Puree)
1bay leaf
1onion wedge
1garlic clove
1tspbutter(optional)
pinchsea salt (for older babies)
1/2cupbroth/ stock(to thin out the mashed potatoes / puree)
Instructions
Steaming Potato For BLW
Peel the potato. Slice it into desired size pieces.
Bring 1 inch of water to boil in a saucepan fitted with a steamer basket and cover with a lid.
Steam on medium-low heat for approximately 15-20 minutes (it depends on the size) or until they are soft when pierced with a fork. Then you can cut into smaller pieces specific for your baby’s age and serve.
Roast / Bake Potatoes
Chop the potatoes into desired size. I like to cut into wedges or strips (2-3″ long, 1″ thick). Or cut into cubes for babies that already developed the pincer grasp hold (around 9-10 months).
Drizzle with oil (healthier oil to use is olive oil, avocado oil or grape seed oil). Sprinkle some aromatic herbs (sage and rosemary works well) and season with garlic or onion powder (optional). You can add sea salt for babies 12 months+.
Spread the prepared potatoes on a parchment paper lined sheet (try not to use foil, aluminum when exposed to high heat can leach into food).Roast until soft, approximately 30-40 minutes. Roast at higher temperature if you want a crust to form (400-415F) or lower temperature for a softer surface (375-385F).
Boil Potatoes
You have 2 options: peel and cut first, then cook OR cook first (cut in half) then cut into smaller pieces.
As boiling liquid you could use plain water or chicken stock for more flavor. You can keep the liquid as a soup base for later.
To a pot add the potatoes and the liquid (just enough to cover) and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes or until soft when pierced with a fork. For more flavor you can add some butter. No salt needed for babies younger than 10-12 months. Although you can add a bay leaf, an onion wedge and a garlic clove in the cooking water when boiling.
Remove from heat allow to cool and serve to your baby, cut into sizes according to age.
Mashed Potatoes
After steaming or boiling, take the soft flesh, mash and puree the cooked potato in a food processor or blender. Add about twice as much liquid back if you need a smooth "soupy" texture.It’s best to pulse gently, as overmixing creates a gummy consistency.
Or use a fork to quickly mash it: it’s simpler and quicker (you will need less liquid here).
Notes
Tips For Best Potatoes For Babies
Potatoes that are great for roasting: Yukon Gold, white and red varieties (waxy potatoes due to high moisture and low starch content, keep their shape well).
Potatoes that are great for mashing: Russets (they fluff well due to high starch content) or Yukon Golds (yield a creamy consistency).
For a fun crinkle-cut shape use a crinkle knife. It’s quick to cut and easy for babies to hold with their little hands because it doesn’t slide off.
You can also cut the potatoes into other shapes (cubes, strips, small sized half moon shapesor spiralized).