Baby Food Friday: Asparagus

Asparagus is wicked cheap lately. (I saw an ad for .88/lb at Sprouts this week!) And so I couldn't pass up making baby food out of it.  Asparagus is a bit stronger and can cause gas, so I wouldn't introduce it very first... wait until at least 8 months.  Also, asparagus makes great finger food, since it's naturally long and skinny and steams up so quickly in the microwave, so I decided to just make one bunch, and to freeze some more to use as finger-food later, when it's no longer in season and cheap (and as good).  I found out if you vacuum seal the asparagus first, you need not blanch it before freezing.  Cool eh?  So I went a little crazy and froze, I think, 8 bunches of asparagus!

Anyway.  Baby food. Simple.

1) Put on a few inches of water to boil in your favorite vegetable-steaming pot.  

2)  Remove the rubber band and use it to replace an old one "baby-proofing" your kitchen cabinets closed. :)

3) Rinse well.

4) Hold the middle of the stalk in one hand and the bottom end in the other.  Bend until it snaps naturally, and discard the bottom portion.  (It will be about the bottom quarter)  I usually break about 4 or 5 at a time.

5) Optional 3 second step:  You don't have to cut them, but I did just so it would fit into my steamer basket easier.

6) Steam until fork tender- maybe 5 minutes or as long as it takes to empty the dishwasher and wipe fingerprints off the fridge...

7) Puree in food processor or blender.

8) Spread and freeze in plastic-wrapped ice cube trays (you can see one bunch was only 8 servings.  I think that's enough to introduce it and later, I will just serve actual asparagus)
9) Pop out cubes and put in labeled freezer bag for your future baby-feeding convenience.