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Pumpkin porridge: benefits for the baby. Children's menu

Parents always try to feed their kids healthy food. Pumpkin dishes for children are very useful. This product contains many beneficial vitamins and minerals, so eating pumpkin helps the child’s body grow and develop normally. We offer several options for recipes for children of different ages.

To prepare a healthy dish for the children's table, you need to choose the right pumpkin. It is best to buy small pumpkins weighing up to 3 kg; these fruits are the sweetest and less fibrous.

Preparing pumpkin dishes for children under one year old is quite simple, since a minimum of ingredients are used for preparation. We offer several recipes.

Mono-component puree

This is the simplest version of the dish; it is prepared from pumpkin and water. There is no need to add salt and sugar. This puree is perfect for first feeding. It can be given from six months.

For the first time, you need to give literally half a teaspoon to make sure that the baby’s body tolerates the product normally. In the absence of a negative reaction, the portion is gradually increased.

To prepare you need:

100 gr. pulp, cleared of seeds and peel;
0.5 cups of purified water.

Cut the pumpkin into small cubes, place in a saucepan and fill with water. Place the dishes on low heat. Cook for 15-20 minutes, the pieces should become soft. Then drain the broth. Puree the pumpkin using a blender. Then additionally grind the resulting puree through a sieve to remove coarse fibers.

To make the puree thinner and taste more familiar to your baby, you can add a couple of spoons of breast milk or diluted formula to it.

Pumpkin and applesauce

Babies from 8-9 months can be given milk prepared from several components. A good combination is pumpkin and apple.

150 gr. pumpkin pulp (peeled);
1 average;
1 glass of water.

Peel the pumpkin and apples, removing the peel and seeds. Cut the fruits into small cubes. You can grate the pumpkin, but it’s better to chop the apples with a knife. Place the prepared ingredients in a saucepan and fill with water. Cook over low heat for about 20 minutes. The fruits should become completely soft.

Then drain the excess broth and grind the fruits with a blender. You can dilute the puree a little with a decoction, then you get juice with pulp.

Advice! The puree is prepared without adding sugar, so it is recommended to take sweet apples so that the baby eats the dish more willingly.

Vegetable soup with vegetables

This dish can be offered to a baby at the age of 10 months.

50 gr. purified;
1 small potato;
30 gr. carrots;
30 gr. zucchini pulp;
30 gr. broccoli florets;
0.25 cups of water (or a little more);
0.5 teaspoon of refined vegetable oil.

We peel the pumpkin from the peel and seeds, clean and wash the root vegetables (potatoes and carrots), and separate several broccoli florets. It is better to use young zucchini for making soup, since the pulp of overripe fruits is fibrous.

Cut all vegetables into small pieces. Fill the vegetables with water and simmer until the ingredients are completely soft. You need to simmer over low heat so that the liquid does not boil too much. Braising time is approximately 20 minutes.

30 gr. ;
50 gr. ;
30 gr. ;
30 gr. ;
30 gr. onions;
150 ml milk;
200 ml water;
5 gr. butter.

We wash a piece of turkey fillet, cut it into small cubes and set to cook. We clean the vegetables. Cut the pumpkin and potatoes into small cubes, finely chop the onion, you can cut the carrots into circles or grate them.

Pumpkin dishes for children 3 years old

A variety of dishes can be prepared from pumpkin for children 3 years old. We offer several recipes.

Rice casserole with pumpkin

Let's prepare a casserole based on rice porridge. However, instead of rice, you can take other cereals - millet, corn.

400 gr. ;
3 tablespoons butter;
3 eggs;
100 gr. rice;
100 gr. granulated sugar;
1 pinch of vanillin and cinnamon;
5-6 walnut kernels or a tablespoon of peeled pumpkin seeds (optional).

Cook the rice porridge in advance. Wash the rice, pour 300 ml of boiling water, cook until tender for about 20 minutes.

Advice! To prepare the casserole, you can use ready-made rice porridge, which is left over from breakfast or dinner.

Peel the pumpkin and grate it on a grater with medium-sized holes. Chop the nuts. Separate the whites from the yolks. Mix soft butter (2 tablespoons) with sugar and egg yolks, grind until smooth. Add ready-made rice porridge (not hot). Then add vanillin or cinnamon, chopped nuts or chopped pumpkin seeds, grated pumpkin. Mix everything well.

Separately, beat the egg whites until foamy, adding a pinch of salt. Add the whipped whites to the prepared mixture and mix gently, using a spatula from bottom to top.

Grease the pan, add the pumpkin-rice mixture, and smooth with a spatula. Place small pieces of butter on the surface of the casserole. Bake for 20 minutes at 190 degrees. You can serve the casserole with fresh sour cream or fruit sauce.

Steamed chicken and pumpkin cutlets

Delicious cutlets with the addition of pumpkin can be made from chicken or turkey fillet.

350 gr. chicken fillet or;
200 gr. pumpkins;
1 egg;
60 gr. white bread;
70 ml milk;
50 gr. onions;

Wash the chicken fillet and cut into cubes. Cut the peeled pumpkin and onion into small pieces. Remove crusts from white bread and fill with milk. We pass the fillet, pumpkin, onion and squeezed bread through a meat grinder or grind in a blender.

Add vegetable oil and raw egg to the mixture and mix. Wash the parsley well, dry it and finely chop it. Add to the minced meat. Season the minced meat with salt, mix well and beat.

Using moistened hands, form cutlets; from the specified amount of products, you get about 10 pieces. For cooking we use a slow cooker or a double boiler. Steam the cutlets for about 20 minutes.

Pumpkin and apple pancakes

Most kids love pancakes. A healthier version of the dish can be prepared using pumpkin and apples.

200 gr. ;
1 egg;
2 cups of flour;
1 glass of kefir;
1 tablespoon sugar;
10 gr. vanilla sugar;
0.5 teaspoon of soda;
vegetable oil for frying;
1 pinch of salt.

Peel the pumpkin and apple from seeds and peel, cut into small cubes. Grind the products in a blender until smooth. Transfer the prepared puree into a bowl. Add a raw egg, sugar - regular and vanilla, and salt. Stir soda in kefir, after five minutes add this mixture to the rest of the products. Mix well.

It has long been used in cooking due to its pleasant taste and many beneficial properties. When can you introduce this fruit to a small child and what can be prepared from pumpkin for babies in their first year of life and older children?

Pumpkin attracts children with its shape and bright color

Benefit

Pumpkin is rich in various beneficial substances, including vitamin C, iron, vitamin D, calcium, silicon, B vitamins and many other compounds. Thanks to this composition, the inclusion of its fruits in the children's menu has a positive effect on the growth and proper development of the child's body.
Among all the vitamins, the most valuable in pumpkin is beta-carotene, which is most abundant in brightly colored fruits. Carotene is important for vision and bones, as well as immunity.
This melon culture contains a lot of pectin, known for its ability to remove harmful substances and toxins from the body.
The presence of dietary fiber makes pumpkin a valuable product for regulating digestion and preventing constipation. Baked and boiled pumpkin is recommended for high acidity, and juice for bloating.
Pumpkin decoction and juice with the addition of honey has been noted to have the ability to calm the nervous system, improve memory and sleep, and help with stress and depressive moods.
Pumpkin has a choleretic effect, so it is recommended for the prevention of liver and biliary tract diseases.
Since pumpkin fruits are rich in magnesium and potassium, dishes made from them have a diuretic effect, which is important in the presence of kidney disease.
The low calorie content of pumpkin dishes makes them a good choice for overweight children.

To learn why you should introduce pumpkin into your baby’s complementary foods, watch the video from Humana.

About the beneficial properties of pumpkin seeds

Pumpkin seeds have a mild laxative, anti-inflammatory and anthelmintic effect. Their regular use improves digestive function and eliminates constipation. This product is rich in natural healthy fats, vitamins D, K, A, E, as well as many microelements, among which iron and zinc are especially prominent.

It is important to note that seeds are useful only in raw or dried form. If you fry them, most of the beneficial properties will be lost. In addition, you should know that pumpkin seeds are not recommended for children under 3 years of age.

Pumpkin seeds have anthelmintic effect

Harm and contraindications

Eating pumpkin dishes too often can cause “carotene” jaundice.
Pumpkin complementary foods should not be given if you have an individual intolerance to the product.
Pumpkin is contraindicated for diabetes and hepatitis.
Cooking pumpkin for children with exacerbations of diseases of the stomach and small intestine is also not recommended.

Not all babies can eat pumpkin

Do you have allergies?

Pumpkin is one of the foods that can cause an allergic reaction because it contains a lot of carotene. For this reason, the introduction of pumpkin dishes into children's diets is carried out gradually and very carefully.

How to make puree?

Many kids like pumpkin puree because it has a pleasant sweetish taste. You can prepare it in different ways from both fresh and frozen pumpkin. Let's look at each of them in more detail.

Many kids like pumpkin puree.

How much and how to cook pumpkin?

After filling the peeled pumpkin with water, put the saucepan on the fire, let it boil, close the lid and simmer over low heat for 20 to 25 minutes. You will know the pumpkin is ready when it is tender. After draining the water, press the cooked slices through a sieve to make sure there are no fibers. If necessary, add milk to make the consistency more liquid (for children under one year old - mother’s milk or formula).

In a slow cooker

Take 350 g of pumpkin, separate the peel, fibers and seeds from the pulp, then cut into small cubes. Add 200 ml of water to the vegetable (you can also add a little sugar), place it in the slow cooker and turn it on to the “stew” mode. After 40 minutes, remove the pumpkin, transfer it to a blender and blend until smooth.

Pumpkin grown in your own garden is best for feeding your baby.

In a steamer

After cutting a small piece from the pumpkin, remove the skin and cut the vegetable into cubes. Place them in a steamer basket, place them in the appliance and cook until softened (20 minutes is usually enough). Beat the finished pieces in a blender if your baby has just started trying pumpkin, or mash them with a fork for babies who are learning to chew. After cooling the puree to a warm state, you can offer it to your child.

In the oven

Place the peeled and diced pumpkin in a thick-walled container and add 1/2 cup of water. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes until the dish is tender. Next, the pumpkin can be passed through a sieve or mashed with a fork, depending on the consistency that your child likes.

When baking the pumpkin, sprinkle with sesame seeds if they have already been introduced into the child’s diet.

How to introduce it into complementary foods?

Pumpkin can be introduced into a baby’s diet after the baby has tried zucchini, broccoli or other vegetables. Typically, these vegetable complementary feeding products are introduced from 6 months of age, although it is permissible for bottle-fed babies to include pumpkin puree in the menu a little earlier (from 4.5-5 months).

The first portion of pumpkin that a child under one year old will be introduced to should contain no more than half a teaspoon (or better yet, only a quarter spoon). The puree for this first test must be homogeneous, so breast milk or formula is often used to dilute it.

Give pumpkin to your baby for the first time in the morning feeding, and then carefully watch your baby until the evening. Once you are sure that no problems have arisen after such a meal, you can increase the portion to the recommended age limit for vegetable dishes.

Calculate your complementary feeding table

Recipes for children over 1 year old

Take one sweet and sour apple and a slice of pumpkin so that there is equal quantity of each component. After cutting the pumpkin into small pieces, pour boiling water over it and boil until tender. Next, add the diced apple to the boiled pumpkin, boil for another 5-10 minutes and rub the mixture through a sieve. You can add honey to the finished puree.

Pumpkin and applesauce will be even healthier if you cook the products in a double boiler

Pumpkin salad

You will need to take equal amounts of apple, pumpkin and melon. Cut the melon and apple into cubes, and grate the pumpkin. Mix the ingredients, add honey and lemon juice.

Pumpkin with meat

Boil a piece of pumpkin, carrots and celery until tender (take half as much pumpkin for carrots, and three times as much celery). Puree the vegetables. At the same time, boil the turkey or chicken, disassemble into fibers or finely chop. Mix the meat with vegetables or place separately depending on your baby’s preferences. Sprinkle some herbs on top if your child likes them.

Pumpkin pancakes

Grate 150 g of pumpkin and pour in half a glass of cream. Simmer for about 10 minutes over low heat and while still hot, add a tablespoon of semolina, a little sugar and one egg to the pumpkin mixture. Next, cook as you would regular pancakes. Serve with sour cream.

Pass the washed and chopped vegetables through a juicer and dilute with water. Give your child this juice up to 2 times a week. It is important that the juice is squeezed out immediately before drinking.

Pumpkin juice can be mixed with apple, carrot or pear nectar

How to make soup?

Take the following ingredients for pumpkin soup:

150 g pumpkin
1/2 carrot
1 potato
500 ml water

Washed vegetables need to be peeled. Next, potatoes and pumpkin are cut into cubes, and carrots are finely grated. After cooking the vegetables for 30 minutes in boiling water, the dish is smoothed using a blender. Finally, add salt and a little vegetable oil to the soup.

Another simple way to prepare pumpkin puree soup is to use a slow cooker:

Peel 300 g of ripe pumpkin, remembering to remove the seeds. Cut the pulp into medium cubes.
Also peel two onions, four potatoes and one carrot. Cut the onion into half rings, carrots into strips, and potatoes into small cubes.
Turn on the multicooker to the “baking” mode. Heat a little vegetable oil in a bowl, then add the vegetables and fry for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Next, switch to the “stew” mode and leave the dish to cook for one hour.
Remove the vegetables from the appliance, add salt and chop with a blender.
Add 400 g of cream with 20% fat, mix well and pour the puree back into the multicooker.
Selecting the “soup” mode, bring to a boil. In bowls, the soup can be decorated with herbs, croutons, and butter.

Many adults will also appreciate pumpkin soup.

Porridge with pumpkin

Millet

To prepare millet porridge, grate 100 g of peeled and seeded pumpkin. Boil a glass of milk, pour a tablespoon of millet into it and cook with constant stirring for 10 minutes, then add the grated pumpkin. Continue cooking until thickened, let the porridge cool slightly, and season with honey and butter before serving.

Manna

Cut 300 g of pumpkin, peeled and seeded, into cubes. Putting it in a saucepan, pour 340 ml of milk into it, bring to a boil and cook until soft. Dissolve two tablespoons of semolina in half a glass of water. While continuously stirring the pumpkin boiling in milk, slowly pour the semolina into the saucepan. Salt and add sugar to taste. Cook until the porridge becomes thick enough. At the end of cooking, you can add chopped dried fruits, such as raisins and prunes.

Rice

Peel and cut 150 g of pumpkin into pieces, pour a glass of boiling water, add a teaspoon of sugar and cook under a closed lid for 15 minutes. Add 50 g of rice cereal and half a glass of milk to the pumpkin. Continue cooking for about 20 minutes, stirring the porridge occasionally. Turn off the heat, add salt and 15 g of butter to the dish.

Porridge with pumpkin is a very healthy and nutritious dish

Choose a medium-sized pumpkin, since very large fruits are either excessively dry or, on the contrary, watery.
Take a good look at your pumpkin when purchasing. Do not take fruits with scratches, damage, or areas of rotting. The pumpkin skin should be very dense and not be pressed through with a fingernail.
When purchasing cut pumpkin, choose a fruit with a rich yellow or orange color. The brighter the pumpkin you buy, the more carotene it contains.
If you purchase a whole pumpkin and cut it at home, do not store it for a long time afterwards. The best option is to either buy a small piece of pumpkin that you can use immediately in your cooking, or freeze the chopped pumpkin flesh for future cooking.
A whole pumpkin should not be kept in direct sunlight or in a very cold place, as this will cause it to rot. It is better to place the whole fruit in a ventilated place with a temperature of +10+15.

Teach your baby to this healthy vegetable from the first years of life.

Pumpkin is a tasty and easy to prepare product. Due to its many beneficial properties, it is an ideal complementary food for infants. Pediatricians recommend introducing puree from this vegetable into the diet for up to a year.

It’s not for nothing that pumpkin is one of the first to be introduced into complementary foods. Due to its high water content, as well as a complex of vitamins and minerals, it has a positive effect on the growing body:

beta-carotene - responsible for vision and cleanliness of the skin;

vitamin E - helps normalize protein and fat metabolism, improves the absorption of vitamin A, and is also an antioxidant;

vitamin C - strengthens the immune system, helps fight viruses and various infections;

vitamins B6, B1 and B2 - strengthen the nervous system;

vitamin K - responsible for cell growth and blood clotting;

vitamin T - helps build muscle mass;

vitamin D - prevents the development of rickets;

iron - participates in the process of hematopoiesis, fights weakness, fatigue, anemia;

potassium - removes excess fluid from the body, relieves swelling;

fiber - normalizes intestinal motility, helps fight constipation;

pectins - remove toxins and improve the functioning of the digestive system.

When should you give up pumpkin?

individual intolerance;

diabetes;

diseases of the digestive system;

intestinal colic.

Individual reaction to pumpkin: how allergenic is the vegetable?

Despite the undoubted benefits of pumpkin for the body, it should be remembered that excessive consumption of this product can cause intestinal upset and lead to “carotene jaundice.” It manifests itself in yellowing of the palms and sclera of the eyes of the feet.

Industrial production or home preparation

You don't have to make your own pumpkin puree. It is sold in the children's section of any supermarket. But is it possible to be completely confident in the quality of the finished product? Besides, food made by mom with love always tastes better.

When preparing pumpkin at home, it is important to choose the right fruit. Knowing simple rules will help with this:

the peel should be smooth, without rot or visible damage, the tail should be dry;

to start complementary feeding, it is better to take a fruit with a peel that is not too brightly colored (the brighter the color, the greater the likelihood of allergies);

weight should not exceed 3.5–5 kg.

By choosing and preparing the pumpkin yourself, mom can be sure that she will feed her baby a healthy diet.

Rules for introducing a new product at an early age

Doctors say that early exposure to adult food can negatively affect the health of the baby, namely, cause allergic dermatitis. Parents should remember that any change in diet is stressful for the baby, so complementary feeding begins with small portions. Pumpkin puree is introduced into the diet with half a teaspoon, and the juice with a few drops, after which it is supplemented with breast milk or formula. If no negative reactions to the product are observed, the next day the portion is doubled and gradually brought to the age norm.

At what age can you start giving pumpkin to your baby?

You should introduce the baby to pumpkin after the baby tries zucchini, cauliflower, and broccoli. These are vegetables with a low allergenicity index. In addition, the baby is unlikely to want to eat them after sweet pumpkin.

How often to give a vegetable

After the baby gets used to the new product, it can be given in the form of a one-component puree (without adding other vegetables or fruits). Don’t get carried away and feed your child pumpkin every day - 2 times a week is enough. No more than 1 teaspoon as an additive to porridge or other dishes can be given every day.

Basic recommendations for introducing foods into a child’s diet

These rules apply not only to pumpkin, but also to other dishes that the child tries as complementary foods:

a new product is given only if the baby is absolutely healthy;

it is better to do this in the first half of the day;

The child should be fed not from a bottle, but from a spoon;

You should not introduce your baby to a new product a week before and a week after vaccination;

complementary feeding should be started with liquid puree or vegetable juice;

food temperature should be 37–39 0.

At least two weeks should pass between introducing new foods into the diet.

Video: Doctor Komarovsky about the beginning of complementary feeding

Is it possible to introduce raw pumpkin into complementary foods?

Raw pumpkin contains a large amount of useful substances, some of which are lost during heat treatment. But still, you should not give the product to your baby in this form. The fact is that eating raw vegetables and juice from them can cause intestinal upset, bloating and nausea. In addition, pumpkin pulp is quite hard, and the baby will not be able to chew it.

Raw pumpkin is given to a child only after three years.

Pumpkin puree for babies: how to prepare it correctly

Pumpkin goes well with many foods. You can prepare it in any way: boil, stew, bake. It is better to start giving pumpkin in the form of puree.

How long does it take to cook a vegetable?

The heat treatment time depends on the size of the pieces and the cooking method. Readiness is checked with a knife or fork - they should easily enter the pulp.

Table: how long to cook, stew and bake pumpkin

Mashed potatoes for first feeding (basic recipe)

Now almost every kitchen has modern household appliances (blenders, food processors), and parents often use them to grind baby food. However, to prepare the first complementary foods, it is better to remember the “grandmother’s method” and grind the pumpkin through a sieve. After grinding with a blender, coarse fibers remain in the ground mass, which can cause a gag reflex in a baby.

Preparation:

Wash the pumpkin, cut off a small piece weighing 150–200 g.

Peel it and remove seeds.

Cut into cubes, add water and cook.

Grind the finished product until smooth, bring to a boil and cool.

After introducing vegetable oil into the diet, you can add it to purees (2-3 drops). In combination with this product, beta-carotene from pumpkin is absorbed better.

At the beginning of complementary feeding, the puree is diluted with breast milk or formula. This is done so that the mass does not turn out too thick.

Children's food recipes

As new products appear in the diet, pumpkin dishes become more varied.

With yolk

Preparation:

Prepare pumpkin puree as usual.

Separately boil the chicken egg, separate the yolk and add it to the pumpkin mixture.

Beat with a blender.

To keep the puree from being too thick, you can dilute it with formula or breast milk.

With dill

Pumpkin puree with dill helps normalize digestion, relieves bloating and colic.

Preparation:

Wash the dill sprig and finely chop it (do not use the stem).

Mix the ingredients into a homogeneous mass.

If the puree is thick, add breast milk or formula.

With apple or pear

Preparation:

Place prepared fruits and pumpkin in equal proportions in a saucepan and add water.

Cook for at least 20 minutes (until soft). If you cook food in a multicooker in the “stew” mode, the cooking time increases to 30 minutes, if you use a double boiler - up to 25 minutes.

Carefully drain off excess water.

Grind the mixture through a sieve or blender.

With dried apricots

Eating dried apricots helps increase hemoglobin, normalizes the immune system, and improves the functioning of the heart and digestive tract. The baby is introduced to this product no earlier than 10–11 months. As a rule, allergies to it do not occur if you do not exceed the recommended amount of the product (up to 50 grams per day).

To ensure that dried fruits soften well, they are soaked in cold water at least 12 hours before cooking. It's better to do this at night.

Preparation:

Boil 3-4 pieces of dried apricots for 1-2 minutes.

Grind through a sieve.

Prepare the pumpkin in the usual way and combine with dried apricot puree.

Giving pumpkin puree with dried apricots more than 2 times a week is not recommended, as this can lead to severe loosening of the stool.

With meat

Preparation:

Boil 50 g of turkey or chicken.

Separately, cook chopped pumpkin (150 g).

Combine the ingredients, beat with a blender or grind through a fine sieve.

Add a few drops of vegetable oil.

With rice

Nutritionists advise starting complementary feeding with rice porridge. It does not injure the delicate gastric mucosa and quickly restores energy. In addition, this cereal does not contain gluten (gluten), so it is considered hypoallergenic.

Preparation:

Rinse 1.5 tablespoons of rice under running water until it becomes clear.

Boil the rice in a glass of water until tender.

Cool and grind through a sieve.

Combine with prepared pumpkin puree.

Beat the mass with a blender.

With zucchini

Preparation:

Prepared pieces of pumpkin and zucchini (without peel and seeds) in equal proportions (100 g each), add water, boil until soft.

Drain off excess liquid.

Grind the mixture through a sieve.

Add milk or mixture.

Milk pumpkin soup

Preparation:

Prepare pumpkin puree according to the basic recipe.

Pour boiling milk into the mixture. Depending on the consistency of the finished puree you want to obtain, the amount of ingredients may vary up or down.

Boil the soup for 5-7 minutes and beat with a blender.

Add 3-5 drops of vegetable oil.

Baked pumpkin

Preparation:

Place peeled and chopped pumpkin pieces on a baking sheet and sprinkle with vegetable oil.

Bake until soft.

Remove, place in a deep plate and mash with a fork.

Add milk if necessary.

Semolina porridge with pumpkin

Preparation:

Cut 100–150 g pumpkin into pieces.

Boil in 100 ml of water.

Add 100 ml of milk to the pumpkin mixture.

As soon as the liquid boils, add 1 tablespoon of semolina in a thin stream.

Cook for 5–7 minutes with constant stirring.

Beat the mass with a blender.

With potato

A small amount of pumpkin puree can be added to potato puree.

Photo gallery: products with which you can combine pumpkin

Egg yolk is suitable for complementary feeding starting from 8 months. From 11 months, the child’s diet can be enriched with greens. Pears and apples are usually introduced into complementary feeding after 7 months

Dried fruits, including dried apricots, are introduced into the diet after 1.5 years. From the age of 9 months, a child can begin to be introduced to poultry meat. Rice is a hypoallergenic grain, therefore one of the first to be introduced into the diet
According to nutritionists, it is better to introduce semolina after 1 year
Baby can try potatoes starting from 6 months

Video: pumpkin in a slow cooker

How to make preparations: ways to store pumpkins

The whole fruit can be stored well in a dry place for several months. Cut pumpkin withers quickly. In this form, it can only be left in the refrigerator and for no longer than 7 days.

How to freeze a vegetable

Portions for infants are small, so making pumpkin puree for just one serving is quite difficult. Leftovers can be portioned, placed in ice cube trays and frozen. The beneficial and taste qualities of the product will not change. In the future, you will only need to remove the puree from the freezer and add it to other ingredients or simply heat it for 2-3 minutes.

You can also freeze raw fruit. To do this, you need to peel the pulp, cut it into small pieces, place them on a cutting board and place in the freezer for 45–60 minutes. When the pumpkin is frozen, divide it into portioned bags and remove it as needed. The process of preparing dishes from pumpkin frozen raw is no different from the usual process.

Canning

Pumpkin puree can be preserved in jars. To do this you need:

Wash the fruit, cut off the peel, remove the seeds and cut into pieces.

Place in a saucepan, add 1 liter of water and add 250 g of brown sugar.

Let it cook on low heat.

Wash 200 g of cranberries and squeeze the juice out of the berries.

Pour the juice into the pumpkin mixture and cook for 20–25 minutes.

Remove from heat, cool and puree in a blender.

Boil, put in sterilized jars and roll up.

Since ancient times, pumpkin and its seeds have been eaten in Rus'. The fruits were used to make porridge, pancakes and bread, make jam and even distill vodka.

The seeds were replaced in dishes with artichokes and almonds, and oil was pressed from them. Some varieties of pumpkins were grown to decorate the garden.

Pumpkin fruits are rich

vitamins B, C and E, trace elements and minerals, which is very useful, especially for children.

Rarely found vitamins T and K

stabilize metabolic processes and cleanse the child’s body, and beta-carotene strengthens vision and has a beneficial effect on the baby’s skin.

This vegetable goes well with fruits, grains and meat, so the choice of pumpkin dishes is very large.

The simplest and most dietary recipe for children is pumpkin soup.

Dip potatoes and pumpkin, cut into equal-sized pieces, into water, then add greens, carrots and small pasta. In total, pumpkin soup takes about 20 minutes to cook, so the pasta should be added towards the end of cooking.

To prepare an equally delicious pumpkin puree soup,

You will need a little pumpkin, an onion, a couple of carrots and half a liter of chicken or vegetable broth.

Boil the pumpkin in the broth and fry the vegetables by adding vegetable oil to the pan. After this, all the ingredients need to be ground in a blender and brought to a boil again.

The soup is served with sour cream, white croutons and herbs.

Pumpkin dishes for children

can be not only in the form of liquid soups. This healthy vegetable makes a very tasty sweet casserole.

Pumpkin pancakes can serve as a second course if prepared with meat filling, or as a dessert if made sweet.

Pumpkin jam can be used both as an independent dessert and as a filling for all kinds of donuts and pies.

Pumpkin soup in pots

Ingredients
potatoes – 2 pcs.,
onions – ¼ pcs.,
vegetable oil - grease the bowl,
pumpkin – 100 grams,
carrots – 1 pc.,
noodles – 2 tbsp. spoons,
salt - to taste,
fresh dill - optional
puff pastry – 2 squares,
chicken egg – 1 pc.,
water - depending on the size of the pots,
wheat flour - press down the mold.

Peel the potatoes, wash them, cut them into small cubes and place them in a steaming bowl. You can boil the potatoes in a slow cooker until soft or in a double boiler. In a regular saucepan on fire is also a good option.

Chop the onion very finely into cubes.

Grease a bowl with oil and add onions. Turn on the “Extinguishing” mode in advance. Fry the onion for a few minutes until golden brown.

Peel and boil the pumpkin and carrots. Can be steamed. Transfer soft vegetables to a food processor and puree. Pour water into a bowl, add pumpkin-carrot puree.

Then add the sauteed onion and stir. Add salt

Place boiled potatoes in a bowl.

And add noodles. Stir the mass.

Pour the contents of the bowl into heatproof pots.

Flour a board and place the puff pastry on it. Cut into squares the size of the pots.

Place a square of dough onto each pot.

Brush the dough with egg. Place the pots of soup and tortillas in the oven, preheated to 180-200 degrees, and cook for about 20 minutes until the tortillas are well browned.

Serve the finished pumpkin soup with flatbreads with fresh herbs: dill, parsley. The soup turns out very tender and tasty, and the flatbreads have the smell of fried onions. It turns out to be a very unusual and original dish. Guests will be delighted.

Sweet pumpkin in a slow cooker

Pumpkin ¼ part
Honey – 4-5 tbsp. spoons
Butter – 50 grams
Dried apricots – 5 pcs.
Dry rosemary - to taste
Foil for baking.

Wash the pumpkin thoroughly under cold running water, remove the insides, if any (pulp and seeds). Then cut off the skin of the vegetable in a thin layer and cut the fleshy part into medium-sized cubes.

Let's cut off the baking foil and place the pumpkin pieces on the shiny side, pour the honey on top evenly, which we prepared in advance. Personally, I use regular flower honey for this purpose.

Then sprinkle the pumpkin lightly with rosemary for flavor.

Close the foil on top and place the pumpkin in the multicooker bowl for baking. Set the “baking” mode to 180 degrees and bake the pumpkin in this mode for about 20 minutes, while adding half a glass of plain water to the bowl. This is necessary so that the pumpkin does not burn on the foil.

Then open the lid of the multicooker and unscrew the foil. Bake the pumpkin for another 20 minutes without foil on top. Close the lid of the multicooker.

Meanwhile, cut the finished dried apricots into thin strips. And we will send it to her 10 minutes before the pumpkin is ready.

When serving, place the prepared pumpkin on a plate and pour the sweet syrup that has formed in the foil over it.

Carrot-pumpkin casserole

Ingredients:
grated pumpkin – 200 ml
grated carrots – 200 ml
milk – 100 ml
sugar – 1 tbsp. l.
semolina – 2 tbsp. l.
egg – 1 pc.

Peel, rinse and grate a piece of nutmeg pumpkin on a fine grater. Also grate the peeled and washed carrots. There should be approximately 200 ml of carrot and pumpkin mass (just poured into a measuring cup, not pressed).

Pour milk into a saucepan and bring it to a boil over low heat, stirring. Place the pumpkin and carrots in the pan, reduce the heat so that the vegetables are slightly simmered. When all the milk has evaporated (and been absorbed), remove the pan from the heat and cool the vegetable mixture.

Add sugar and egg, mix. You can add less sugar, and if you are cooking for a very small child, you can remove it from the dish altogether. Both carrots and pumpkin are sweet, so if your child is not accustomed to very sweet foods, he will find it delicious without sugar.

Add semolina and mix the dough well so that there are no lumps.

Take a small deep plate and place half of the dough into it. Pour 1.5-2 cm of water into a small saucepan, place a plate of dough in it, cover the saucepan with a tight lid and place everything together on low heat. The water in the pan should not boil violently so that splashes do not get inside the plate. Also, make sure that the water does not boil away, because the carrot-pumpkin casserole will very quickly become saturated with the smell of a burnt pan (tested from my own experience).

20-25 minutes after the water boils, the casserole is ready. You can sweeten it a little with powdered sugar.

Pumpkin cookies without eggs “Men”

Raw pumpkin – 200-250 gr.
Wheat flour (whole grain) with baking powder - about 200 g. Granulated sugar – 50-70 gr. (taste)
Butter – 100 gr.
Dark chocolate – 50 gr.
Spices to taste (for example, 0.5 tsp cinnamon + 0.25 tsp cardamom) Marmalade - several of the most common red marmalade candies.

Cut a piece of the desired size from the pumpkin (in this case, 200 g). Remove seeds and soft fibers from the inside; this will be conveniently done with an ordinary tablespoon. Then remove the skin. If you come across a fairly soft fruit, you can peel it with a knife or vegetable peeler, like a potato or an apple. Otherwise, the smartest thing to do would be to divide the pumpkin into 2-2.5 cm thick blocks, place it on a cutting board and carefully cut off the skin from each block.

After complete cleaning, cut the vegetable into cubes, sprinkle with sugar (a couple of pinches will be required) and, wrapped in foil, bake in the oven at 200-240 degrees Celsius. The pumpkin will cook quickly enough, a quarter of an hour is enough.

Place the hot pumpkin in a blender bowl along with the syrup formed during baking. Pour the remaining sugar there. Grind the pumpkin cubes into a smooth puree.

Place the pumpkin puree in the container in which you are going to knead the dough. Add spices to taste, you can use a bouquet of pumpkin pie spices (ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice), or you can limit yourself to cinnamon and cardamom.

Stir the mixture so that the spices are evenly distributed in the puree. The pumpkin should now cool to room temperature.

While the puree is soaking up the aromas of spices, you can start preparing marmalade hearts. Cut the marmalades into rectangles about 2-3 mm thick. Using a knife, cut out a heart from each rectangle.

You don’t need to try too hard; when baking, the sharp corners will smooth out on their own. To prevent sugar from sticking to the knife, you can first rinse each candy under running warm water and let it dry.

The puree has cooled down. Mix it with about 1/3 of the prepared flour. Use a fork or your hands until the mixture resembles a sticky dough. As for flour, it is better to take whole grain flour, first adding a teaspoon of baking powder to it.

Add butter (only 80 g, the rest will be used for glaze). Now you need to stir with a fork. Skip the oil from the sides of the bowl and rub thoroughly into the pumpkin-flour mixture. Place the dough in the refrigerator for a quarter of an hour before adding the remaining flour.

Now you face the final stage of preparing the dough. Remove the bowl from the refrigerator, add flour in small portions (for example, 1-2 tbsp). Stir as much as possible with a fork; When this becomes problematic, use your hands.

Add flour until the dough is pliable enough to roll out with a rolling pin without any problems. The finished dough should rest for another 15 minutes in the refrigerator; working with it will become even more comfortable.

So, the dough is ready, the best part remains - cutting out the figures! You can take a human shape or any other cookie cutters. You can do without forms altogether, cutting out figures along a self-drawn contour.

It is most convenient to bake pumpkin cookies on parchment paper at maximum temperature (240 degrees). It bakes quickly, so don't go far from the oven. Set the timer for 7-10 minutes. Don't forget to put a gummy heart on each person!

Once all the pumpkin cookies are ready and cooled, you can start making chocolate frosting. For 50 gr. dark chocolate you will need a piece of butter weighing 20 grams. Melt the chocolate any way you like (on the stove or in the microwave).

Pumpkin stew with apple and banana

Ingredients:
Pumpkin – 500 gr.
banana – 1 pc.
sweet apple – 2 pcs.
medium size sugar - 2 tbsp. spoons
vanilla sugar - a pinch
water – ½ cup

Let's start with pumpkin. First, if you buy already peeled pumpkin, then simply cut it into cubes. If you take a pumpkin with a peel, you will first have to make an effort to peel it. Wash the pumpkin pieces and prepare them for further processing.

Peel the banana and cut into 1 cm thick slices.

Peel the apple and cut into pieces.
Take a deep saucepan. Preferably metal. Place a pumpkin there, a banana in the second layer, and apple slices in the third.

Add sugar. It is also worth noting the presence of sugar in this dish. Sugar may not be added. Banana, apple and pumpkin are naturally sweet. Add some water to the bottom of the pan.

Place over medium heat and simmer the pumpkin with apples and banana under a closed lid for 20-25 minutes. The readiness of the pumpkin is determined simply. It will be soft. The pumpkin and apple will release juice and mix with water. This is where our ingredients will be stewed. Turn off the gas and let cool.

Casseroles are tasty and healthy, except for one thing - the fried crust.

For children under two or three years old, as well as anyone who has problems with the digestive system, it is better to make “casseroles”. If you don’t have a double boiler, a water bath will help you out, which you can always organize - at home, at a party, and at the dacha.

Ingredients:

grated pumpkin – 200 ml
grated carrots – 200 ml
milk – 100 ml
sugar – 1 tbsp. l.
semolina – 2 tbsp. l.
egg – 1 pc.

Carrot pumpkin casserole - recipe with photo:

Add semolina and mix the dough well so that there are no lumps.

The water in the pan should not boil violently so that splashes do not get inside the plate. Also, make sure that the water does not boil away, because the carrot-pumpkin casserole will very quickly become saturated with the smell of a burnt pan (tested from my own experience).