Can i freeze avocado for baby food

Avocado Puree for Babies - Eating Bird Food

Avocado is great first food for babies. It contains healthy fats, it’s easy to blend and make into a puree and it’s delicious. Learn more here.

Avocado is a popular first food for baby and for good reason! It’s full of nutrition that your growing baby needs, it’s easy to serve and most babies love it! That’s a win, win, win if you’re keeping score.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Avocado is one of the best first foods for baby because of its nutrition profile!
It’s super easy to prepare! You can puree, mash or serve in wedges for baby led weaning.
With its creamy texture, it’s hard not to love.
With no steaming or cooking necessary, it’s easy to whip up!
It blends really well with other flavors.

Avocado Nutrition Facts

Avocados are incredibly nutritious! Not only are they chock full of healthy fats and fiber, but they also are a concentrated source of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants!

You’ll find vitamins C, E, K, B2 (Riboflavin), B3 (Niacin), B5 (Panthothenic acid), B6 (Pyridoxine), folate, magnesium, potassium, copper, zinc and manganese in avocado.

Avocados are also high in heart-healthy fats like monounsaturated fat (oleic acid). Oleic acid is the same fatty acid found in olives and olive oil and is considered a very healthy fat. Diets high in oleic acid show increased insulin sensitivity, betty blood sugar management and lower cholesterol levels. (source)

Growing babies have high fat needs, which make avocados a perfect choice!

How to Make Avocado Puree

Making avocado puree is super simple! Start by removing the peel and pit from the avocado. Place the avocado flesh in a high powered blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

If the puree is too thick you can add a little breast milk, formula or water to thin, starting with 1 teaspoon and adding more as needed to reach your desired consistency.

Another option is to make a chunky avocado puree by adding avocado chunks to a bowl and mashing it with a fork. This is great for stage 2 eaters!

Avocado Baby Food Combinations

For early stage 1 eaters, avocado puree is great served with a spoon. Once baby starts moving into stage 2 and 3 foods you can make fun combination purees (see ideas below) or add avocado puree to different foods like yogurt, smoothies and oatmeal. The baby oatmeal recipe would be delicious with a little avocado puree stirred in.

Foods That Pair Well With Avocado Puree

Green veggies – kale, spinach, zucchini
Orange veggies – sweet potato, butternut squash, carrot
White veggies – cauliflower
Other fruit – banana, strawberries, peaches, apples, kiwis, pears, mangos
Dairy – yogurt, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese
Grains – quinoa, oats
Legumes – chickpeas, lentils
Seasonings and spices – curry, ginger, mint, nutmeg, cinnamon

Avocado Baby Puree Combo Ideas

Here are some baby food combos with avocado that might be fun to try:

Mango and avocado
Avocado and banana
Lentils, avocado and blueberry
Avocado and butternut squash
Spinach, avocado, banana and yogurt
Banana, peach, mango and avocado
Oatmeal and avocado

Avocado, peach, pineapple and kale is a great combo that I share in my stage 2 baby food combinations post!

Avocado FAQ

Is avocado puree healthy?

Absolutely! Avocados are a great source of healthy fats, vitamins, minerals and fiber for your growing baby – and you!

Can I give my baby avocado puree?

Yes! Avocado is a great first food for baby when introducing solids. Most babies start solids around 4-6 months, but I would refer to your doctor on when to introduce solids to your baby.

Is avocado hard to digest for babies?

Typically, no. Avocado is easily digestible for babies and the fiber helps regulate their little tummies.

Is frozen avocado good?

Yes! I recommend freezing avocado for easy access to baby food. You can also throw the frozen avocado cubes into a smoothie to boost healthy fats and creaminess.

Can I Serve Avocado to Baby With the Skin On?

Olivia had silent reflux as a baby, but never really threw up. The one time I remember her throwing up is after I gave her 1/4 of an avocado, with the skin on. I kept the skin on the avocado so it would be easier for her to grip and it definitely helped in that regard.

While she didn’t eat the skin, she definitely had it in her mouth and something on the skin didn’t sit well with her and she threw up 3-4 times. So I personally don’t recommend serving avocado with the skin on for baby led weaning. There are other ways to make avocado more grippy like dipping avocado slices in hemp seeds or shredded coconut.

How to Store

Avocado puree can either be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Keep in mind that open avocado will brown in the fridge, so freezing may be the best option. If you want to freeze, I like using silicone ice cube tray or freezer safe jars because they make it easier to thaw smaller amounts for serving to babies.

How to Reheat or Thaw Frozen Avocado Puree

I recommend thawing frozen puree in the fridge the night before you want to use it, but you can also thaw it quickly with a warm water bath. It thaws quickly if you’re defrosting a small amount to serve to a baby.

Other Ways to Use Avocado Puree

Avocado puree is great for babies, but there are so many other ways for older kids and adults to enjoy it too. Here are some ideas:

Avocado toast – you can’t talk about avocado puree without mentioning avocado toast. My daughter is now 2 and she loves avocado toast. We just mash avocado on sourdough sandwich bread and sprinkle it with everything bagel seasoning.
Guacamole – avocado puree can easily be turned into guacamole! Add some garlic, salt, pepper, lime juice and tomatoes or make my healthy guacamole with peas!
Make a smoothie – avocados can add a boost of healthy fats and creamy texture to smoothies. You can add the puree straight into a smoothie, but frozen avocado puree give smoothies a great texture. No need to thaw, just pop a couple cubes of the puree into your blender with the rest of your smoothie ingredients. Try it in my green protein smoothie or this avocado mango smoothie.

More Baby Food Purees

Sweet Potato Puree
Butternut Squash Puree
Peach Puree
Carrot Puree
Strawberry Puree
Banana Puree
Mango Puree
Pumpkin Puree
Applesauce
Blueberry Puree

More Recipes and Resources

Healthy Smash Cake
Baby French Toast
Banana Pancakes For Babies
Baby Yogurt Melts

Check out my guide to introducing solids for more ideas and information on feeding little ones and all of my baby food recipes as well.

Avocado Puree

5 from 3 votes

Avocado is great first food for babies. It contains healthy fats, it’s easy to blend and it’s delicious. Make it in your food processor or blender or simply mash!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Servings 2

1 ripe avocado, skin and pit removed

Add avocado flesh into a high powered blender or food processor.
Blend until smooth and serve. If the puree is too thick you can add a little water or milk to thin, starting with 1 teaspoon and adding more as needed.
Another option is to make a chunky avocado puree by adding avocado chunks to a bowl and mashing the avocado with a fork.

food processor

Serving: 1/2 avocado Calories: 120kcal Carbohydrates: 6g Protein: 2g Fat: 11g Saturated Fat: 2g Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g Monounsaturated Fat: 7g Sodium: 5mg Potassium: 364mg Fiber: 5g Vitamin A: -15IU

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Avocado Baby Food Recipes

Avocado is considered an excellent stage one starter food for baby because each fruit (yes, avocado is indeed a fruit!) is packed with substantial beneficial nutrients for the health and well-being of baby. Avocado puree for baby is naturally creamy and mild-flavored, making it ideal. No fancy equipment is needed to prepare avocado baby food, just a few simple kitchen tools, and you’re all set!

Health Benefits of Avocado Avocado for baby is a smart choice because in just one serving of avocado baby food there is a great deal of essential vitamins, minerals and healthy fats that are valuable for baby’s growth and development.

When Can Babies Eat Avocados? Because avocado has a mild flavor and creamy texture, it can be one of the first foods given to baby. Avocado baby food is commonly recommended as the first baby food to try because of its nutrient-dense properties, smooth mouthfeel and the ease in preparation. Avocado baby food can be given when baby is at least 4 months old.

How to Make Avocado Baby Food

How to choose a ripe avocado? When shopping for ripe fruit to make avocado baby food, opt for one with a dark, firm exterior that is slightly soft to the touch. Avoid avocados that are too hard or too “mushy.” If you can’t find a perfectly ripe avocado, choose a harder one and let it ripen at home in a brown paper bag for a day or two. Forget the hi-tech gadgets for this avocado baby food recipe. In this method of preparing avocado for baby, there is no cooking, steaming or blending involved. All you need are a few common kitchen tools.

Image: Karen Biton-Cohen

Step 1 of How to Make Avocado Baby Food: Using a sharp knife, cut a ripe avocado in half and remove the pit.

Image: Karen Biton-Cohen

Step 2 of How to Make Avocado Baby Food: Using a spoon, scoop the avocado flesh out into a bowl.

Image: Karen Biton-Cohen

Step 3 of How to Make Avocado Baby Food for a First-Time Feeding: Mash the avocado into a smooth, chunk-free consistency using the backside of a fork or a potato masher. If you want to thin out the consistency of the avocado baby food, add a small amount of breast milk or formula. Continue adding liquid and mashing until you reach the desired consistency. For a first-time feeding of avocado baby food (at 4 to 6 months of age) the mixture should be smooth and watery, resembling breast milk. Once baby is 6 to 8 months old, the avocado baby food mixture can be thick and creamy, with a yogurt-like consistency.

Image: Karen Biton-Cohen

Step 4 of How to Make Avocado Baby Food for an Older Baby: For avocado finger food, cut avocado flesh into small bite-sized pieces (half-inch cubes) on a cutting board and serve immediately.

Can You Freeze Avocado Baby Food?

It is absolutely safe to freeze pureed avocado, but you should take into account the change in color along with a slight change in texture once the flesh is exposed to air. If you have added either breast milk or formula to the pureed avocado baby food, it’s not recommended to freeze it. Once the avocado baby food has been defrosted, only then should you add the liquids. If frozen, use the avocado baby food within one month.

Avocado Baby Food Recipes

Once you have established that baby doesn’t have any allergic reactions from eating avocados or other fruits, there are different variations for avocado baby purees. Below are our top three favorite avocado baby food recipes.

Avocado and Apple Baby Food Recipe

In a bowl, prepare avocado baby food by slicing the avocado in half, removing the pit and mashing in a bowl until smooth. Add 1/2 cup of homemade natural apple sauce. Mix well and thin out using breast milk or formula, if desired.

Avocado and Pear Baby Food Recipe

In a bowl, prepare avocado baby food by slicing the avocado in half, removing the pit and mashing in a bowl until smooth. Peel two ripe pears and remove the seeds. Mash the pears into the avocado baby food. Mix well and thin out using breast milk or formula, if desired.

Avocado and Banana Baby Food Recipe

In a bowl, prepare avocado baby food by slicing the avocado in half, removing the pit and mashing in a bowl until smooth. Peel a ripe banana and mash into the avocado baby food. Mix well and thin out using breastmilk or formula, if desired.

4 ways to freeze an avocado

How to freeze Elena 03/15/2020 026.1

Home » Articles and cooking classes » How to freeze

Four easy ways to freeze avocados - diced or halves, puree or guacamole! 15 more foods that can be stored in the freezer?

Contents

Can avocados be frozen?
How to freeze an avocado?
How to freeze avocado halves
How to freeze diced avocados
Frozen avocado puree
Freeze guacamole

Can you freeze avocados?

If you are like me and are trying to figure out how to get the most out of it. When buying avocados at a good price from your grocery store, the question is how to store avocados. The easiest and most efficient method of storing avocados we have found. Freezing!

Enjoy delicious avocado in guacamole, toast, hummus and more throughout the year! nine0005

How to freeze an avocado?

Freezing an avocado is really easy, we'll show you four different ways so you can enjoy your favorite avocado recipes!

As with all fruits and vegetables, wash avocados before slicing.

The first method for freezing avocados involves freezing avocado halves.

How to Freeze Avocado Halves

Cut an avocado in half, remove the skin and bone. Brush the avocado halves with a little lemon juice and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Leave no room for air - this means that the plastic film should even fit to the hole where the bone was. nine0018
Place avocado halves in plastic freezer bags. Remove all air, zip up and place the avocado halves in the freezer.
Remove when ready to use, let thaw and enjoy!

If you have a vacuum sealing machine that pulls all the air out of the seal, your prep will be even easier! You can skip the step of wrapping with plastic wrap.

How to freeze diced avocados

If you don't know what you want to do with your avocados, but the halved method doesn't work for you, just cut your avocados and add lemon juice to them.

Place them in a ziploc bag and remove as much air as possible.

When you're ready to use them, thaw them in a warm water bath or refrigerate overnight before you need them.

Frozen Avocado Puree

This is a great way to freeze avocados if you plan on making sauces, dressings or guacamole with your avocados! nine0005

Place your avocados in a bowl and drizzle with lemon juice.
Blend or blend until desired texture is achieved.
Place in secure zipper bag, bleed air, and you're done!

You can divide the bag into sections to freeze small portions. Alternatively, simply place a large bag on a flat surface, fold in half, and place in the freezer.

Freeze

guacamole

Great idea - a way to freeze an avocado already cooked guacamole ! And I have a little trick that makes it even easier after defrosting than other methods!

Make this simple guacamole first, or whatever you like.

Mix in a bowl until smooth. Next, take several trays for freezing ice cubes and fill them with a large spoon - guacamole into each cavity.

Place the trays in the freezer until the guacamole is frozen. When frozen, move the cubes to the bag. nine0005

Place a cube or two on top of your prepared salads the night before serving the salad. This way the guacamole will thaw and be ready for dinner! Very simple!

Rating

( 23 estimates, average 3. 91 out of 5 )

How to freeze an avocado correctly at home

I really love avocados with their oily silky flesh and often buy them for salads, various appetizers, pasta sauces and, of course, my favorite guacamole. And when I see attractive prices for avocados in the store, then, as an economical hostess, I understand that I need to buy it for future use. But avocados spoil quickly, so the question arises - how to keep it for a long time and in what dishes can it be used? nine0005

Let's figure it out?

Ingredients:

avocado - random amount

lemon - 1 piece

freezer bags

cling film

Avocado selection and preparation.

First you need to choose the right avocado. Any variety will do, both green and maroon Hass. When choosing an avocado, pay attention to the integrity of the skin. Any damage triggers the reproduction of bacteria, and traces of decay or mold indicate a spoiled product. Such fruits cannot be bought. nine0005

A ripe avocado is soft but elastic, when pressed it forms a small depression, which disappears after a while. If the avocado is too soft and the inside feels mushy when pressed, then the avocado is overripe and most likely spoiled.

Another way to determine the ripeness of an avocado is to break off a stalk and examine the trace of its attachment. If it is light green in color, then the avocado is unripe. Dark green and light brown color indicates the correct ripeness of the avocado. The dark brown trail is about an overripe avocado. There is a good chance that it could be corrupted. nine0005

Only ripe fruits are suitable for freezing avocados. If the avocado is hard and unripe, you need to place the fruit in a warm place, you can on the windowsill, or put it in a paper bag along with apples and / or bananas, close it and also send it to a warm place. Apples and bananas release ethylene, a gas that speeds up the ripening process of avocados. In a couple of days or within a week, the avocado will ripen. It all depends on the degree of its maturity.

Freezing requires special bags and cling film that can safely withstand low temperatures. Regular packages do not fit. It is better if the packages are with Zip-Lock locks. nine0005

The temperature in the freezer must be -18 degrees or lower. Ideally, if it has a sharp freeze mode. In this mode, fresh products are quickly frozen and retain a maximum of useful substances.

Wash and dry avocados well before freezing.

Methods for freezing avocados.

We must immediately make a reservation that you can not freeze the whole avocado. The avocado bone contains toxic substances that, during defrosting, can penetrate into the pulp, and not only the taste will change, but the product itself will be hazardous to health. But you can freeze it. nine0005

There are three ways to freeze avocados: halves, slices and puree. To choose a freezing method, you need to decide what dishes you will cook from them. Freezing affects the original texture of the avocado, making it more watery and not as silky, and the flavor less pronounced and bitter. Therefore, it is not advisable to add it to fresh salads and snacks, the pieces will not keep their shape and may impair the taste of the dish. It is best when crushed and used in compound dishes where avocado is mixed with other flavors. nine0005

First way . Freezing in halves.

With a sharp knife, cut the avocado in two halves lengthwise, reaching the pit, then turn the halves in opposite directions relative to each other and separate the top half from the bottom. If the avocado is ripe, this is easy to do. Then you can take out the bone, you can use a regular spoon or sharply hit it with a sharp edge of a knife and turn it.

Then, if necessary, remove the skin and brush the halves with lemon juice so that the entire surface of the avocado is covered. Citric acid prevents oxidation and darkening of the pulp. nine0005

Wrap the avocado halves individually in cling film to release as much air as possible. Ideal if you have a vacuum cleaner. Then place the blanks in a freezer bag. Be sure to sign and send to the freezer.

The advantages of such freezing are quick preparation and minimum manipulations. Cons - when frozen, the texture changes, it becomes less smooth and silky, and the workpiece is defrosted more slowly. Avocados frozen in this way can be used in smoothies, various sauces, baked goods and desserts (for example, chocolate cream avocado mousse), after thawing, as well as soups and baked with them (for example, baked avocados with egg and cheese). nine0005

Second way. Freezing in pieces.

For the second method, you will need to cut the avocado into pieces, sprinkle with lemon juice and spread on a tray covered with baking paper or on boards covered with cling film. Pieces will freeze very quickly, literally in 30 - 40 minutes, which is very convenient.

The frozen avocado pieces can then be transferred to a freezer bag or an airtight container. Then sign the blank and put in the freezer. nine0005

Pros - quick defrosting of small pieces, convenient to store and easy to use. Cons - the pieces spread, they do not hold their shape well, they are not so elastic, they feel a change in texture, they become soft and a little watery.

You can use this avocado in dishes that are cooked - cream soups or puree soups (for example, sorrel and spinach soup with avocado puree), casseroles, avocado pizza, or grind into a puree and prepare a cream salad dressing and pasta, add to smoothies, baked goods (such as sugar-free cookies) and make ice cream. It is not recommended to use in salads or appetizers where the avocado is present in chunks. nine0005

The third way. Freeze puree.

For the third method of harvesting, avocados need to be peeled, cut into pieces, add lemon or lime juice (one medium avocado - 1 tbsp. ) And grind in a blender or mash the avocado with a fork until mashed. It should be borne in mind that it is desirable to cook mashed potatoes quickly so that the oxidation process is minimal and be sure to add lemon juice. And when using a blank, one should take into account the fact that the taste of a frozen avocado is sour. nine0005

Purée can be whipped until smooth or left in small pieces if desired. Then place the avocado puree in a freezer bag, smooth it out, form a thin layer, expel all the air from the bag and close tightly. Put on a board and send to the freezer until completely frozen. Such thin blanks are very convenient to store and use. From it you can easily break off the necessary piece and defrost faster.

Puree can also be frozen in the ice cube bin. nine0005

Pros - can be quickly frozen and thawed, more convenient to use. Good for smoothies, sauces, puree soups (like gazpacho with baked vegetables), desserts, pastries, ice cream (like avocado and coconut milk ice cream) and all those dishes that use avocado puree. Cons - not suitable for all dishes.

Some sources advise freezing ready-made guacamole, a favorite Mexican avocado-based sauce. But there is one big minus in such freezing - the watery ingredients of the sauce, such as tomatoes, onions, peppers and herbs will significantly change the structure and taste of the sauce. The maximum that can be put in mashed potatoes when frozen is a little lemon juice, olive or vegetable oil, ground garlic and spices. And already when defrosting, add all the other ingredients. nine0005

Avocado defrosting.

Defrost avocados on the shelf of the refrigerator so that the process occurs gradually and evenly. Some dishes, such as avocado ice cream or smoothies that use puree, do not require defrosting at all. It is enough to beat the frozen avocado puree with the rest of the ingredients, and the dessert is ready! Try smoothies with avocado, banana, coconut milk, cocoa and oatmeal, you can add any sweetener - honey, dates, raisins.