Carrots Carrots Carrots

Posted: September 10th, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Store-bought Remix, Try Something New | 1 Comment »

Take 5 lbs of carrots.

Wash well, peel, cut off ends, cut in half length-wise, cut top half in half cross-wise.

Steam for 20 minutes.
Remove steamer basket and set aside to cool.
Once cool, process in batches in a food processor to achieve a puree. Add water if necessary to thin. Don’t use the cooking water because it can contain higher levels of nitrates.
Spray ice cube trays with cooking spray, Using a spatula, fill each “cube” with the carrot puree. Scrape along the top to reveal the sections between the cubes. This will make it easier to pop them out. Very GENTLY, tap the tray on the counter to settle any air bubbles. Don’t go crazy or you’ll get carrot everywhere (I speak from experience). Place in the freezer overnight.
 To store, pop out the frozen cubes and keep in a plastic storage bag or container. I still had a little remaining puree that wouldn’t fit, so I got nearly a third tray full with this batch. Label and date the contents of the bag.

A few notes: Yes, this is the same process used to make homemade baby food, but I want it handy to drop into recipes to get a little more undetected veg in our meals. The puree is incredibly tasty, and I think it could go head to head with those little jars any day! I’ll be experimenting with uses. I know that it will pair well with tomato based dishes, and I have a friend that uses purees in her tacos (either carrot, sweet potato, or butternut squash). I’ll pop a few cubes in every now and then and report back to you when I’ve found our favorite uses

Also, the orange color is incredibly concentrated so make sure to clean all of your utensils and work surfaces immediately. My ice cube trays are white, and they are stained a little. I don’t really care about this. The cooking spray helps to minimize the discoloration.

One Comment on “Carrots Carrots Carrots”

  1. 1 Tomato Gravy « Notes from Betty Becca said at 11:15 am on September 19th, 2011:

    [...] Add to a skillet with 2 T butter, 2 t salt, and 1t black pepper over medium heat. Add 2-3 finely chopped cloves of garlic. Add a 28 oz. can of tomatoe puree and 15 oz. csn of Italian diced tomatoes. I also added 3 cubes of my carrot puree. [...]

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