Make Your Own Baby Food: PUMPKIN 

Age: first month of eating

Suitable for freezing

Makes: about 1 cup

200g Butternut pumpkin, peeled, deseeded and roughly chopped (about 1/4 of the pumpkin)

Water for cooking

Place pumpkin in a small saucepan with a tight fitting lid and barely cover with water. Cover and cook over low heat for 8-10 mins or until pumpkin is soft. Strain, reserving a little of the cooking liquid.

Alternatively, place pumpkin in the top of a double steamer and steam for 10-12 mins or until tender. If you have a microwave-safe cooking dish with a lid, place pumpkin and 20ml of water in the dish, cover and microwave on high for 3-5 mins or until soft.

Strain as necessary.

For all three cooking methods use a stick blender to puree, adding a little cooking water to help thin down the puree and make it smooth.

Set aside 2 tsp of pureed pumpkin and freeze remaining puree in an ice cube tray.

Tip: Butternut pumpkins are readily available and have a reliably sweet flesh. They are also easier to cut and peel than other varieties but of course you can use any pumpkin you like.

Make Your Own Baby Food: PEA

Age: first month of eating

Suitable for freezing

Makes: about 1 cup

1 1/2 cup frozen green peas

Water for cooking

Place peas in a small saucepan with a tight fitting lid and barely cover with water. Cover and cook over low heat for 3-5 mins or until peas are tender and still bright green. Strain, reserving a little of the cooking liquid.

Alternatively, place peas in a microwave-safe dish with a lid with 20ml water and microwave on high for 2 mins.

For either cooking method, puree peas using a food processor or blender on the fastest setting with a little of the cooking liquid to help make the puree smooth. Pass through a sieve to remove excess husks.

Set aside 2 tsp of puree and freeze remaining puree in an ice cube tray.

Tip: Enhance your pea puree for older babies by adding a clove of garlic to the cooking water. Remove garlic before pureeing peas. A leaf or two of mint also works really well in the cooking water.

Emily Dupuche is a Melbourne mum of three and a self-professed foodie. She loves cooking for her family and has shared her commonsense approach to the introduction of solids in her recipe book, Food Babies Love. Follow her musings on her blog at www.foodbabieslove.com.au