Pop, pop, pop, grin

If you've ever canned anything before, you know the title of this post is so true. There aren't many better sounds in the world than the can sealing and the little pop it makes after a you've canned something. I get a little too excited about that sound and if I miss one can popping because I'm out of the room, I will often contemplate re-sealing it just so I can hear it.
With a new baby in the house, I knew that I was going to get to hear that sound quite a bit as I can my own baby food for my little princess. Today, we made homemade butternut squash for baby girl, her favorite!

I start with 2 good sized butternut squash. Cut each one in half and scoop out the seeds. Then I place them cut side down in a shallow baking dish with about a half inch of water in the bottom. In to a 350 degree oven for about 35-40 minutes order until squishy (that's the technical term for the degree of softness you are looking for).

When they come out, they will have some brown dimpling on the bulb part and that's okay. Scoop out all the yummy meat and straight into the blender it goes.


Left over shells. Get out all that yummy meat!





Puree until desired smoothness. Occasionally, you will have to add some water to soften this up a bit or thin it out. Use any water that was left over in the baking dish, that way you aren't losing any of those yummy nutrients that may have baked out of the squash into the water.

Look at the amazing color in there!

While this is cooling down a bit, go ahead and soak your canning jars in some very hot water. I use the small jelly jars for baby food. They hold 4 ounces and the stage 2 foods that you can buy pre-made are 3.5 ounces, so the size is very similar.

Make sure that you also soak the lids to the jars to soften up the glue a bit so that they will be more apt to seal. One very important thing to remember when canning, NEVER reuse a lid. The replacements are cheap and I'd rather pay the little bit to ensure that baby girl doesn't get sick because the lid doesn't seal all the way and bacteria grows in her food. EWWW....

Fill the jars leaving half to one inch at the top. Place the lid on and then the screw top (but don't screw it as tight as it will go). Place the jars into a large pot of boiling water and then leave them in there for about 10 minutes.
Carefully remove the jars and leave them on your counter. Now, get ready...here comes that super great sound  you've been waiting for. Sit back and giggle with each pop!!
I can generally get 12 jars of squash from the 2 that I cooked.

Applesauce, squash, pears, sweet potatoes

I love making baby girl's food. I'm very fortunate that we have been able to breastfeed her for seven months now and that she has never received anything other than breast milk and the super yummy foods that we are making for her now.