How the very Jeff do you make a puree?

[HarderToKidnap]

How do you make a puree? (I am an intelligent, educated woman believe it or not). Tried to make a sweet potato and parsnip puree this lunchtime. Boiled the veg in a little water until soft. Then used three different machines to try and puree it - hand blender, jug blender and food processor. The paste still had lots of "bittiness" to it. Tried feeding it to DS (24 weeks) who gagged and coughed and we had RIVERS of sick and it was just a really distressing and awful experience which made me cry. Same thing happened a couple of days ago with a carrot puree. He's having a little finger food too which seems successful. I'm obviously doing something wrong with the purees, they are nothing like the texture of the ones out of a packet that I have seen. I could hold off a week or two but he loves sitting munching something at the table and I also want to be able to do purees! Please help.

Push the cooked food through a sieve.

I never did this, I used a blender instead (a la Annabel Karmel).

i have made many successful purees. I think its easy. Boil/steam chopped veggies, then use hand blender and whizz up with a little water or juice if needed. Then freeze in little pots.

After the original fruit and veg... I did bolognese or lamb mince or fish and added to mash potato, sweet potato. With my second child I am doing a little less of the blending...more mush with fork and finger foods. But even when I do a puree I make sure to season w/ cinnamon,basil, parsley, curry powder, cumin...I think this has helped my girls become really great eaters. Its the same as just giving what you are eating, it has all the flavours.

I think if they are used to plain food, they will want that later and I am not into cooking different meals for the kids. but its just my own non scientific theory :)

You'll never get them the same texture as the jars! They're unnecessarily smooth as well. Even the 12m+ are too sloppy for my DS.
If your DS was gagging maybe try something that's more like he's used to. First milk onthe spoon, followed by a specialist baby cereal.
Now DS is 10months I never buy baby porridge anymore as its expensive but its good as a transition food I think! Then move on to pureed veggies!

Thought I'd give you an update as you've all been so helpful. Once I relaxed, it all got a lot better! I have totally given up on making purees specifically. I do porridge, Weetabix or toast for breakfast followed by fruit. Then something like pitta and hummus or cream cheese, tomato slices, cheesesticks, cooked veggie spears etc for lunch plus whatever he'll eat of an Ellas Kitchen pouch. Dinner is whatever we had the night before made into an appropriate texture, either big grabbable chunks or whizzed down somewhat, plus whatever of the EK pouch again. Plain Greek yoghurt and fruit afterwards. So a mix of spooning and finger food, but very much being led by him with the spoonfeeding, it's impossible to get even one morsel in after he's decided he's had enough! Some meals he eats loads, some meals he hardly eats, it's all good!! I'm very much enjoying weaning now.