Name: Steamed Broccoli Florets
Prep time: 12 min
Cook time: 11 min
Total time: 23 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 small head broccoli, cut into small florets with short stems; Water, for steaming; A little extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), to finish (optional)

Ingredients

1 small head broccoli, cut into small florets with short stems
Water, for steaming
A little extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), to finish (optional)

Method

Trim the broccoli into small florets, each about the size of your baby's thumb, and peel any tough, fibrous outer skin from the stems.
Steam over boiling water for 7-9 minutes, until a floret is soft enough to squash easily between your finger and thumb with no resistance - softer than you'd cook it for yourself.
Drain well and toss with a few drops of EVOO if using.
Cool to a safe eating temperature and check a floret yourself before serving - it should mash instantly under light pressure.

Age adaptations

6-8 months

Instead of serving as a finger food, blend the steamed florets until completely smooth, loosening with a little cooking liquid or the baby's usual milk to reach a spoonable puree. The florets are steamed until they collapse under light pressure, so they blend easily into a gentle first green puree.

9-12 months

Serve whole small florets as a finger food, holding the stem end so your baby can gnaw and gum the head, or offer already-broken smaller pieces.

12+ months

Steam slightly less, so there's a touch more bite, and serve alongside other finger foods as part of a mixed plate.

Storage

Fridge for up to 2 days in a sealed container. Freezes well: open-freeze steamed florets on a tray, then bag for up to 3 months. Reheat by steaming again until piping hot, then cool fully before serving, checking that the texture stays easy to squash.

For the family

Steam a bigger batch, keep some plain for baby, and toss the rest with salt, chilli flakes, garlic and a squeeze of lemon for the grown-ups.

Safety notes

Broccoli isn't individually named in Table 1, so the general fibrous/hard-produce principle is applied by analogy: "cook soft or grate finely; remove seeds, strings, peel." Florets are steamed well past normal adult tenderness, until they collapse under light finger pressure, and any tough fibrous stem skin is peeled away, since fibrous texture is one of the table's named dangerous textures. Florets are kept small and are never left as one large woody stalk that could break off in an uncontrolled chunk.

Steamed Broccoli Florets