Fun fact: Bone marrow has iron in it.Which means this whipped bone marrow recipe isone more way to bring meaty minerals into your baby’s diet.
Bone marrow is also fatty. And as an iron-rich fat, you can use it in sweet and savory dishes alike, making it a wonderful source of heme iron for babies who’d rather eat a sweet potato mash over liver pate or a lamb chop.
Why bone marrow rules my world
There are some foods for baby that I literally obsess over. These foods are largely underused and yet packed with many of the nutrients that babies need.
Liver is one. And bone marrow is another.
Bone marrow is found inside of bones. And it’s a production powerhouse, full of life-giving stem cells – pumping out red blood cells, white blood cells, bone cells, and fat cells.
Bone marrow also has vasculature moving blood to and fro. And where you find blood, you find iron.
Iron is a big deal for babies. It’s a meaty mineral that I love to love. You can find hints of my obsession all over the place – on Instagram, in blog posts, and in this online class for beginning solids.Chances are, your pediatrician is also interested in your baby’s iron levels.
But why?
- Iron is brain food. For example, research reveals that babies who are anemic before the age of two have lower scores in school achievement and cognition from 4 – 19 years of age.
- Iron supports myelination. It turns out you can find quite a bit of iron in the brain cells that produce myelin. Myelin-making brain cells = white matter in the brain…and white matter = intelligence.
- Iron deficiency cannot be undone. Even when corrected, low levels of iron during babyhood – or iron deficiency anemia – has been found to impact language development, motor development, and emotional development.
As with most things, there’s a balance to how much iron you give your baby.
Food naturally rich in heme iron (such as liver, cuts of beef and lamb, the dark meat of chicken, shellfish, and bone marrow)positively supports your baby’s iron levels. Even when eaten in small amounts, as babies do.
Bone marrow has roughly 2.7 mg of iron for every four tablespoons – which is equivalent to what you find in one tablespoon of liver. This is more iron than you’d find in pork, poultry, lamb, and some cuts of beef.
Beyond iron, Chinese medicine claims that bone marrow has some serious restorative mojo.
Bone marrow is known for its ability to deeply fortify the body. If your baby shows signs of “failure to thrive,” such as slow weight gain or not reaching developmental milestones,offer your baby bone marrowmore frequently and in the place of fats like butter and ghee.
How to pick + handle marrow bones
When roasted, bone marrow is a jiggly white and pinkish blob with brown ends (this is why we whip it).
While you can find plenty of marrow within the center of the bone, there are all sorts of nooks and crannies around the endsof the bone where marrow can get stuck.
You can get around those nooks and crannies (and the most bang for your buck) by asking for a long cut.
For example, show for canoe cut or the mid-portion of the bone that visibly has marrow packed in the center.
Also important: Avoidends or knuckles when buying marrow bones, which are mostly made of hard red marrow. Choose cuts from the center of the bone.
Should you soak your bones before roasting?
In Odd Bits, chef and author Jennifer McLagan suggests soaking bones in salted ice water to remove blood.
But blood contains iron. And since we’re celebrating this unctuous meat butter because it’s a fairly good source of iron, skip the soak.
Whipped bone marrow recipe
Cara Nicoletti – sausage maker extraordinaire – makes bone marrow look beautiful and presentable by WHIPPING it. With a whisk attachment. In a bowl. How easy is that? And the results are worth it.
If you follow the principles of baby-led weaning, use like you would butter or any other fat – for example, mashed into a starchy veggie, like sweet potato or squash.
If you are working with purees, add whipped marrow to your puree.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425 F. Place marrow bones, marrow side-up, on a baking sheet. Roast for 25 minutes or until much of the fat has rendered out and marrow is pulling away from the sides.
- Remove from oven. Afterthe bones have cooled enough to touch, scoop the marrow out and into a bowl. Also, pour all fat from your baking sheet and into the bowl. Place it in the refrigerator.
- Once the marrow is cold (the fat should firm up), use a mixer with a whisk attachment to whipuntil the bone marrow is white and fluffy.
- Whipped marrow lasts 3 weeks in the fridge and 6 months in the freezer.
Have you made this bone marrow recipe before? What’s your favorite way to use it?
FAQs
Absolutely. Bone marrow is soft in texture and loaded with iron and healthy fats (including omega fats), both of which babies need loads of starting around 6 months old. Bone marrow is also packed with B-vitamins, antioxidant vitamins A and E, blood-healthy vitamin K, and immune-supportive minerals selenium and zinc.
Can I give my 6 month old bone marrow? ›
Absolutely. Bone marrow is soft in texture and loaded with iron and healthy fats (including omega fats), both of which babies need loads of starting around 6 months old. Bone marrow is also packed with B-vitamins, antioxidant vitamins A and E, blood-healthy vitamin K, and immune-supportive minerals selenium and zinc.
How to prepare bone marrow for a baby? ›
Process
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and place a parchment over a baking sheet for easy cleanup.
- Place the bone marrow on the baking sheet, cut side up.
- Roast for 25-30 minutes until the marrow is soft and tender.
- Let the marrows cool enough to be handled, then scoop out the marrow with a spoon in to a bowl.
When can babies have bone broth? Low-sodium broths and stocks made from meat or poultry may be introduced in meals or as a drink as soon as baby is ready to start solids, which is generally around 6 months of age.
How long does bone marrow need to be cooked? ›
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Put bones, cut side up, on foil-lined baking sheet or in ovenproof skillet. Cook until marrow is soft and has begun to separate from the bone, about 15 minutes.
Can my 4 month old have bone broth? ›
Baby bone broth is to enjoy from the age of 4 to 6+ months. Baby bone broth is a healthy addition to just about everything you feed your infant. Add one or two tablespoons of broth to food such as veggie purees, soups, scrambled eggs, meat puree and sauce or add a sneaky mouthful to their bottle.
Does bone marrow need to be soaked? ›
Marrow bones must be soaked for 12 to 24 hours in salted water to remove the blood. Place the bones in a large dish of ice water to cover, add 2 tablespoons of coarse sea salt, and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours, changing the water 4 to 6 times and adding 2 more tablespoons of salt to the water each time.
How to cook zucchini for a 5 month old baby? ›
Cut it lengthwise into thick sticks (think the width of 2 fingers) or quartered spears. Steam, roast, sauté or bake the zucchini until it is soft enough to smush between 2 fingers but still firm to grasp. Offer the baby to eat by hand.
Do you have to cook bone marrow before eating? ›
Bone marrow is loaded with good saturated fats, minerals and proteins like collagen. It can be eaten straight out of the bone, spread on bread or even used on tacos. The marrow bones can also be simmered with vegetables to make a nutritious bone broth.
Can babies eat bone marrow? ›
Offer your baby a pre-loaded spoon of marrow, allowing them to self-feed or by gently guiding them. You can then add it to soft cooked veggies you've introduced, in place of butter, or in a puree to give it an iron boosting, creamy consistency.
When can I start? Bone broth can be given in small amounts as soon as your baby has been introduced to solids. Just remember, if baby is under a year, the goal isn't to replace breast milk or formula with broth, rather to offer it as an addition to breast milk and solid foods.
Can you add bone broth to baby puree? ›
Bone broth is incredible to support their digestion and strengthen the intestinal lining, preparing it for solid foods! Then you can use the bone broth to start mixing into puree's (if spoon feeding) or serve alongside finger foods as a drink (not to replace breastmilk or formula).
How long do you boil bone marrow for broth? ›
Once the pot starts to boil, cover it and reduce the heat to low. Let the broth cook for at least 8 hours. During cooking, check on the broth every couple of hours to see if you need to add more water to submerge the bones. This is especially important if you are cooking for those long periods of time.
How is bone marrow supposed to be cooked? ›
If the bones are cut crosswise, place them standing up; if the bones are cut lengthwise, place them cut side up. Roast for 15 to 25 minutes, until the marrow has puffed slightly and has an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C) in the center when measured with an instant-read thermometer.
Can bone marrow be eaten rare? ›
Information. As long as the meat reaches a safe temperature, it's perfectly safe to eat the marrow inside the bones. Cook all raw beef, pork, lamb, and veal steaks, chops, and roasts to a minimum internal temperature of 145°F as measured with a food thermometer before removing meat from the heat source.
Can bone marrow be taken from a baby? ›
Who can be a donor? Stem cells–the healthy immature blood cells used in blood and marrow transplants–are harvested from a variety of donors: self, sibling, parent, relatives or non-related individuals, or are collected from the umbilical cord blood from a related or non-related newborn infant.
At what age can a child donate bone marrow? ›
NMDP is focused on recruiting people ages 18 to 35 because medical research shows that younger donors are best for patients and provide the greatest chance for transplant success. Because of this, doctors prefer donors in the 18 to 35 age group. Age guidelines are not meant to discriminate.
Is there an age limit for bone marrow? ›
Age: Potential donors are listed on the registry until their 61st birthday. However, doctors request donors in the 18 to 35 age group nearly 75 percent of the time. Research shows that younger donors provide the greatest chance for transplant success.
Fun fact: Bone marrow has iron in it.Which means this whipped bone marrow recipe isone more way to bring meaty minerals into your baby’s diet.
Cara Nicoletti – sausage maker extraordinaire – makes bone marrow look beautiful and presentable by WHIPPING it. With a whisk attachment. In a bowl. How easy is that? And the results are worth it.