Celeriac

Celeriac can start when your baby is about 6 months old and ready for solids. It is a type of celery native to the Mediterranean region. Its knobby stem has a rough skin that you peel away. The inside is creamy like a potato. In its home region it is fried, grated, mashed, roasted, or added to soups, salads and olive oil dishes.

Celeriac gives fiber, potassium, calcium, magnesium and zinc. It also has vitamins B6, C and K. These nutrients support energy, digestion, bones and immunity.

Storage

Unlike some root vegetables, celeriac keeps better in the fridge. You can store the whole unpeeled root for several weeks.

Serving by age

At 6 months, offer a peeled, cooked wedge or stick about two fingers wide. Your baby gnaws on it. Mashed celeriac works on a spoon. A piece should squash easily between thumb and forefinger. Fine raw gratings stirred into soft foods like yogurt are another option.

At 9 months, serve bite-sized cooked pieces. At this age you can also offer raw celeriac grated in a salad or sliced paper thin. This gives practice in biting and tearing.

Practical note

The root has a strong smell. Mixing it with potato or carrot on the first try makes it easier to accept.

Celeriac is very hard. It can also be slippery, especially when raw or undercooked. Both traits raise choking risk. Prepare it for your baby's age and stay close during meals.

Celeriac is not on this app's common allergen list. Celery allergy is uncommon, but reports say it is becoming more frequent. Reactions range from mild to severe. People sensitive to other parsley-family foods such as carrot, fennel and dill, or to birch and mugwort pollen, may cross-react. Short itching or burning in the mouth can occur. Cooking reduces the reaction, but some people react to cooked celeriac too.

Contact with celeriac followed by sun can cause a pigmented, itchy rash. Wash the skin after contact and protect it from the sun.

Start with a small amount at first. If there is no reaction, raise the portion.