Stove or Microwave?

Most all fruit and veggie purees can be made either on the stove using a steamer basket in a saucepan, or in the microwave in a covered glass bowl. Some veggies like sweet potatoes, butternut squash or other winter squash can also be roasted in the oven. Just decide what's easier for you.

For the microwave you will want to add a less water because fruits and veggies steam using their own moisture. You will also want to figure out how quickly your microwave cooks. As a general rule, veggies and fruits steam in the microwave using about 2/3 of the time as on the stove. You can use pastic wrap to cover foods, however do not let the plastic touch the food because it will leach harmful chemicals into the food.

For the stove you will want to make sure you use a steamer basket set above water in a saucepan. The water level should come just below the steamer, but not above the bottom of the steamer. Steaming cooks foods above water using the steam from the boiling water. Steaming is better than boiling because a lot of nutrients are lost when a food is submerged and boiled in water.

Sweet Potatoes and Winter Squashes can be peeled, cubed and steamed using the above methods. Or, you can wash the veggie, pierce several times with a fork, and roast in the oven utnil soft. Some resources I consulted believe that roasting veggies in the oven makes for a sweeter end product. That would be the only reason I would cook in the oven, because it takes a lot more time to roast than steam.