Apples April 8, 2009
Apples are a great starter food. Claire has loved them since she first started eating solids. They pair well with lots of food, both in taste and nutrition: the vitamin C helps the body absorb iron – maybe that’s why applesauce tastes so delicious with pork and saurkraut (Oh boy, my Pennsylvania roots are really showing now!).
Making baby food with apples is the same as making applesauce. When we make applesauce, my husband usually spices it up a bit; but, for Claire, I keep it simple. I used three apples and you’d be surprised how much that yields. I got about 6 or 7 servings (Claire usually eats about three cubes per serving – she’s a big girl but more on that later…) from these Gala apples. You can use whatever kind of apples you like although I usually don’t use red delicious or granny smith (there’s just something about the taste when the apples are cooked; but, again it’s all about preference).
Here’s easy-peasy apples:
1. Peel apples and remove core.
2. Cut the apples into quarters.
3. Place the apples in a medium saucepan and cover with water. The amount will vary depending upon how many apples you use. I used about a 1/4 cup, which just covered the apples about half way. Don’t cover them, you don’t want them boiled.
4. Cook over medium heat, covered, until tender, meaning they’re mushy when pressed with a wooden spoon or a spatula. They’ll change color a bit, which also lets you know they’re done. No need to over-cook them.
5. Put the cooked apples into whatever machine you’ll use to puree, saving the water from the saucepan. Add as much water as needed to make the desired consistency of your applesauce, um, I mean, baby food.
I usually freeze my batches for later but feel free to enjoy straight away.