How to Make Applesauce for Babies

From the early feeding stages, you want to introduce several different types of pureed food to babies. One of the easiest foods you can make for the little ones is applesauce since it involves very little labor and is simply pureed apples. There's no need to purchase store-bought applesauce when you can make delicious homemade applesauce and know exactly what you're feeding your babies.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Apple
• Water
• Oatmeal (optional)
• Apple corer
• Knife
• Large pot
• Strainer
• Large bowl
• Food processor
• Plastic ice cube trays
• Freezer bag or container

1. Wash, core and peel the apple. Peeling the apple eliminates a choking hazard for your baby. Slice up the apple for cooking. You don't need to worry about the shape of the pieces, but you should cut the apple into smaller chunks.

2. Dump the apple slices into a large pot, and fill the pot with water. Put enough water in the pot to just cover the apple slices.

3. Cook on the stove until the apples boil for a short time. Stick a fork or knife into one of the apple slices to determine if it's tender. Once the apples are tender, remove the pot from the stove.

4. Strain the apples over a bowl, keeping in mind to save the leftover cooking water. Place the strained apple slices into a food processor, and make the puree with the apples. Add some of the leftover water to thin out the pureed apples.

5. Freeze leftover applesauce for up to a year. You can pour the leftover applesauce into plastic ice cube trays and freeze them. Once frozen, pop out of individual slots and place into a freezer storage bag or container. Remove one cube at a time and thaw when needed to feed your babies.

Tips & Warnings

• You should use apples that are best for cooking and baking. Apples that babies may enjoy include Fuji, Granny Smith, McIntosh and Jonathan.
• You can also mix the applesauce with pureed berries, such as pears, blueberries or peeled grapes. Use the applesauce as a base for other foods, such as muffins when your child can eat thicker textured foods.
• If you add too much water when you puree the apples, you can add oatmeal to thicken the consistency.
• If you plan to serve the applesauce right away, don't forget to cool it before feeding your babies. You don't want to burn their mouths.

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on 8/10/2008 Make sure and cool thoroughly. Hot apple sauce can burn a babies delicate tongue. Pink Ladies are exceptional!