The following are baby food recipes I used to feed my daughter. I switched exclusively to homemade baby food at around 5 - 6 months of age.
Preparing fruit is definitely the most easy way to make baby food. Mainly because there are a lot of fruits that do not need to be cooked in order to prepare them. These foods are naturally soft when ripe. I will cover the easiest fruits for baby food recipes first and move on to fruits that must be cooked to use in baby foods.
When picking out your peaches make sure you purchase already ripened fruits if you intend to use them right away. Otherwise place them in a paper bag and leave them on the counter top for a day or two. Make sure and keep an eye on them so they don't over ripen and go bad.
I also always kept a couple of small jars of canned peaches on hand. These are only for emergencies. If for some reason or other you run out of fruit for the baby food recipes, or her fruit goes bad, you can rely on your back up of canned peaches. Make sure and buy the kind that are packed in pear juice, not heavy syrup. OK, on to the baby food recipes...
Recipe: Peach puree
Use one to two whole ripe peaches
cut the peach in half and remove the pit
cut the remaining halves into slices
remove the skins and cut the slices into small chunks.
Place in small food processor and blend to desired consistency
I'll get more into that later.
To prepare basic plain banana just break of what you intend to feed your baby and mash
it with a fork. Make sure and mash it up very
well for younger infants who are un-
accustomed to chewing. The older and more accustomed your baby is to eating, the less you have to mash, all the way up to simply cutting it into chunks.
Recipe: apricot puree -
Slice one or two apricots in half and remove the pit
cut each half of the apricots in half again and use a small sharp knife to remove the skin
dice the remaining slices into cubes and puree them to desired consistency
Add a tablespoon of water or apricot nectar to the mixture to help it puree smoothly
keep adding additional tablespoons of liquid until you reach desired consistency
cut 1 to 2 slices from the cantaloupe and store the rest in the refrigerator or cut up and store in tupperware for easy snack for the rest of the family.
Remove the outer skin from the slices you cut using a sharp knife.
Cut the remaining cantaloupe into small pieces.
Place fruit into processor and puree
How to make apple sauce - First peel, core, and cut your apples. The apples should be cut into slices and then cut in half. Place the apples into boiling water and cook until soft. Drain the water from the apples and place into separate bowl. Mash the apples with a potato masher or fork. For younger infants mash until smooth and then strain through a very fine screen strainer to remove any lumpy consistency.(optional) Add a teaspoon of apple juice or other fruit juices and cinnamon to flavor.
Bake apples to make apple sauce - Use a shallow roasting pan to bake the apples. core the apples before baking. Place the apples into the roasting pan and add a small amount of water in the bottom of the pan. Cover with tin foil. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Bake the apples for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Poke them with a fork to check if they are soft enough to mash. If not then place them back in the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes.
Once the apples are cooked let them stand uncovered for 30 - 45 minutes to cool down. Use a sharp knife to cut each apple in half. Peel off the skins and place them into another bowl. Cut them into chunks and either mash them with a fork or place them into a food processor to puree. For young infants new to spoon feeding you may want to strain the apples using a fine strainer.
Pear and apple puree
Follow either of the methods above to prepare the pears and apples to be combined together. When each fruit is soft, peel and/or cut them into small pieces and place into a food processor. Puree until smooth and give a good stir to combine. If you wish to have the smoothest consistency possible then follow pureeing with straining. Strain the pears and apples through a close mesh wire strainer. Feed to baby immediately, or store in take and toss bowls for later meals. This can also be made in large batches and stored in the freezer to use at a later date.
Great Fruit Combinations for Baby Food Recipes
Peel and core your apples. Slice the apples into chunks and place in boiling water. Cook until soft. Remove from water and strain. Let stand for 20 to 30 minutes to cool. Place into food processor. Add processed and strained blueberries. Blend and stir. Serve immediately or store in fridge or freezer.
Peel and core two to three Bartlett pears. Cut them into pieces and place them in boiling water. Cook them until soft (can easily pierce with fork). Strain the water from them and let stand 20 minutes or so to cool down. After cooling place the pear pieces into your food processor along with the raspberry puree. Puree until smooth stopping to stir in between. Serve immediately or store in your fridge or freezer.
These are just examples of some of the fruit baby food recipes I prepared for my daughter. Feel free to experiment with different combinations or different and more exotic fruits. Remember, if you are unsure about a food or whether your baby is ready to start solids consult your pediatrician.
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