Baby Recipes, Part 3: Applesauce and Pear Sauce

Apple sauce and pear sauce is very easy to make and it makes the house smell heavenly! Apples and pears are both stage 1 foods, so when the apples and pears are cooked, puree them to a phase 1 consistency. Otherwise, this recipe is great for stage 2 and above.

Applesauce

Ingredients:

• Apples of different varieties that are peeled, cored, and sliced into wedges (The number of apples depends on how much applesauce you want. I usually buy 15 apples of five different varieties)
  
• Cinnamon, to taste
  

Directions:

1. Place apples in a large saucepan over low heat and pour 1/3 cup water over the apples.

2. Place a lid over the saucepan and let the apples slowly break down, stirring the apples occasionally.

3. When the apples begin to break down, sprinkle cinnamon over the apples, to taste. You can always add more later if you feel it's not enough.

4. Applesauce is done when the apples are all broken down. This will take a few hours, but you can further this process along by breaking up the soft apples with a wooden spoon, or you can leave it chunkier for bigger babies.

5. When applesauce is done, remove from heat and let cool. Portion into ice cube trays or baby food trays and place in freezer. I generally portion about 3 days worth into baby food bowls and place in the fridge.

Pear Sauce

Ingredients:

• Pears that are peeled, cored, and sliced into wedges (More pears will yield more pear sauce. I usually buy around 15.)
  
• Cinnamon, to taste
• A pinch of nutmeg
• Ginger, to taste

Directions:

1. Place pears in a large saucepan over low heat and pour 1/3 cup water over the pears.

2. Place a lid over the saucepan and let the pears break down, stirring them occasionally.

3. When the pears begin to break down, sprinkle cinnamon, ginger, and a pinch of nutmeg over the pears, to taste. You can always add more if you feel it's not enough.

4. The pear sauce is done when they are all broken down. This will take awhile since it takes pears twice as long as apples to break down, but you can further this process along by breaking up the soft pears with a wooden spoon.

5. When the pear sauce is done, remove from heat and let cool. Portion into ice cube trays or baby food trays and place in freezer. I generally portion about 3 days worth into baby food bowls and place in the fridge.

**You can also make an apple-pear sauce by cooking both together and just using cinnamon to flavor. The picture I posted above has apples, pears, and half a bag of frozen strawberries in it (fresh strawberries are expensive here) with cinnamon.


Chris taught Charlotte how to drink out of a water bottle a couple weeks ago. She can't do it herself, but she loves it when we hold the water bottle up to her mouth and give her a bit of water. I guess this has translated into our drinking cups. She doesn't quite get that she has to lift up the glass. If baby's could use straws, she'd be in business!