I am way too over-zealous when I buy apples! It's almost as if I envision the entire family sitting on the couch, watching tv and munching on apples! I'll take an apple with me to work every now and then to eat after lunch. And I'll cut up apple for Eoin to snack on. And even though Bill says that he likes apples, he NEVER, ever, ever eats the apples when I buy them! I guess if that's one of the few major complaints I have about him, I lucked out!
Anyway, so these apples wind up just sitting there. But instead of letting them rot and tossing them, I make applesauce! When you have lemons, make lemonade....well when you have apples...
Applesauce is seriously the easiest thing in the world to make. And it's impossible to screw up! There are plenty of recipes out there that involve food mills, trust me, you don't need one. A simple blender or food processor will do the trick! I started making this when Eoin first started eating solids. Obviously, it was pureed a little more than I am preparing it now. As I've mentioned before, I made a lot of baby food, it truly is the easiest thing! If you have any questions on making your own baby food, please feel free to comment and I will try my best to answer any questions.
I do recommend that before you make your own, do your research on the individual vegetables, I used this site for most of my baby food preparation needs: Wholesome Baby Food. For example when you make the carrots, you can't puree the carrots in the water it was cooked in if preparing for a child which is under 8 months old. This is due to the fact that Nitrates may seep into the cooking water while the carrots are steaming. Nitrates are naturally contained in vegetables such as carrots, green beans, spinach and squash. Unfortunately, young infants aren't able to break down the Nitrates and this could cause Nitrate poisoning. So just do yourself a favor, read up on the vegetable or fruit you would like your infant to try before doing so. I learned a lot by reading the site and by making my own baby food. This is not a 101 on baby food making though!
Back to the subject at hand: Applesauce. I wouldn't recommend to make insanely large batches, unless you plan on jarring (which you actually have to KNOW how to do) or freezing the excess. I do recommend freezing if you have the room, because then the applesauce can last indefinetly! I make only small batches at a time, with whatever leftover apples we have. I do not add any sugar to my apple sauce. I don't want my son to have sugars in his already sweet fruits (he is allowed to have sugary treats from time to time, he is a kid after all!) Experiment with different types of apples, you'll get varied flavors. I add ground cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice to mine, to give it a little extra kick!
Yields about 40 oz
Ingredients:
- 7 apples, peeled and cored (whichever apples you have on hand, I usually use a mix of Granny Smith and Red Delicious)
- Just enough water to steam the apple wedges in.
- Cinnamon, to taste
- Pumpkin Pie Spice, to taste
*If you are making this for baby food purposes, I would omit the spices. A lot of children are allergic to cinnamon, so please consult with your pediatrician before adding it!
Directions:
- Steam the apple wedges in just enough water to cover the bottom apples, until just tender. You don't want to overcook the apples and have them be a mushy mess!
- Transfer the apples to a food processor or blender, reserving the cooking water.
- Start to puree, adding the reserved liquid as needed.
- Season with the spices to taste. Puree until desired consistency.
*If you are using this recipe for baby food purposes, consult the site above for ways to store and freeze your baby food!
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