Nutrition info:
Vegan
Vegetarian
Wait until 6+ months of age
Rich in vitamin C, dietary fibre
As a kid I grew up on 50 acres of land that was smattered with many natural-growing fruit trees, plants and bushes, from strawberries and raspberries to grapes and blackberries. The best time of the year, though, was apple season — we had countless apple trees growing on the property, and my best friend and I would dress up in our warmest sweaters (it was fall), rubber boots, and go around picking and tasting the best apples on the trees. What apples we brought home, my mom or dad would turn into apple sauce. I always thought making apple sauce looked like a long and difficult process with all the coring and peeling, but now that I make fresh apple sauce for my own family, I’ve learned that it really takes no time at all!
Apple sauce is a great first food for baby, and makes a good dessert or afternoon snack too. And, instead of adding sugar to some cake, muffin or loaf recipes, you can sub in apple sauce instead — it’ll make your baking taste better too!
Here’s how to do it:
Ingredients
4 (or more) sweet apples, such as MacIntosh, peeled and cored
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
*No sugar is necessary*
Instructions
In a saucepan, add water and apples and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until apples are soft. Stir occasionally. Once cooked, place in blender, food processor or food mill until you reach the best consistency for your child. Younger babies’ (6-9 months) applesauce should be quite thin with no lumps, while older babies and toddlers can have a chunkier applesauce if desired. Add cinnamon to taste, if desired.
Many people might feel tempted to add sugar to their child’s applesauce, but kids really won’t know the difference if you start them out on unsweetened foods. If you use a sweet apple, it will be sweet enough!
