Strawberry apple puree

This healthy recipe uses apple puree which is high in fibre and free of salt and cholesterol. Your baby will love the taste and benefit from nutrients like potassium and fibre.

Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 20 minutes Difficulty rating: Easy

Age Recommendation: As a puree, this is suitable for babies aged 6-7 months. Left as soft lumps, this recipe is suitable for babies 8 months and older.

Ingredients

Makes 15 serves

• 1 kg red apples (Fuji or Pink Lady work well)
• ½ kg strawberries
• 1½ cups water

Method

1. Wash, peel, core, and dice apples.
2. Place apples in a wok (for even heat distribution) or a large pan and cook with the water on high for 10 minutes. Cover with a lid and stir a couple of times as it cooks. The apple will turn a deeper yellow and smell fragrant when done.
3. Wash the strawberries, cut off the tips and halve.
4. Add to apples and cook for a further 10 minutes on medium. They will be soft and jam-like in texture.
5. Allow to cool slightly and process in a food processor or with a wand until smooth.

Tips

• Put portions in ice cube blocks and freeze. Then turn out into plastic bags. Label these with the date and keep in the freezer until needed.
• Place in small containers and freeze – as long as they are frozen immediately, these can be used in the fridge later for 2 days at a time.
• Ensure never to contaminate baby food with bacteria by taste testing foods or using baby’s spoon in the container and then putting back in the fridge – place a small portion in a separate dish and discard the unused portion.
• Keep a portion unprocessed and serve with yoghurt as a dessert for adults. Also makes a great addition to natural muesli to eat for breakfast.
• Continue to cook a portion until thick and sticky and then process. Place in jars and use for adults as jam. The pectin in the apples removes the need to use gelatine.
• If your baby is just beginning solid foods, cook a plain apple puree first. Give baby 3-4 days to get used to the taste of apples then add the strawberries.

Nutritional content

Nutritional analysis per 110 gram serve:

References

1. Food Standards Australia and New Zealand. Australian Nutrient Reference Database. 2007. (cited 16 January 2012). Available from: URL Link
2. Queensland Health. Introduction to Solids. 2008. (cited 1 October 2012). Available from: URL Link