Babies need to get the basic nutrients they require, so feeding them healthy foods and fruits should be a number one priority. Babies tend to practically eat everything that goes into their tiny hands, which could suffocate or choke them because the items are so big, so there is the need to be extra careful when feeding them foods more solid than their regular meals, especially fruit.
Fruits like apples contain a truckload of natural sweetness and many health benefits which makes them suitable for your baby’s diet. But at the same time, they are the most common fruit that a baby can choke on, so if you intend to incorporate this fruit into your child’s diet, you need to know how to prepare them so they can be properly swallowed.
Luckily for you, this article has the basic tips and guidelines you need to know when attempting to cook apples for your baby. Ensure you pay close attention to the below to cook apples so they’re safe and healthy for your kids.
Apples Nutrition Facts
Tips for Cooking Apples for Babies
Peel your apple – although this seems pretty obvious, not everybody peels their apple before cooking it. This is much better for them than eating it with the skin on. Use a peeler for this instead of a knife, as knives tend to take off much of the flesh and might leave the apples tinged brown. Also, ensure that you do not use apples already cut in half, but fresh and whole apples.
Cool off your apples – apples can be cooked in a variety of ways, but they have the same result— they’re gobbled up real quick by babies. To ensure your baby fully enjoys his or her apples, allow the cooked apple to cool off for a bit before you serve it to them.
Use sterilized utensils – for your baby to not get sick, ensure all the utensils you use in cooking are sterilized. Also, wash your hands thoroughly with filtered and clean water, to be guaranteed minimal bacteria in your baby’s food.
Cut up into smaller pieces – apples have to be washed, peeled, and cut up before they’re cooked, but feeding the cooked apples to your baby might be a little difficult, especially if the baby is 6-12 months old.
If you’re cooking an apple puree, feed your baby a quarter of the spoon size in each bite. And if you’re cooking apples that won’t easily break apart like baked apples, ensure the apple is cut up into sizes that can be easily swallowed up by your child.
What kind of apples to buy – since this recipe is meant for babies, in particular, it only makes sense to buy the best kind of apples as they’re still at an early stage in growth and development.
It’s best to buy organic and good-quality apples from the market. Ensure the apple is fresh, and that there are no spots or cut marks on it. Also, look for vibrant colored and nice-smelling apples.
Storing the apples – if you want to store your cooked apples, just place them in an airtight container and put them in the fridge. Also, if you want to feed them to your baby when they’re already in the fridge, take them out and allow them to come to room temperature.
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Cooking Time for Apples for Babies
| Cooking Time | Cooking Procedure |
| Cooking apples in the oven at 350° F. | 40 minutes |
| Cooking stewed apples on the stovetop | 10 minutes |
Oven-Baked Apples (2 to 3 servings)
Ingredients
- 4 fresh apples
- 1 tsp of ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp of butter or any cooking oil
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F.
- Take the apples and peel them with a peeler. Ensure that you don’t take out much of the apple flesh. Cut the peeled apples in half, and then into quarters. Remove the core of the apple, and cut the quarter apples in half again, lengthwise.
- Put all the cut-up apples into a bowl, and add a tsp of cinnamon and a tablespoon of butter or any type of cooking oil you have. Mix all the contents of the bowl with a spoon.
- Put the bowl directly in the oven and cook for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, take the bowl out and allow it to cool off for a while.
- Take them and feed them to your baby. You don’t have to worry about cutting them up into smaller pieces because baked apples fall apart easily when ready.
Stewed Apple/Apple Puree (2 servings)
Instructions
- Wash the apple twice in clean water.
- Peel the sink off with a peeler and cut the apple into quarters. Using a knife, remove the seeds and core of the apple, then chop the apple up into tiny pieces.
- Put the apple pieces into a non-stick pan and turn on the heat to medium. Add ½ a cup of filtered clean water to the pan and cover the lid.
- Cook the apples for 8 minutes and stir them from time to time. Turn off the gas once you see that the apples have cooked well and allow them to cool off for two minutes or so.
- Blend the cooked apple-water mixture until it becomes a smooth paste. You can add a little bit of warm water to the mixture to adjust viscosity.
- The stewed apple is ready to eat. Serve immediately.
Note that the serving size for the stewed apple recipe varies depending on the number of apples you’re cooking. So if you’re cooking for more than one baby, you should increase the number of apples you have. You can store both apple dishes in the fridge for at least 5 days. To warm up the stewed apple for your baby, place a bowl of it in a pot of water and steam it on the stove. The heat from the pot is sure to get your bowl of stewed apples warm.
These recipes above, amongst many others, are sure to be enjoyed by your baby. If you want more ideas on how to cook apples for your baby so they’re safe and delicious, you can check out this video recipe.