Baby Food : Fruit Recipes 2

Papaya 
Vitamins: A, C, Folate
Minerals: Potassium, Calcium

Ingredients:

1 ripe papaya

Directions:

To prepare a papaya (ensure it is fully ripened.), peel, de-seed and then mash into a consistency your baby will tolerate.

Some parents who have infants with sensitive tummies will give fruits a gentle steaming to help break down the sugars and fibers for easier digestion. If you feel this is the case for your infant, chunk the papaya and then steam for 5-10 minutes until very soft.

Ideas for serving Papaya to your Baby:

Mash and mix with banana and avocado
Make a Papaya, banana, yogurt smoothie
Mix papaya into chicken and rice for a tropical chicken dinner

Plums, Peaches and Nectarines too

Plums
Vitamins: A, C, Folate
Minerals: Potassium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Calcium

Ingredients:

5 ripe plums

Directions:

Peel, pit and cut into chunks then steam until tender in a scant amount of water.
Puree using the leftover cooking liquid. You may need to mix in another fruit as plum purée has a tendency to be rather tart and/or bitter.

Peaches
Vitamins: A, C, Folate
Minerals: Potassium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Calcium

Steam or Bake or Blanch Peaches - these methods work for nectarines, plums and pears as well. We HIGHLY recommend giving baked peaches a try at least once. You will find they are more tasty when baked. Why not try baking for all fruits?

Steam Peaches - Method 1
1. Scrub fruit clean and carve an X into 1 side of the fruit
2. Place X side down in a pan with an inch of water
3. Bring water to a boil and steam until soft and tender
4. Peel skin from fruit and remove pits and/or seeds
5. move to step #6 below

Steam Peaches - Method 2
1. Peel fruit
2. Pit the peach
3. Cut the peach into dices
4. Steam until soft and tender then
5. move to step #6

Bake

1. Halve the fruit and place "open" side down in a pan filled with 1 inch of water
2. Bake at 400F until soft and tender and/or puckering of the skin appears.
3. Peel skin from fruit and remove pits and/or seeds (you may also leave the skin on your baked peaches - the skin may simply melt into the fruit.)
4. move to step #6

"Blanch"

1. Bring 3 or 4 cups of water to a rolling boil
2. Add cleansed peaches or nectarines to the boiling water and boil the fruit for 3-5 minutes
3. Remove fruit to a bowl of cold water, allow to cool for 2 minutes
4. Slip off the skins and then take out the pit
5. move to step #6

Moving to Step 6

6. Reserve any left over water to use for thinning out the fruits
7. Peel off skin if you have not done this already. Place fruit(s) into your choice of appliance for pureeing and begin pureeing.
8. Add the reserved water as necessary to achieve a smooth, thin puree
9. Add cereal (if desired) to thicken up.

Peachy Mangos 

Ingredients:

3 peaches
1 mango

Directions:

1. Peel, pit and cut peaches into chunks
2. Peel, de seed and cut mango into chunks
3. Steam fruits together gently until tender if needed
4. Place in a blender/food processor and puree until smooth or mash with a fork and let baby try to use a spoon or her fingers.

Plums with Applesauce

Ingredients:

2 plums
1 large apple

Directions:

1. Peel, pit and cut plums into chunks
2. Peel, core & dice apple
3. Simmer plums & apple together in a saucepan until soft & tender
Mash or puree as needed – add a splash of apple juice if too bitter

Prunes 
Vitamins: A, C, Folate
Minerals: Potassium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Calcium

Ingredients:

Dried prunes - any amount you desire - try 2 cups full

Directions:

1. Soak dried prunes in warm water until they plump up or steam gently.
2. Once plump and tender, toss into food processor or blender and begin to puree.
3. Add liquid without sparing any. Prunes tend to become a pasty gluey consistency when pureed and the more water you add, the easier it is to puree to a texture your baby will tolerate.

Note: Prune puree, like apricot puree, will not freeze solid, but will freeze into slightly soft/slightly frozen cubes.

Prunes are great to help babies with constipation. Try this for babies from 4 months old +.

PUNmpkin 

Vitamins: A (12230 IU in 1 cup.), C, K, Folate, Niacin
Minerals: Potassium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Calcium, Iron

Ingredients:

1 medium sized sugar/baking pumpkin (about 5-7 pounds)

Directions:

1. Cut sugar pumpkin (the kind meant to be baked and eaten.) in half, scoop out seeds
2. Place an inch of water in a baking pan, then place the halves "face" down in the pan. Check on water level while baking
3. Bake in a 375-425 F degree oven for 40 minutes to 1 hour, or until the “shell/skin” puckers and halves feel soft then scoop squash “meat” out of the shell
4. Place pumpkin "meat" into your choice of appliance for pureeing and begin pureeing.
5. Add water as necessary to achieve a smooth, thin consistency.

6. You can also peel the pumpkin, scoop out the seeds and then cut into chunks and boil/steam until tender (like when boiling potatoes for mashed potatoes).

Pumpkin & Pears 

Ingredients

1 ripe pear, peeled & cored & diced

1/2 cup pumpkin puree (fresh or canned)

Directions:

Mash the pear and then mix in the pumpkin – puree if needed.

Remember, always consult with your pediatrician regarding introducing solid foods to your baby and specifically discuss any foods that may pose allergy risks for your baby.