I like to eat, eat, eat, apples and Ba-nay-nays

Apples! Such a great first food for babies. After peeling, apples can be gently simmered or steamed, then pureed in a food mill or food processor. They are gentle on baby's tummy, and I've yet to meet a baby who didn't like applesauce. Remember, when introducing new food, it sometimes takes 10 - 15 introductions before baby accepts the food! So, if your little one isn't interested in applesauce right away, don't give up. Try the introduction every few days; he or she may eventually not only take to apples, but love them!

I started making applesauce for Hungry Baby when she was 6-months-old. After a few months, I started adding a bit of cinnamon to the apples while they cooked, and this was a big hit. Now that she is 9-month-old, I leave the sauce a bit chunkier knowing that she can easily gum the cooked pieces of apple.

Baby's Age: 6 months and up

Consistency: pureed, or left slightly chunky for older babies

Apple Sauce

2 medium apples, Fuji, Braeburn, Cameo, Gala, Golden Delicious, or Red Delicious are all great choices. Granny Smith tend to be too sour for baby's taste, so leave those for your baking for the rest of the family!
Sprinkle of cinnamon for older babies

Peel and core the apples. Place the chunks of apple (and cinnamon if making for an older baby) into a small sauce pan. Add approximately 3-4 tablespoons of water. Cover and bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer 5-7 minutes. The longer the apples are simmered, the more the fibers of the fruit are broken down. So, you may want to simmer a bit longer for younger babies, as breaking down the fibers will make the apple easier to digest, hopefully avoiding a tummy ache from a new food. Transfer apples and cooking liquid to a food processor and pulse to desired consistency - finer and more liquid for younger babies, a little chunkier for older babies. Transfer a serving or two to a bowl and cover for the refrigerator, and freeze the rest in ice cube trays for later. Two medium apples should make around an ice cube tray's worth of cubes of applesauce.

By the time your baby is 10 months old, you may want to start to giving him or her small cubes of uncooked apple, as long as he or she can sit up unassisted, uses a pincher grasp to grab foods, and gums food.