Is it necessary to steam pears before pureeing for baby? Made a batch a few weeks ago w/o cooking it and baby loved it. Later I read a recipe that said to cook them. If they are ripe and soft is this necessary? I pick them off the ground so they are typically quite ripe. Thanks!
I don't think it is needed. This is the best website that I found about baby food it has ages and types and how to prepare it.
http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/
Hi,
I just want to share what I used to do to my girl. I never coocked fruits for her, always fresh. Pears are fine when they are soft, I just scrabed them with the spoon, the same with appels. I cut them in half thake out the middle part and crab with the tea spoon, nice fine puree!!!
It's probably a good idea to cook the foods first when you are first introducing them. Your son is 8 months old now, so it's not that big of a deal. You want to make sure the baby can digest the food easily and also that the texture is not too hard for them to swallow. At 8 months, your son should be starting to eat foods with texture.
For future info for you though, you can either steam, stew or roast the pears. I peel and core them and stew them in a pot with water until they are soft. Then I throw it in a blender and voila! yummy pureed pears. I really enjoy making food for my baby. It's easy and much better than store bought.
For the benefit of the moms who think cooking fresh fruit and veggies kills enzymes and vitamins, please read this article: http://health.learninginfo.org/cooking.htm
As long as your diet is varied, you and your family will not suffer from the amount of nutrients that are lost during cooking. Cooking can develop and enhance the flavor of foods. Both fresh and cooked should be appreciated.
Good luck!
Personally I only steam them if they are a bit hard. Any fruit that is soft enough, I just mush up (or cut up, these days). I'm sure it is better for him to eat it uncooked.
E.
Remember when Odwalla got sued for not pastuerizing their apple juice and a 2 year old girl died in Washington from drinking it? It turned out the orchard was sending apples that had fallen on the ground - which is illegal because many orchards use manure to fertilize not to mention workers that "go" where they are working to save a march to the port-a-potty.
Now Odwalla flash pasteurizes everything.
Plus, ground fruit often has wasps or fly larvae in it. Yech!
Be careful.
if the fruit is soft and ripe enough, it is not necesary to steam it- fresh is good, just wash them thoroughly before pureeing them
I also just pureed the pear. I later read that I should of also ran it through a strainer to get any long fibers out. I never had any problems though. Have fun with food.
Hi J.-!
Nope - not necessary to cook the pears first - if they are ripe, just puree it - cooking destroys vitamins and enzymes and should be avoided where possible.
I don't think so. I don't cook the fruits I give my son. And he has made it to almost 8 months now.
Fresh fruit is always better.
I agree, no need to steam. It may take out some of the flavor. If they're hard, let them ripen in a sunny window for a bit. Just an FYI, there's this GREAT book out, The Super Baby Food Book. It has a purple cover & has wonderful stuff in it of all kinds....recipes on how to make baby food, arts & crafts ideas, non-toxic cleaning supplies, the seasons for fruits & veggies & much more. I got it when oou oldest (now 7.5 yo) was baby & used it all the time & then again when we had our second son who is now 3 yo. Best of luck!
I never have and my little guy has never had a problem. They puree nicely because of their texture.
