The benefits of apples cannot be overestimated. It is not in vain that applesauce is most often the very first meal of complementary foods. It has a lot of vitamins, natural sugar, organic acids and trace elements that strengthen the child’s immune system. Mashed potatoes are well absorbed by the children's body, have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the intestines. Its consistency teaches the baby to thicker foods than mother's milk or a mixture. In addition to this, it is important that this dish is easy to prepare on your own and this does not affect the budget of the young family so much.
Pick your recipe
You will need
-
- For regular mashed potatoes:
- apples
- water.
- For dried apple puree:
- crushed dried apples;
- water;
- a little sugar.
- For winter harvesting:
- apples
- sugar (200 gr. per 1 kg of apples);
- water (200 ml per 1 kg of apples).
Instruction manual
1
Choose apples. Sour-sweet green varieties growing in your area are preferable. they are less allergenic. The fruit should be without dents or dark spots.
2
Rinse apples under running cool water. After scalding with boiling water. Remove core and peel.
3
Option 1 Rub on a fine grater. Use a grater made of plastic, glass or stainless steel so that the mashed potatoes do not oxidize and do not lose more vitamin C. If there is no grater from the right material at hand, just finely chop the pulp and mash it with a wooden crush. Wipe the resulting mass 2 times through a sieve.
4
Option 2 Cut apples into small slices. Place in a small pan. Pour hot boiled water. The liquid level is slightly higher than the level of apples. Cover and simmer over low heat for 7 minutes. After the entire mass, wipe through a fine sieve, along with water. Place in the pan again and bring to a boil. Remove from heat immediately. Cool.
5
Dried apple puree It is suitable for children over 8 months old. Wash dried apples in warm water twice. Put in a pan, pour cold water. Leave for 3 hours to swell the apples. Put on a small fire and cook until completely softened. Wipe the mass through a sieve. You can add a little sugar before consumption. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator, but not more than 2 days.
6
Prepare mashed potatoes for the winter Remove the core from apples, peel. Fill with water and cook until cooked - they should soften. Cool and scroll in a meat grinder. Add sugar. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes over low heat. Pour into dry sterilized jars, roll up. Cover with a blanket and leave for 3-4 hours. Store in a cool dark place.
note
Make mashed potatoes just before use (if it’s not about harvesting for the winter), otherwise it quickly darkens and loses vitamins.
Useful advice
Instead of boiling, you can bake the apple in the oven before chopping.
If the child is already accustomed to applesauce, you can combine it with mashed potatoes from other fruits and vegetables. For example, with pear, pumpkin, banana, prunes, dried apricots, etc.
Do not add sugar in mashed fresh apples, keep the natural taste.