Applesauce Reduction/Spicy Applesauce

Most baby food sites recommend steaming some apples and then quickly pureeing them. While it takes a little more time, there really is nothing tastier than a reduced applesauce, and by this I mean that you leave the apples to simmer for an hour or two, letting the water you started with form a thick, naturally sweeter base. The reduction seems to draw out the natural sugars in the apples and is so tasty that I promise you'll be eating applesauce with your little one.

•8 to 10 organic, unwaxed apples
•Core and slice into small pieces.
•Squeeze some fresh lemon juice over the raw apples to prevent oxidization
•Toss in a medium saucepan and cover with water by an inch
•Place on medium heat and let cook for thirty minutes
•Reduce heat and let simmer for an hour or two or until you have a thickened consistency.

Add a pinch of cinnamon to taste for babies 7 months or more to start introducing more flavours.


Note about peeling apples. Do not peel your apples if they are organic. Cook your apples with the peels and either puree with skins or separate using a coarse sieve or food mill. If you don’t have these tools in your kitchen, peel the apples and cook the skins on a low heat in a separate saucepan. After about 45 minutes, add the water to the applesauce reduction. The skin and the meat closest to it has most of the apple’s nutrients.

Spicy Apple Sauce
(9 months and beyond)

Use the apple sauce reduction recipe. Once your sauce has been cooking for thirty minutes, crush and add two cloves, 2 cardamom pods and a couple pinches of cinnamon to taste.