Now that our son has begun to eat solid foods, I’d like to start making baby food for him myself. Not only is it more nutritious to make your own baby foods at home – especially with fresh, in season and organic produce– but it can also be less expensive. In our neighborhood grocery store, jars of baby food are sold for just under a dollar each; I can buy a half pound of apples for that price and make enough applesauce to not only feed him, but to freeze or can some as well. What’s more, by making the food myself, I know exactly what is going into it, and thus going into his little body.

Applesauce is a great first food for baby – the smooth consistency is easy for him or her to eat, and the sweet fruit is easy to digest. It’s also quite simple to prepare.

To make your own applesauce:

• peel and core apples

• chop into chunks

• steam the apples over medium heat for about five minutes, or until they are soft. (Using a steamer basket over a sauce pan)

• Set the cooking water aside and carefully remove the apples from heat

• Puree apples in a blender or in a bowl using an immersion blender until smooth

• Add as little of the cooking water as needed to obtain the desired consistency (smooth and thin for young babies, and slightly chunky for older babies; use your judgment and remember that it’s easier to add water and thin the mixture than to make it thicker)

The applesauce can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, or frozen for up to six months. Freeze the applesauce in ice cube trays, removing once they are frozen and placing in a zip top bag. Each cube measures out to be about one ounce.