Week 8: Apricots and Potatoes
Apricots
Apricots For Your Baby
Apricots are closely related to plums. Fresh apricots are difficult to find out of season - and they taste much better when they are in season. There are plenty of jars of baby food apricots. If you want to make your own baby food, you do have the option of buying and using dried apricots.
When is baby ready?
6 months old
How to buy
In season (May to October) buy fresh organic apricots. Do not buy cans of apricots because there is added sugar. You may have to buy jars of baby food until the right season. You can also buy dried apricots but look for ones without sulfur dioxide (they will look browner than other dried apricots).
Recommended products for your baby:
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Homemade Baby Food Recipe
Fresh
Cut in half and peel the skin off. Cut or mash up apricot for baby.
Dried
Cover dried apricots in water just to cover - simmer for 10-15 minutes and then puree or mash for baby.
How to store
Place on counter to ripen.
Are there baby food jars?
Yes.
Should I buy organic?
Yes. They are like peaches in design (thin skin) so we would try to buy organic.
Adult Recipe
A really easy way to enjoy an apricot is to just eat it for dessert. If you have time for something special try making a compote. This recipe is adapted from Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything".
Fruit Compote
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves (optional)
1 1/2 pounds mixed ripe fruit: berries, pitted apricots, peaches, plums, cherries, peeled bananas, pears, etc.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
a few tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Mix the sugar, water, and mint in a small saucepan and boil. Stir to dissolve sugar, if using mint then strain. Puree 1/2 of the fruit. Cut the rest into slices or pieces. Mix the puree with the fruit and add vanilla, sugar syrup, and lemon juice to taste.
Potatoes
Potatoes For Your Baby
The potato has gotten a bad reputation in recent years because of the "low carb" movement. But potatoes are filled with nutrients and are really good for you and baby.
Where adults get into calorie trouble is when we load our potatoes with butter, sour cream, bacon bits and cheese, or we eat fries or potato chips (potatoes can soak up a lot of oil). Try potatoes again without all that stuff and see how you like them. There are two basic types of potatoes, baking (Idaho and Russet) and "new" potatoes that can have red or white skin. For our purposes it is probably easiest to use "new" potatoes so you don't have to do any peeling.
Recommended products for your baby:
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When is baby ready?
6 months old
How to buy
Look for small new potatoes (red or white skin) that are quite firm.
Homemade Baby Food Recipe
Wash well and cover potatoes in water and boil until soft (20-30 minutes) and then mash for baby.
How to store
Store in a dark cupboard. They should keep for a week or more.
Are there baby food jars?
Yes.
Should I buy organic?
Yes. 80% of potatoes sampled by the USDA were found to contain pesticides.
Adult Recipe
It is not recommended to add salt or sugar to baby's first food and with potatoes that can be difficult for adults. We find that potatoes can be quite bland without the addition of salt to the boiling water. One suggestion is to boil baby's first and then add salt and boil your potatoes.
Boil potatoes as above and then add butter or olive oil, chopped parsley, and serve.
Eating tip of the week
Have fun with introducing solids to baby. This is a time to enjoy all the new things that baby is discovering. Try to recognize your "hang-ups" about food and confront your assumptions. For example, forget about your baby becoming too fat in the future and just enjoy his/her love of new foods.
Week #8 Shopping List
Baby Food
- fresh apricots or baby food jars of apricots or dried un-sulfured apricots
- small new potatoes
Adult Food
- sugar
- mint
- vanilla
- 1 lemon
- parsley
- butter
