My youngest turned 6 months old (how can my happy baby be 6 months already!?!?) this week which means she gets to start eating solid food. I prefer to wait to feed solids until my kids are this age and able to sit up on their own because it is best for their overall health and especially their gut health. Babies shouldn’t get solids before 6 months since most of the time their body is just simply not ready for it and can’t digest it properly. That is why it is so important to exclusively breastfeed until at least 6 months (if you are able) since breastmilk changes for what each baby needs. (No judgement here for those moms that aren’t able to breastfeed and must formula feed instead. You know what’s best for your family.)
I had plenty of organic apples (I prefer organic apples as apples are on the “Dirty Dozen” list) so I decided to make some organic applesauce. All of my kids love apples and I hate buying pre-made anything so I discovered making applesauce in the Crockpot with my last baby. It’s super easy to make and super easy for the kids to eat too!
We do some baby-led weaning and I also make my own baby food. I have yet to buy baby food from the store with any of my three kids. I have gone through the baby food aisle a few times but then I see the prices and I know I can make it at home for cheaper so I have never bought any baby food. Plus, I like to know what ingredients are actually in it! So that’s just part of the reason why I started making my own applesauce with my last baby. Looking at the price of apples though, it probably is actually more expensive to make than just buying organic applesauce but I like to think I’m saving money haha and the kids like to help.
You can use as many or as little apples as you want. I don’t think the type of apples matter but I just used whatever I had that was starting to go bad. I usually just buy the cheapest organic apples since my kids don’t care! Just fyi, it will cook down a lot! I used only 5-6 apples, peeled and chopped them, and added them to the crockpot. Then I added a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar and about 1 tsp. of cinnamon on top, along with about 1/4 cup of water. I have followed a recipe before but now I just add whatever I want. You don’t even have to add the sugar and cinnamon if you just want it plain and healthy.
I turned my crockpot to high and cooked for 3-4 hours. You can also cook on low for 6-8 hours but I didn’t get it all in the crockpot until later in the day because #momlife so I chose the shorter time. I also would stir it occasionally, probably every hour or so. I obviously don’t follow a recipe, haha. After it’s done, I put it in my food processor to blend to applesauce consistency. You can always eat it as is, and some people like it that way to put on their pork chops.
Ice trays are fantastic for freezing homemade baby food! After it’s frozen, you can take each cube out and put them in a plastic bag to save space. Then you can take as much or as little as you want out to thaw for a meal.
Gabriella hasn’t tried too many foods yet but she sure seemed to love the applesauce. She has also tried avocado since it is full of good fats and is a great first food and a few bites of mashed potatoes. I can’t believe she is growing up so fast already though. Can time slow down???
This applesauce is also great to mix into oatmeal or even add it on top of things like pork chops and maybe even pancakes. I even used it as an egg substitute for brownies today! I am making a meal for a mom that just had her 4th girl and I always make brownies with the meals I take to moms but of course I didn’t have any eggs today. It turns out a good substitute for eggs is applesauce. I don’t know how it will taste yet but it sure smells good!
P.S. These past few weeks have been super crazy too with multiple parties and family visiting, as well as putting the finishing touches on the new shop for our business. So, I apologize for not keeping up with posts but it has been crazy and I am hoping we can get back to a normal routine soon! Also, I’m sorry this post is super boring, haha.
Crockpot Applesauce
6 apples
2 TBSP brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup water
Combine ingredients and cook in slow cooker on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.
Blend in food processor and serve.
I will share other types of baby food I make as soon as I get around to doing that. Stay tuned!
