Apricots For Baby – Feeding Your Baby Apricots and Making Apricots For Baby Food
Apricots are a sweet and delicious fruit that is great for babies. The lovely sunset color of apricots shows you that they are packed full of Vitamins A and C. Apricots are also high in Lycopene, which is a carotenoid.
The Delicious Goodness of Apricots for your baby:
Babies love apricots that are served fresh and homemade. Enjoy some apricot baby food recipes and learn about nutritional values of apricots below.
When Can Babies Eat Apricots? What age To Introduce Apricots to Babies
Babies may be introduced to and start eating apricots as early as 6 months old. Apricots are a great source of nutrition for your baby.
Smooth and creamy when mashed – avocado is a perfect no-cook, no-fuss food that baby will enjoy when she begins solids.
Avocados mix well with almost any food you can think of. Try mashing an avocado and mixing with applesauce, peaches or pears, bananas and even yogurt make a wonderful meal or snack.
Are Apricots Good For Babies To Eat? What Are The Health and Nutritional Benefits of Apricots?
Apricots are a great food to serve to babies.
Nutrients in 1 cup of Apricots | |
VITAMINS Vitamin A – 674 IU Vitamin C – 3.5 mg Vitamin B1 (thiamine) – .04 mg Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) – .01 mg Niacin – .21 mg Folate – 3 mcg Contains some other vitamins in small amounts. | MINERALS: Potassium – 91 mg Phosphorus – 8 mg Magnesium – 4 mg Calcium – 5 mg Sodium – 0 mg Iron – .14 mg Also contains small amounts of manganese, copper and zinc. |
- Vitamin C – is a water soluble vitamin that is also known as ascorbic acid. Vitamin C helps to form and repair red blood cells, bones and tissues. It helps to produce collagen which allows tissue to heal properly. Most importantly, Vitamin C helps with iron absorption.
- Vitamin A – very important for baby’s vision, bone growth, healthy skin and a strong immune system. Vitamin A also helps the heart, lungs, kidneys, and other organs work properly.
- Thiamin – Vitamin B1, is one of the water-soluble B vitamins. that is essential for baby’s energy metabolism, cellular and brain development. Thiamin also aids the normal functioning of the nervous system, muscles and heart.
- Riboflavin – Vitamin B2, riboflavin helps convert food into energy and also promotes growth, good vision, healthy skin and is important for bone and muscle development.
- Niacin – Vitamin B3, important for good blood circulation and celular health, niacin also helps to convert food into energy
- Potassium – an electrolyte mineral that works with sodium to control water balance and healthy blood pressure. It’s important for proper kidney and heart function, muscle contraction, and nerve transmission.
- Phosphorus – this mineral is crucial for building baby’s bones and teeth. Both phosphorus and calcium make up hydroxyapatite, the main structural component in bones and tooth enamel
- Magnesium – very important mineral that keeps bones strong, the heart rhythm steady and supports the immune system.
- Calcium – in addition to phosphorus, calcium is very important for building healthy bones and teeth
- Iron – the body uses iron to make hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to all parts of the body. This is a very important mineral for the health and growth of babies. Iron is also used to make myoglobin, a protein that provides oxygen to muscles. Iron is also needed to make some hormones.
Selecting and Storing Apricots
When shopping for apricots, you want to look for plump, fairly firm apricots that are a deep orange or yellow-ish orange color. Avoid any that are pale yellow in color or have green spots. Apricots do bruise easily, so look for those that are unblemished and are still a bit firm to the touch. An overripe apricot will be squishy and as long as it is not bruised or blemished, it would still be a good choice for a baby food puree.
Store ripe apricots in the refrigerator where they may keep for up to a week. Semi-ripe or hard apricots can be put in a paper bag and let ripen for a day or two – apricots that have a greenish color will not ripen. To freeze fresh apricots, simply cut the apriots in half, pit and place on baking sheet until frozen. Then pack the apricots in a plastic freezer bag.
Dired Apricots: If you want to use dried apricots, please find apricots that do not contain sulphur dioxide. Some people are allergic to sulphurs and sulphurs tend to be high in sodium. Sulphur dioxide also makes (any) the fruit taste strange.
Cooking Apricots – Is Cooking Apricots Necessary?
Apricots shoud be cooked for babies 6 months and younger to help increase their digestibility. Cooking and preparing apricots for baby is easy. The easiest way to cook apricots is to steam or simmer them for a few minutes. Bake apricots by halving, pitting and then placing them in a shallow baking dish with water. This baking method brings out their natural sweetness and also helps retain nutrients.
If you are using dried apricots for a puree or finger food, soak them in warm water for about 30 minutes so they can soften. Note that dried apricots have a higher sugar content than fresh, so fresh is always best if you can find them! Prepare canned apricots the same way you would a fresh or cooked apricot.
Apricot Baby Food Recipes
Simple Apricot Puree
Preparing apricots for baby food puree - 3 different ways.
Ingredients
- 1 pound of fresh apricots
Instructions
- Baking Halve the fruit and remove pit, place "open" side down in a pan filled with 1 inch of water, bake at 400F until soft and tender or puckering of the skin appears.
- Steaming Halve the fruit, remove pit and steam in an open pan of water until soft and tender - remove skins
- Blanching Drop whole, cleansed fruits into a pan of boiling water for 5-10 minutes, until fruits are soft. Place fruits into a bowl of cold water and slip off the skins then cut and pit the fruit
- Place into your choice of appliance for pureeing and begin pureeing. Add reserved liquid as necessary to achieve a smooth, thin puree or add water or formula.
- Add cereal (if desired) to thicken up
Apricots With Chicken And Rice
Tasty meal for babies 6 months and older who are eating meats and able to handle textures.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (Brown/or Jasmine) Rice
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 cup apricots - sliced into small dices or slivers
- 1 boneless chicken breast
Instructions
- Combine all of the above ingredients in a medium saucepan.
- Cook over medium-low heat for 30 minutes or until rice is soft, fragrant and a bit soupy.
- Take out the chicken breast and cut into small pieces, transfer back to saucepan.
- Add more water if needed and stir frequently to stop sticking to the pot.
- Cook an additional 15 minutes.
- Once the mixture is fully cooked, allow to cool for 10 minutes and then transfer to a blender or food processor.
Notes
Puree or chop as needed for your baby's age and texture requirements. This makes a great finger food meal for older babies and toddlers alike.
Slow Cooker - Crockpot Apricots
Age and Stage: 6 months+ | Stage One | First Foods and Beyond
Slow Cooker Size: 4 quarts (3.8 l)
If you’ve never cooked apricots into a jam or a sauce, you will be surprised at how sticky these little fruits are as they simmer. If you plop some of this tasty puree down on baby’s tray, you’ll be able to see the curiosity as baby feels this new texture.
Ingredients
- 11⁄2 pounds (680 g) dried apricots (unsulfured)
- 21⁄2 cups (570 ml) cold water
- Dash of vanilla extract or pinch of ground ginger (optional)
Instructions
1. Place the apricots in the slow cooker and cover with the water.
2. If your baby is 8 months old or older, add the vanilla or ginger. Stir to combine.
3. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours, stirring after the first hour, or until the apricots have been reduced to a thick sauce. (They will be rather thick and sticky.) Remove from the slow cooker and set aside to cool.
Notes
Preparation and Storage for Baby
If the texture is appropriate for your baby straight from the slow cooker, set aside a portion or two for baby’s meal and feed after the apricots have cooled.
Otherwise, place the cooled apricots into a blender or food processor and process to a texture that is appropriate for your baby. Pureeing apricots can be tricky due
to the texture, so you will probably have to add water, formula, or breast milk to reduce them to a thin puree for beginner eaters.
Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days for babies.