Puree Monday - Winter Pears

Hooray, it’s “Puree Monday” again!!  I find myself really looking forward to these posts every week.  I’m not sure if it’s simply revisiting all of Bebe B’s favorites or the onset of baby fever (yikes) but I sure do love it!  Today’s recipe is one that Bebe B loves.  Now she can feed herself sauces like this one (snif snif) even if she does get it everywhere.  Pears are one of those amazing fruits that are mild, unbinding, easy for little tummies to digest and packed full of nutritional goodness!  

Winter Pears - 6 Months+

Ingredients:

5 large pears

water for steaming

3 tbsp winter squash puree

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp ground cloves

1 tbsp pure vanilla or 1 vanilla bean (optional)

Clean, cut into quarters and remove the cores of the pears, leaving the skins on (this helps lock in the nutrients during steaming).  Steam the pears in either a steaming basket on the stove or in the Beaba babycook.  If using the babycook fill water to the 3 mark for a full basket of pears.  If using the stove add about 2-3 inches of water and the vanilla or vanilla bean to a saucepan then steam for about 10 minutes (as your child gets used to chunkier textures less steaming time will be needed).  Reserve half of the cooking liquid.  Let the pears cool till almost room temperature then remove the skins.  Unfortunately pear skins are a little trickier to remove than apple skins.  I usually use a knife or a spoon.  Puree the pears, squash, nutmeg, cloves and reserved cooking liquid (adding a little at a time to reach the desired consistency) in either a food processor or the babycook till creamy and smooth.  This recipe will keep up to 3 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer.  It will fill about 3 ice cube trays (15-30 servings).