Fruit purees - to steam or not to steam?

[Tinsie]

Should fruit (apple, pear etc.) be steamed to make purees for my 6-month-old? Can I just wizz it all up without steaming first? What do you think?

I bung them in the microwave for 10-20s to soften. You don't need to purée after 6 mo. Just mush with a fork will do.

I think they would be too chunky if you just blitzed. Steam or microwave in a little bowl of water?

I'd go further and say apple and pear can be finger foods after 6 months, but not normal sized slices of apple as chunks can break off too easily. Thin slivers, or steamed slices or a whole apple if she has teeth (they can scrape at it.) Pear is soft enough to be given as slices.

Bertie yes I would give them as finger foods normally. But I think the op is asking about spoon food. If I'm reading it right she's a new mum too . We get a bit precious sometimes. My DD starts nursery at 7mo, and another mum in my group at 6mo. Nursery will spoonfeed sloppy food and mush a banana, but they definitely don't purée with a food processor. My friend commented on how fast her daughter is weaning by nursery because they just feed her what the toddlers eat.

That said, I know DD has pears as finger food there. I wonder if it's because they know she's blw at home?

I did give advice for both options :)

Thank you, ladies, for your replies.

DS isn't ready for finger foods, in fact I wonder if he's ready for weaning at all!

I've blitzed fresh fruit to a very fine puree, so that is no problem. I only wondered if there was some kind of health benefit to steaming it first. Nuking is out of the question, as I don't have a microwave

I like the idea of giving him slices of pear to munch on, I would have gone for apple first, but you're right, pear is softer and sweeter.