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Weaning

Find weaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Weaning forum. Use our child development calendar for more information.

Original poster

How can I make apple puree taste sweeter?

30 replies

meep · 14/01/2008 08:57

Dd (6 months) has previously loved apple - puree and bits to suck on. The latest batch seems to be a bit on the sour side. I know I cant use sugar or honey and I've tried mixing in her milk. Any other ideas or am I just going to have to make an apple crumble for me and dh tonight ?

OP posts:
MamaG · 14/01/2008 08:58

could you mix with plain yoghurt ?

Wisteria · 14/01/2008 08:59

why can't you use a little bit of honey?

Maybe mix with a sweeter fruit?

FrannyandZooey · 14/01/2008 09:00

Mix with a sweeter fruit such as banana, pear?

wisteria, no honey for under 1s. There's a risk of botulism

shrinkingsagpuss · 14/01/2008 09:01

Children apparently love extremes of taste - have you tried her with it? I must admit i usually sweeten apple a tiny bit - if you taste the shop stuff it is very very sweet.
Is it personal preference not to use sugar? You can sweeten things a little - esp if it is very sour. If you've never sweetene d it before don't worry, i bet she'll love it. My DS (now 3) still eats raw cooking apple whenever i have any out.

Wisteria · 14/01/2008 09:02

ok - yet another one for me to add to the list of things I'm likely to get wrong if I do ever have another one

Personally I still think I'll do exactly the same as I did before though..........

Original poster
meep · 14/01/2008 09:03

I thought you couldn't use honey until they were a year old?
Will try the yoghurt and hopefully dd won't make that cute "ooooooo that was sour" face again

OP posts:
Original poster
meep · 14/01/2008 09:06

shrinkingsagpuss - unfortunately it was spat out last night - quite funny to watch!
I have some pears so might mix it in with that - hate seeing food go to waste (I ate the sour apple after she'd rejected it!)
I've not tried banana yet - will give that a go too!

OP posts:
Wisteria · 14/01/2008 09:07

Just read an article on it to arm myself with more knowledge ....it sounds pretty bad but the thing which springs to my mind is that the reasons people over 1 can have it is "because we have bacteria in our intestines and robust immune systems that eliminate the spores". Surely though breast fed babies have the benefits of your immune system anyway so would that not do the job?

Am sure I'm probably wrong (as usual) but I have never heard of a baby actually contracting botulism and we all used to regularly use honey.

FrannyandZooey · 14/01/2008 09:09

I think as with many of these things it is a very small risk

OP obviously wants to follow the guidelines however so I respect that

shrinkingsagpuss · 14/01/2008 09:09

ok.... in which case I'd go with a tiny bit of sugar. I probably add about a teaspoon to 2 stewing apples - it certainly didn't give DS a sweet tooth - and DD seems quite happy.

I'm sure I'll get jumped on for saying but never mind (I'll already been jumped on for starting weaning at 4 months....)

Original poster
meep · 14/01/2008 09:10

Wisteria she is my PFB and unfortunately we couldn't breastfeed (long story) so I'm not risking it! I felt very brave just giving her a bit of apple to suck on instead of just puree!

OP posts:
shrinkingsagpuss · 14/01/2008 09:11

Wisteria - a woman after my own heart!! I agree.....!! Although I have to admit to NOT giving DS honey until well after a year as it is sooooo sweet!!

Original poster
meep · 14/01/2008 09:14

FandZ - I do want to follow the guidelines but also want to try to go with the flow - very hard when it's your first!
shrinkingsagpuss - to get some food in her last night I gave her what I thought was just porridge with fruit (free sample) and when I was putting the empty packet in the bin I noticed it had sugar in it - aagghh!!! Dd loved it! But she eats her veggies - just want to get some fruit in her to keep her regular!

OP posts:
Wisteria · 14/01/2008 09:14

Oh so do I F&Z - in fact I think 'admire' would be my chosen term

I'm dreading having another one though for all these reasons - I'll be on here even more permanently.....

Don't blame you OP - pfbs are very special (far more special than no2&3!!)

Wisteria · 14/01/2008 09:15

meep - don't worry about the odd bits of stuff here and there - it won't do any harm....

ILikeToMoveItMoveIt · 14/01/2008 09:20

Put mango with it - sorry if anyone else has already mentioned this.

Original poster
meep · 14/01/2008 09:27

Mango sounds fab!
i was hoping you'd all tell me just to go for the apple crumble for me and dh !

OP posts:
witchandchips · 14/01/2008 09:39

if not happy with adding sugar
you can add bits of dried fruit before processing it
or
mascopone/cream/greek yoghurt
or
apple juice

DingALongCow · 14/01/2008 09:41

What about a handful of raisins or sultanas (or dried fruit of any sort e.g dried apple, apricots, prunes etc) when you are cooking the apples? You can blend them up with the apple once they are cooked.
Its been a while since DD was in this stage but I vaguely remember doing something similar, dont know whether it is 'allowed or not'

Habbibu · 14/01/2008 09:49

meep, you MUST make apple crumble. It's very important for your own well-being.

Aitch · 14/01/2008 10:55

not to frighten you or anything but raw apple... i really think it's a bit of a choking hazard unless it's steamed or microed or something. any you know i'm -dangerously- -cavalier- pretty relaxed about that sort of thing.

i'd make the crumble, btw. i think od wants you to have crumble.

Aitch · 14/01/2008 10:56

pmsl at od.
i'll leave it up to you to guess whether i meant to write a G or a C there.

Original poster
meep · 14/01/2008 12:01

Aitch you have just made me smile and that is a miracle! Have just had the ordeal of dd's first settling in day at nursery (back to work next week ) and am still feeling a bit teary - not because she was upset - more because she hardly noticed me for the first 15 mins!

No more raw apple for dd - it was a teeny tiny bit - so teeny you would have laughed Aitch!

Maybe od and od are the same ???!!!

Lots of great ideas for sweeter apple - will give them all a go over the next few weeks!

Habbibu, I agree - apple crumble is good for a day like today

Thanks everyone!

OP posts:
Habbibu · 14/01/2008 12:30

Oh meep - after today apple crumble is positively a medical necessity!

countryhousehotel · 14/01/2008 12:37

Meep - my dd is also a PFB and i didn't want to give her refined or processed sugar at first, so i used organic blackstrap molasses to sweeten things like sour apples. It's what's left once the sugar cane has been refined to produce sugar and is basically all the nutritious stuff that is taken out when sugar is produced so has lots of good stuff in it (sorry am not being v. scientific). You can get huge jars in Holland and Barrett and you just need a tiny bit.