Cooked or raw fruits??

[~Alexa~]

That's a great idea Mash!! So the water doesn't cover the fruit, just an inch of water, right??

[Mashi]

Yep!  I put them in at about 200deg Celsius for about 30 - 40 minutes.  They are done when the skin starts to pucker or bubble or turn a darker colour.  I don't pay too much attention to the time...5 or 10 minutes either way doesn't really matter, as long as they are soft enough to mash.  That's one of the big reasons I like baking them so much, less clock watching!

[~Alexa~]

Thanks Mash!!
My DH says that if I cook or steam or bake the fruit or veggies, they lose some of their vitamins and properties.  Is this true?

[Mashi]

Yes, especially boiling as all of the nutrients seep into the water.  Steaming is better than boiling.  Not sure why when baking the nutrients don't go into the water, I assume because there is less water, the fruit isn't soaked in it, and the water never actually boils.

Just be careful when you open the oven - open it a crack at a time and don't stand directly in front of it - I find all of the steam from the water comes out in a gush, so I open the oven an inch and turn it off, then go back to it a minute later when the steam has had a chance to escape.

Bake more apples than you think you'll need, because I promise you'll eat more than one spoonful yourself! 

[~Alexa~]

Thanks Mash!! I'll let you know how it goes!!

[~Alexa~]

Hi Mash!! So I'm back!! I'm a mess in the kitchen!! I tried to bake some apricots, so I cut them in halves, took the pit away, and then placed them in a baking pan with an inch of water as you suggested.  I put them in the oven at 400ºF for around 40 min.
When I tried to take the skin off them, it was kind of difficult!! So, I put more water in the pan and put them inside the oven again!! I'm such a mess!!
Do you think I couldn't take the skin off them b/c they needed more time in the oven?

They were very very soft, so for me to take the skin off, I had to use a spoon and scratch them.  Is that the way it is supposed to be? May be it was and I just put them inside the oven again for no reason!!

Ok, I'm hopeless!! heehee

[Mashi]

Hmmmm....well, I've never tried apricots before!  I use dried apricots and so those I boil until they are plump.   BUT I get the same thing with the skin on peaches and plums.  It took me a few tries to figure out how to avoid it, and it seems to be that they are OVERcooked, not undercooked.  I think that because apricots are so small, I would put less water in (half an inch) and cook them for not quite so long. Maybe try 15 minutes, stick a fork into it and see if it's soft, if not soft then test in 5 minute increments until you find the right time....but prob no longer than 30 min as they are very tiny.

Also, I find if you let them sit on a plate and cool for 20 minutes or so, the skins are easier to get off. When they are hot, I can't get them off of ANY fruit!

Now I take the lazy way with peaches and plums and just keep the skins on, as they puree up just as well as the fruit itself, but I think that this isn't recommended until your LO is about 8-10 months old. Whereas I figure if it's soft enough to puree and blend right in, then it's soft enough for DS to eat!

[~Alexa~]

Thanks Mash!! As you can see, I decided to spend the day in the kitchen making purees!! I just tried the baked apples, and OMG, they are delicious!! I also baked pears, and I can't stop eating the puree!! heehee

I found apples and pears are easier to peel, so may be I did overcook the apricots.  I'll try again next cooking day!!

Thanks

[Mashi]

Yes - if you get the timing right (which will come the more you do, you'll just start to notice the skins bubbling a bit) the skins are super easy to get off. Let them sit (cooked) on a plate skin side up until they are cool, and the skins will just slide off.  The bits of flesh that are left in the skin, I scrape off with a spoon and eat them myself!  Baked peaches are great too!

[~Alexa~]

Ok, so something weird happened today as I was making applesauce! My lo likes the applesauce with a LOOOOT of water, he likes it almost liquid, if not, he doesn't eat it.  So, I put the apples in the pan with enough water for 30 min.  When the oven turned off, I came to check on the apples, and they were perfect.  They still had enough water leftover so I could use it for making the applesauce a bit more liquid and not so thick.  I left them in the same pan with the water, and 30 min later, I came back and there was NO water left! What happened? Should I take the apples out of the pan and keep the left water in another place?

[Mashi]

Probably all soaked in, or if it was still hot, lots of it could have evaporated. I've always taken them out of the water and put onto a plate as soon as I took them out of the oven.

HTH?

[~Alexa~]

It does help!! So next time, I will take the fruit out of the oven and pour the water in a glass until I make the puree!!
Thanks Mash!! I'm such a bad cook!

[Mashi]

Or keep the water in the baking dish and put a plate on top of it!

[~Alexa~]

I'll try that too!! something has to work, right?? heehee

Thanks

[A pair of Charlies]

I only did raw banana and pear until around 8 months or so, and always really really ripe. Everything went on the hob in a little amount of water. If you leave fruit to stand in water, if often absorbs it. Ripe pears will give off a ton of water all by themselves when you freeze them. Apricots I do in boiling water for 8 mins or so, on a simmer. Blueberrys work really well in boiling water, simmer until they start to pop - they need to come out of the water quickly though. A few vanilla seeds work really well with them, and once pureed a touch and left to cool, it goes a little jellyish. Fab with yoghurt. Apple and blackberrrys (with vanilla) are ace with youghurt too. We had no luck with raspberries or strawberries on their own, so I bob these in porridge sometimes as they kind of melt into it while it cooks.

DS does have chopped fresh fruit. Chopped grapes, chopped segments of clementines / satsumas, kiwi, ripe peach or nectarine, apple. Really likes it as finger food. I introduced raw apple only a month or so ago as for some reason he really seemed to struggle with it. 

Love the idea of doing fruit in the oven. I have done some veggies in the oven, but not that often. Love the idea. Must make the house smell wonderful too!! I'll be trying that next time!