Homemade infant prunes are easy to make and are a great first food. They are not an allergy risk and they can help regulate your baby's digestion.
Starting solid foods is a big event in the life of a young baby. When you have determined that your baby is ready to start solid foods, it is important to find a balance between breastmilk or formula and foods that have a tendency to constipate your baby and foods that may irritate his stomach.
Despite your best efforts, most babies will experience episodes of constipation as their bowels adjust to solid foods. Prunes are a great first food and do a wonderful job of relieving constipation. Prunes are simple to make at home with minimal effort and contain far fewer preservatives than the store bought variety.
Prunes are a great first fruit because they are not an allergy risk and most babies generally like the taste of them. You can mix them with infant cereal for a well rounded meal.
Ingredients
Dried Prunes – Try to find a variety without a lot of extra sugar.
Water
Preparation
Place 5-6 prunes in a small pot (more if you want to make a larger batch) and just barely cover with water.
Bring the water to a rolling boil and cook for about 3 minutes, or until the prunes begin to plump up and soften. Pour the prunes and all of the liquid in a blender or food processor and process for about 2 minutes until the prunes break up and begin to form a paste.
The prunes will be stringy and thick after processing the first time. Return the prunes to the pot and add about a ½ cup of water. Cook the prunes over medium heat, stirring constantly and adding water as necessary. You want the prunes to be slightly runny in the pot because when you return them to the blender or food processor they will mix with some of the leftover prune paste that was left in the container.
After cooking for several more minutes, return the mixture to the blender or food processor and process until the prunes are smooth. Add water as needed to create the desired consistency.
Storage
After allowing your homemade baby prunes to cool, you can store them in containers designed for homemade baby food, washed baby food containers from the store, or any small container that will seal tightly. Store the homemade infant prunes in the fridge for up to two days or in the freezer for several weeks. Homemade prunes thaw easily. Simply remove the amount you want to use from your freezer the night before and place it in the fridge. By morning you will have perfectly thawed homemade baby food.
