Let me first say that apparently you do NOT have to cook pears. They tend to be soft when ripe (think Harry and David around Christmastime - those are my favorite). I cooked mine on this first attempt for a few reasons: 1. I'm really not all that familiar with pears - they're not on my everyday shopping list 2. Some of the pears I got seemed more ripe than others 3. I didn't want to wait while they ripened more in my kitchen - I was ready to give it a try. Another reason to cook would be if this is one of your baby's first foods; Cooking helps to break down the sugars and gives your baby's tummy a little break in that way.
I pealed and cored the pears (I core by cutting into quarters and basically scooping the seeds out) and stuck them in my steamer. I let them steam for probably 30-45 minutes so that they'd be really nice and tender. I pealed, cored, and cooked, and then my daughter went to bed, so I didn't puree them until this morning (my house is small, my food processor is loud... you get the picture).
First of all, when I was transferring the pears from the bowl to the processor, I discovered some sort of delicious syrup they had formed (again, yum), and I made sure to put that in with the pears. I mean, why should I deprive my child that fruity deliciousness? (insert anti-sugar argument here).
I had saved the water from steaming in case I needed to thin, but I didn't need to thin at all. They pureed perfectly and easily, and I can't wait to make them again. My girl hasn't tried them yet, but if she doesn't like them, I know someone who does :)
Ok, off to try to resist the temptation of baby food... which is probably why I like making my own. The stuff in the jar has never really tempted me...
P.S. I bought 5 fairly small pears, and they made about 20 ounces of baby food. I was impressed. I got more out of 5 pears than 5 apples which surprised me.
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