Megan from Cornwall in the UK asked us
I just bought some fresh pears for my daughter, Casey, and they are really ripe and juicy. Is it absolutely necessary to cook them for her, or can babies eat pears raw?
The reason you’re often told to cook fruits for your baby is that the cooking process both softens the fruit and breaks down its cell structure, making it a little easier to digest.
However, very soft fruits like ripe pears really don’t need cooking for babies of at least 6 months of age, as they are very easy to puree or mash. They will also retain ALL of their nutrients, which may otherwise be lost to some extent during cooking.
But if you decide to offer pears to your baby before 6 months of age, then we would recommend cooking them a little to increase their digestibility.
A simple way to do this is to take a pear, cut it into quarters and remove the core. Then just wrap the pieces in foil and bake them in the oven until tender. Remove the skin before serving.
For older babies, big chunks of ripe, juicy pear make an excellent finger food! No teeth are required – and you’ll find your baby will be quite happy to get stuck in and gnaw away at the fruit.
The ‘melt-in-the-mouth’ texture of a very ripe pear makes it far less of a choking hazard that uncooked fruits with a firmer texture – although, of course, you should keep a very close eye on your little one when he’s feeding himself.
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