Baby recipe: Apple Barley Cereal

What's the main cereal you give to your baby? I started out with Farex baby rice cereal that's fortified with iron when my son was 6 months old. However, I wanted to add some variety so looked for some wholesome cereals that I can prepare at home. So I bought pearl barley and this became a favourite evening meal during the early months of eating solids. Making baby food, even cereals, at home is so much better because you know exactly what is going into your baby's food.

Pearl barley (which is really whole barley processed to remove the hull and bran) can take ages to cook. So it's better if you dry grind it before cooking. This recipe can make about 4 portions for a 6-8 month old. When choosing apples, it's obviously yummier if we use a sweeter variety, so I used Red Delicious.

Pearl Barley

What you will need:
4 heaped tbsp ground barley
2 cups water
1 medium size apple (peeled and finely chopped)
1/2 stick cinnamon

Put everything together in a thick bottomed pot and cook, stirring continuously. The cinnamon gives a wonderful aroma when it's cooking. Remove from heat when the barley is soft. After it cools, the cereal has a jelly-like consistency. If it's too thick, add water and stir to get the consistency you want. If you like, you can also add some milk (formula) before you serve. Remove the cinnamon and blend to a finer texture if required.