From sweet tomatoes, juicy sweetcorn, crunchy cucumber and irresistible berries, now is the time to create tantalising dishes to encourage babies to feast on fruit and vegetables.

All these recipes can be made in batches, poured into ice cube trays and put in the freezer to be used when required. This means you only need to take out as much as the baby needs at any one time.

Tomato and Red Pepper Puree
At this time of the year it is easy to taste the sunshine when eating tomatoes whether it is bite-size cherry tomatoes or beef tomatoes.

Difficulty rating: Easy

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
Olive oil
½ chopped onion
1 red pepper, diced
2 roughly chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon tomato puree
Method:
In a small frying pan heat a drizzle of olive oil.
Add the chopped onion and diced pepper and lightly fry until softened.
Add the tomatoes and tomato puree. Cover, then cook for an additional four minutes.
Puree until it is the right consistency.
Cucumber and Avocado Puree
As cucumber has a neutral flavour it pairs well with all fresh produce and its green skin adds a touch of colour to all dishes.

Difficulty rating: Easy

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
¼ cucumber, de-seeded and chopped
½ roughly chopped, peeled and stoned avocado.
1 tablespoon natural yoghurt
Method:
Peel the cucumber and roughly chop.
Put the avocado and cucumber into a blender and whizz until together.
Add the natural yoghurt and whizz again until smooth.
Sweetcorn and Carrot Puree
When making this recipe, 150g cooked chicken breast could also be added before blending in a food processor.

Difficulty rating: Easy

Cooking time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:
Olive oil
Kernels of 1 sweetcorn cob (or a can of drained sweetcorn)
1 grated carrot
100ml of reduced salt vegetable stock
Method:
Warm a drizzle of olive oil in a frying pan.
Add the sweetcorn, carrot and stock and simmer until tender.
Pour into a food processor and blend until smooth.
Blackberry and Pear Puree
This can be made using any fresh berries, but at this time of year blackberries are especially great in this recipe.

Difficulty rating: Easy

Cooking time: 6 minutes

Ingredients:
1 roughly chopped pear
150g blackberries
2 tablespoons of water
2 tablespoons of soft cheese
Method:
Put the pear, blackberries and water in a pan.
Cook until softened and then simmer for five minutes.
Add the soft cheese and blend in a food processor until smooth.
Alternative Tips:
Try blending raspberries, blackberries or strawberries with some apple juice and freezing in lolly moulds. These make a low-sugar tasty treat which is ideal for the summer and still healthy for children of all ages.
As a baby gets used to eating, make the puree more chunky by not blending for so long.
Cucumber is great for a baby to chew on when they are teething as it cools sore gums.
At first a baby may only eat one or two teaspoons of puree, but as they grow their food intake will increase.
The copyright of the article Great Seasonal Ideas for Homemade Baby Food in Recipes is owned by Jayne Elliott. Permission to republish Great Seasonal Ideas for Homemade Baby Food in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.