Blending and Storage Tips for Homemade Baby Food

Two words...ice cube trays! :) Just dump the cubes into separate freezer bags once they are frozen and voila! You can then decide how many cubes to heat at once for each meal.

We use the "jumbo baby cubes" from one step ahead. They are 2.5oz and work great! Also, the kitchen aid immersion blender is a dream for quickie mushing.

HI A.,
I also made all the baby food for both my children. I felt it was a better choice for me. I had a friend who saved baby food jars for me and I froze the food I made. Some people use ice cube trays. Good Luck.
J.

I agree with everyone about freezing in ice cube trays. I found that the silicone ones were easier to get them out. Then I put them in ziploc freezer bags, labeled and dated.

With my older child, I used a immersion blender that had a small food processor attachment. But it wasn't great. I found that I still had to strain some of the foods, like peas and green beans. For other foods it worked great. With my new baby, I got a Magic Bullet (I got mine at Costco). I made peas the other day and no straining needed :) It was a bit faster than the smaller processor.

Good luck and congrats on making your own baby food. It really is so much easier than people make it seem!!

HI A.!

I too am new to making my own babyfood. I've been doing it for about a month now and I'm thoroughly loving it!

I've been using my Cuisinart processor to puree big batches and I also have a mini-blender made by Hamilton for really small servings.

I've been freezing the purees in ice-cub trays, popping the cubes out and storing them in zip-lock bags. I've found that if I mixed either water or cooked down & mashed apples with thicker purees (carrots, sweet potatoes) I was able to gain the right consistency. To heat them up, I put a cube or two in a small pyrex dish and heat it in the microwave.

For bigger portions, I've been freezing purees in the silicone cupcake pans. I used water first to measure and figure out how much fits in each cupcake. 3 cupcakes = 1 cup or 1 cupcake = 1/3 cup. After frozen, I pop out the "cup-cubes" and store them in a ziplock bag. BIG TIP: I learned this the hard way-- put a pan under the silicone one to make it easy to move when filled with liquid. I ended up spilling all over my counters the first time I filled & lifted the silicone pan. I like the silicone, but they just aren't rigid enough sometimes.

How do you like the Super Foods book by Karmel? I bought it, but haven't made any recipes yet for my 8 mos old.

I hope this helps!
You got alot of great advice already!
Kate

My son has a feeding tube and instead of giving him formula we decided to blend up real food and put it through his tube. For small batches we use a Magic Bullet. It does a great job and is really quick. When he was samller we used to freeze individual portions in ice cube trays and once frozen tranferred them to a freezer bag. Each cube holds about 1 ounce or 2 Tbs. Now we freeze 6 ounce portions in 8 ounce plastic Ball freezer jars. I know a lot of people who do real food through the tube use a Kidco food mill for meats and other tougher things. They have nothing but good things to say about it. Good luck making your own baby food. It's really easy and cost effective once you get the hang of it.

Hi A.~
I read a bit of the responses you already got, so I'll keep this short and sweet!
1) CONGRADULATIONS! Not many people make their own baby food and I was one of them. I did for a short while with my oldest but soon found it wasn't as easy and I thought and I was getting very little support from others around me (then husband and his mother).
2) The ice cube tray trick seems to make much sense, but I would be careful because it could come out more watery than expected.
3) I have an imersion blender and I ALWAYS use it instead of my blender. And it cleans up super easy with hot, soapy water in a bucket or bowl. I plug it in, turn it on in the water and run it for a minute or two, rinse it off, then I leave it (unplugged) in the drain board to completely air dry then I put it away.
I believe imersion blenders aren't too costly. I actually have 2; one is close to 15 years old and I don't remember how much it was. The other was a gift. Borrow one from a friend before you actually buy one. I also have a Cuisenart 7 cup food processor that is used several times a week for a miriad of dishes.
Good luck to you and I applaud you for doing the best thing for your baby.
J.~

hi, A.,
i have been a mom for 30 years. i remember putting homemade baby food into ice cube
trays to freeze. you can put a large freezer bag over the entire tray after it freezes, or
transfer the cubes to a bag to remove one or more at a time as needed.
all of the best to you!
J.

Hi!
I made food for my Daughter who is now 4.5 and my Son who is 18months. Both are out grown for the blended foods, though I do sneak some into mac and cheese and other easily disguised meals! But what I did was made a batch in my mini cuisenart for one sweet potato or so, or the big cuisenart for more and then scooped it into ice cube trays. Once it was frozen I'd crack them into cubes and put them into ziploc freezer bags. I'd put the date on them and one cube was a serving then two etc. They defrost really easy either by sitting out for a bit or zapping in the micro. I didn't have all those crazy little jars the super baby food book had. The cubes worked wonders. I also would leave a small portion out in the fridge for the next serving.

I froze my baby food in ice cube trays also, I found the ones made of silicone or that just have a silicone base were the easiest to have the food pop out of. Then I also just put them in food storage bags in my freezer. It was very easy to defrost in the microwave. For a mini blender, I just bought a mini food processor at Walmart on a black friday sale for about $10. It is very small, but was perfect for little meals. You could also just get a food mill for little meals.

I used ice cube trays and then as he got older and the portions got larger, I bought a bunch of small glass "Frigerverre" dishes. They are great for hot and cold. And I love them for meals on the go. I bought the Super Baby Food book after I had been cooking for him for several months. For me, it was easier to cook with out the book. He seemed to not like their food as much. What I did find helpful was certain ingredients like Flax Seeds and Wheat Germ for certain dishes. You may love the book though.

i used an immersion hand blender so there wasn't an extra device to wash. then i poured purees into ice trays. when they froze, i transferred to snack-sized sandwich bags (about 3 or 4 cubes fit in one). to heat, just stick in microwave or a pot of very hot water.

I can help with the storing tip- use ice cube trays. This is what I do. Cover with plastic wrap and foil and freeze. Once frozen, transfer the "food cubes" to a freezer bag. I find it difficult to get the food out once frozen,so running the bottom of the ice cube tray under warm water helps. Hope this helps!! Jennifer

I did the same thing with the ice cube trays and zip lock bags. Worked out great. It's just so much easier to do a few large batches of a single thing than a bunch of smaller batches of many things.

I suggest buy a smaller processor that makes enough for one ice cube tray...this way you can make a variety of fruits, veggies and (when ready) meats.

Smaller batches ensure they don't get freezer burn. I put the cubes in a freezer bag and then put the bag in large rubbermaid containers (they have ones that are freezer safe). I have different color tops to distinguish the fruits vs veggies vs meats.

I take 3-4 cubes combination to change things up a bit.
carrot - apple - chicken - peas OR sweet potatoes - squash - chicken - spinish, etc.

Good luck!

I used ice cube trays to freeze the purees. Once everything was frozen, I emptied the tray into a freezer bag and labeled it. Quick easy meals for several days!

I make ice cubes out of the baby food.

Put them in an ice cube tray (one cube is about 2 TBSP) and freeze for a few days. Then pop them out and put them in a zip top bag. I label the bags with contents and date.

If you want larger portions I've seen "baby food making trays" that are essentially the same as a ice cube tray, but it seems excessive to me. Just thaw more than one cube at a time if you need more.

Also if you're going to just make "most" of the food (which is what I do, I do jarred occasionally) keep the jars and you can freeze in those, too.

As for a small blender - I usually use my regular sized blender which is fairly convenient - but I'm also looking into getting a Magic Bullet which are supposed to be good. The Jessica Seinfeld cookbook recommends that one, too.

Good luck!

Freezing in ice cube trays makes convenient portions. Once the food is frozen it can be shifted to large plastic bags and then taken out a couple of cubes at a time. I did this with my now 10 month old. However she is already eating more chunky foods and table food so you should not go overboard with any one food. A month or two for the thin purees and then if it takes longer for her to get into thicker ones you can always make more. If you do have leftovers, however, they can be added to other foods once she is eating table food. I put fruit cubes in her oatmeal and veggies blended with ground meat for soft meatloaf that she can eat as finger food.

Hi A.. I made big batches of several foods on the weekend and poured into single serving zip lock bags, laid them flat to freeze, labeled them and created a 'card catalogue' of food that lasted for weeks. You can flip through and know you're not serving the same thing 2-3 times in a row and keep your freezer space as well. To get it into the bags I'd line a large coffee cup, with the bag, top turned-down then pull the bag out and zip. So easy once you figure that out.
Take them out and microwave on the spot right in the bag - no mess :-)
Also, I learned that mixing fruit in wit the veggie or bean/rice dishes it was well accepted and eaten with enthusiasm. Made everything taste good without worrying about high sugar content. You need to be sure protein is in there, so many types of beans can be used and cheap in prepared form of cans (also gave the food a good solid feel to the stomach).
Good for you and your baby about the real food you're providing!! My son is now 4 and eats a variety of food that far surpasses his peers' taste for mac and cheese and pizza, believe me, this is the way to start. Best of luck.

I have become entirely dependent on my immersion b1lender. It comes with a beaker you can puree in.

I puree what ever we are eating and this makes life so easy, no teeny leftovers to throw out and good food for the baby.

I use it for baby food and love it for soups, salad dressings, anything that needs pureeing. You can control the consistency. WARNING+ DO NOT REMOVE THE BLENDER FROM THE FOOD WHILE IT IS RUNNING...you will have food everywhere !!!!

You can freeze the baby food in ice cube trays and when frozen put them into containers or plastic bags. Use as many as you need. Please remember to date and label the cubes when you store them... foods end up looking similar and you don't want to keep more than 6 months.

M.

I just used ice cube trays to freeze then filled freezer bags with the cubes, marked with contents and date. I would just reheat 2 or 3 cubes for a serving. Worked great.

I too used ice cube trays to freeze my food. I found the generic trays worked as good or better than the ones sold specifically for baby food. I did use those types specific to baby food to freeze breast milk into cubes because there was lid on them. When you want to remove the food, run the tray under hot water for a few seconds and the food pops right out. Then I would freeze the cubes in a ziplock bag. I also would use this method to freeze cooked ground beef and pieces of chicken as well as cooked elbow pasta. If you squish the meat a bit, it will freeze into the cube shape. I know it sounds gross but it worked great. I used a regular old blender to puree all my food and never had a problem. Sometimes I would have to add a bit more water but it was fine. Good luck!
:) L. mom of an 11 month old

you can make the larger servings, buy ice cube trays and freeze them , then place the cubes in a freezer bag and freze them as individual servings.

I made huge batches at one time and would freeze it in ice cube trays. Then store them in ziplock bags. Sometimes once I heated them in the microwave the consistency would be too thin, so I just added some baby cereal to thicken it up. I always used my blender to puree it.

hi! congrats on making your own baby food! it really is the best for them. I never stored in large batches. I made fresh foods twice a week - small blender I used the magic bullet. Its small and works GREAT! I found when I froze my baby foods that the consistency was very watery and not the same as when I made it fresh. I would just make enough for at least 4 days, store in gladware in the fridge. Good luck!!

I used an immersion blender for everything. I steamed veggies, added a bit of breastmilk (or formula) and pureed it really well. Then I put the blend in ice cube trays and stuck it in the freezer. Once frozen I popped them into a freezer zipper bag for storage. I would make a few different veggies at a time so my daughter would have a variety of food. As far as reheating, Just stick in the microwave for 15 seconds or so. Make sure you stir it so there are no heat pockets. One cube is one serving. I also did the same with meat and chicken, but the texture is a bit weird.
Hope this helps. I never gave Sophie jarred baby food (though I don't quite think it's the worst thing in the world ;-) )

I made the food in a cuisinart and then spooned it into ice cube trays, covered with plastic, and froze. After the cubes are frozen, you can pop them out and store in a ziploc freezer bag. I would microwave cubes for 30-45 seconds, depending on how many. I also have the cuisinart mini prep which is great for small quantities...

Magic Bullet is a great small blender $49 at Bed Bath and Beyond and they have 20% coupons all the time that don't expire. I really do use the bullet for everything (my husband is a picky eater so I puree veg in this to add to sauces on a daily basis)

Hi A.,

I find using a processor a bit inconvenient. Instead I use Braun MR5550MBC-HC Multiquick Professional Hand Blender. Its very easy to use, doesnt take to much place and i can clean it in under a minute! :)

I personally don't freeze food but cook fresh meals for my daughter. However, I heard that people store/freeze food using ice dishes- basically each cube becomes a meal.

Hope this helps. Good luck with the cooking.. it really is alot of fun! :)
N.

The little cubes, ice cube trays and mini bowls started taking over my freezer... so i started using plastic zippper bags in sandwich size and snack size. I fill them, take the air out and they then lie flat and can be stacked on top of each other. I started out using the breast milk storage bags but they are so expensive! The sandwich size are great for a small meals (for me, like chicken soup with pastina) and the snack size are great for individual servings of veggies or fruit. When you are ready to use leave them in the fridge (or they thaw quickly in hot water).

I know this isn't the greenest of storage - but I pick my battles. I don't use little bottles of water anymore and pack my older kids snacks in wrap-n-mats. I converted lawn care to organic... But I needed an efficient way to store my baby food and this is what has worked for me.

I have a cuisinart mini chop which works fine for small batches. Don't make a big investment, before you know it, your little one won't need it - my 9 month old eats mostly chopped up food now, sans teeth!

I know i am a couple of days late in my response...One step ahead sells little freezing trays that look like ice cube trays. They have plastic covers and everythoing. I used ice cube trays froze the food with saran wrap around the tray and then put the tray inside of a ziplock bag. When the food was frozen I took the cubes out of the tray and put them into the ziplock marked and dated. As my son began to eat more, I would take out more than 1 cube. You can also ask friends that have children to save the baby food plastic containers from Gerber wash them really well and freeze in those. I did that too, again putting the containers into the ziplock. I would sometimes puree whatever we were eating as well. For that I bought a Magic Bullet from bed bath and beyond, My mom bought one for her house from babys r us that worked really well, but I don't remember the name. You can also use one of those hand held things, I don't remember the name but you use it in soups to cream the soup I think. THat worked as well. My sister has one and it was really easy to clean up. Hope this helps.

I've used ice cube trays to freeze baby food. then I dump them into a labeled ziploc and put it back in the freezer. I use a immersion blender with a chopper attachment, they both do the trick. I think I have a cuisinart one. It's small and isn't too bad for smaller batches or when I puree up what we are having for dinner.

I used to make my oldest childs food. I used ice cube ttrays to freeze the food. Once frozen I put the cubes in heavy duty freezer bags that I wrote the date and contents on. Then I just took out however many "cubes" I needed and they defrosted easily.

I love my "magic bullet" mini blender. I use it for everything, from chopping nuts, to baby food, to making smoothies for my toddler. My husband even uses it to grind coffee. They sell it at Linens n Things and Bed Bath and Beyond. Have fun! (I love making baby food, although my 9 month old hates purees, so we skipped right to soft table foods).