Congratulations for being a new mom or dad, we are just so happy for your little bundle of joy. As with every new parent, you too probably may be thinking about commercial baby food to feed your baby. Before you even think of doing that, please do yourself a favor and ask this “Is this baby food safe for my baby?”.
The truth is, with so many infant formula and instant baby food available in the market, people tend to buy these products thinking they would be best for their baby. But parents are now discovering that this is not the case. In fact, homemade baby foods are more nutritious and economical than commercial baby foods. There are in fact so many articles such as Amara baby food and books for preparing healthy and nutritious baby food.
So you have learned all about making nutritious baby food, but a bit quite confused about its safe and hygienic storage. To resolve this dilemma and to ensure safety of your home made baby storage, we have put together this article to help you store and freeze homemade baby food.
What you will need to follow this guide
There are several safe and convenient ways to store homemade baby food. For this, you need the following materials and equipment:
For Ice Cube Tray – Freezer Bag Method (Recommended)
Here, baby food in puree form are kept in an ice cube tray in a freezer, and then transferred to a zip lock bag for storage. This is undoubtedly the easiest, time-saving and convenient method to store homemade baby food and is highly recommended over other methods.
Blender/ Food Processor
A good food processor or blender is necessary to blend the baby food. It is particularly essential in the earlier days when your baby still develops gag reflex that makes them unable able to swallow lumpy baby food.
Ice cube trays
you will require a big ice cube tray stocks to store baby food. This normally comes with a lid.
Zip lock bags
You will need these to store the frozen baby food from ice cube trays. This will help to free up your ice cube tray for reuse.
Permanent marker pen
This is meant to clearly label and identify the zip lock-bag with the type of food in it and the use-by date for it. Refrigerator or deep freezer to freeze your homemade baby food
There are other alternative methods for baby food storage like:
Storing homemade baby food in a refrigerator – though it is more convenient to store and freeze homemade baby food directly in a refrigerator, it is not all safe as there is risk of bacterial contamination of food. Moreover, it has a relatively shorter life span of about 48 hours before it goes bad. Store it on a papered cookie sheets for freezing – this method involves storing your purees into clumps on a wax paper covered cookie sheet. This is also not recommended as it takes a lot of freezer space and is inconvenient.
Using glass jars or plastic containers for storage – this is not a safe choice due to bursting, and other health hazards. Unless these containers that you are planning to use are specifically built to withstand heat and freezing temperatures and meant for baby food storage, it is better to avoid them.
Labelled Zip Lock Freezer Bags
Step by step instructions:
Preparing homemade baby food is really healthy and saves time and this is achieved by making and then freezing your baby food in advance. Since your baby will eat small quantities of baby food in his early days, it is necessary to prepare a portion of baby food in advance after which you would need to freeze it for later.
While 6 months is normally the time for introducing solids or dried baby food, you will start out with introducing small portions of soft and simple food like baby cereal or rice, or pureed cooked vegetables or fruits.
Infants are at a higher risk of getting a foodborne disease than older children or adults, so it is imperative to follow these guidelines very carefully
Watch a video for detailed instructions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hg3fMhtsii8
A blow-by-blow guide to prepare, store and freeze homemade baby food
Step 1: Shop and stock up on fruits and vegetables
It is better to plan ahead and stock up your favorite vegetables and fruits as you will need it often for preparing healthy homemade food for your baby. A list of recommended baby foods you should introduce is https://www.huggies.com.au/baby-care/recipes/solids/suggestions-for-bubs . It is always better to start off with vegetables and then fruits.
Recommended vegetables – carrot, pumpkin, sweet potato, broccoli, parsnip, peas, cauliflower and potato.
Recommended fruits – suggestions include cooked, mashed or pureed fruits like apple, banana, avocado and pear. Store raw meats, poultry and dairy products in the coldest part of the refrigerator immediately. Cook meat, poultry, and fish thoroughly to kill any bacteria. Cook the meats to an internal temperature of at least 160oF and be sure to use a meat thermometer for this.
Step 2: Keep it clean and hygienic
It is paramount to ensure that your kitchen surface and equipment is clean. So wash your hands and any equipment that you will use to prepare the food. Wash fresh fruits and vegetables thoroughly under clean running water. Use separate cutting boards for meat, poultry and fish to avoid cross-contamination.
Step 3: Prepare the food – Chop, peel, then cook and puree
Foods like banana or avocado can be quickly mashed and be placed in ice-cube trays to freeze. Other foods like apple and sweet potato needs to peeled then microwaved, steamed or boiled so as to soften them. Then it has to be pureed and put in ice cube trays to cool down.
Step 4: Freeze it
Once the foods you have prepared are cooled, store and freeze homemade baby food inside the freezer as soon as possible. Meanwhile, label your zip lock-bags clearly with the name of the food you have prepared, like “mashed banana” or “pureed carrot” along with the date of preparation. Check the refrigerator and once the baby food is frozen in ice cube trays, quickly put the frozen cubes of food from the tray to the zip lock bags. Then put the zip lock bags with baby food cubes back in the freezer. Always check the date of preparation on your baby food and never use it for over 6 weeks Don’t refreeze your baby food once it has been defrosted
Step 5: Using frozen homemade baby food
Always defrost the baby food for several hours prior to use. Using a microwave or a stove, thoroughly reheat it. Always discard unused foods from your feeding session.
Watch the video about freezing baby food: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcRr4FcJQxY
Conclusion
Being a parent is bliss but it comes with its share of responsibilities. Providing quality homemade food is the key to keep your baby healthy and safe. We have discussed about the importance and advantages to prepare, store and freeze homemade baby food and how freezer bags are most convenient and safe for baby food storage. It is my sincere belief that you will find this guide helpful when thinking about introducing homemade baby food.
Please keep in mind though, always consult your pediatrician regarding introducing homemade or solid foods and specifically discuss about any food that may have allergic reactions to your baby.
So did you find this guide helpful and enjoyed it?
Please do let us know in the comments!
References:
- http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/freezepage.htm
- http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/waystostorehomemadebabyfood.htm
- https://www.foodsafety.gov/blog/homemade_babyfood.html
- https://www.huggies.com.au/parenting/time-management-tips/kitchen/freezing-baby-food