How to Make & Store Homemade Baby Food (Part 1: Prep)

With baby #1 (Emma), my creativity when it came to homemade baby food didnt go any further than homemade rice cereal. I halfheartedly tried making and freezing it once but I didnt have any containers with lids and it ended up not looking very appetizing, so I threw it out. Its easy enough making up rice cereal every day anyway.

However, if you want to make a variety of foods for your baby, it can be a good idea to make it ahead and freeze it to thaw out later for your babe when you dont have time to cook. Then you wont find yourself needing back-up baby food jars (and my baby doesnt seem to like the food in jars as much as homemade, even the organic baby food).

Im planning on making baby purees over the next couple of weeks and look forward to sharing the journey with you!

Things You Need to Get Started

1. You need something to puree the food fine enough that you dont need to worry about your baby choking on lumps or clumps. The first time I made carrots, I tried mashing it myself and although it worked, it was a lot of work and it didnt quite get as pureed as I would have liked. Its just sooo much easier when you have a food processor!

One option that I can recommend is the Magic Bullet.

I like it because it works really well and comes with a lot of attachments and two blades. It does best with smaller amounts of food at one time, though. However, for the price (around $40 on sale), it is an excellent product! And it also makes blended drinks, hummus, dips, and can chop onions and things for you. I love it!

A more affordable option that works but is more work is the KidCo Food Mill. It is hand-powered. You can also use a regular blender. My friend Erin uses hers with great results!

2. Figure out what youre going to puree and freeze. You can find recipes and ideas online or get a baby food cookbook like this one:

Top 100 Baby Purees by Annabel Karmel

And here are some of my favorite sites with baby food recipes:

3. Youll need something to freeze the baby food in, preferably in small amounts so you can thaw it out a little at a time. You can use any small glass or plastic food containers you might have on hand, or use ice cube trays. OR there are special containers you can use that are made especially for freezing and storing baby food. Some examples:

Fresh Baby Freezer Trays with Lids
Can be found on Amazon.com

Mumi&Bubi Solids Starter Kit
Can be found on Amazon.com

Green Sprouts Freezer Cubes
Can be found on Amazon.com

I ordered these Green Sprouts Cubes. 🙂

While youre collecting the things you need, Ill be putting together the next post stay tuned!

Have you ever made homemade baby food before? What were the best things to have on hand for making it?

Now go to Part 2, Cooking & Storage Tips!