I recently received a comment asking this question. This is a great question!! Especially if you are new to feeding your baby homemade food. One of the best parts of making your own baby food is that you can freeze them in smaller quantities than what you would buy commercially (Gerber, Beechnut etc.) and pull out just enough for your individual child.
It is recommended in most baby food books that you reheat the baby food until it is hot and allow to cool before giving it to your baby. I usually reheat in the microwave in a glass dish (even though most professionals would frown upon this since microwaves tend to produce “hot spots” in food). So I make sure to stir it really well and allow to cool before trying to give it to my son. I have also used my baby bottle warmer to warm the food. I have put my frozen food cubes in a small dish that happens to conveniently fit in my warmer and stir often to get it evenly hot. Then I allow it to cool down. From what I have read it is important to heat it to “hot” so that it will kill any bacteria that might be in it (just like when you heat up leftovers for yourself).
I started with one cube (1 oz=2 T) with each feeding until my son got used to eating solid foods. And even then, he would eat only about half of that. Once he got the idea of how to eat solids and got to the point of eating the whole cube, I now defrost 2 cubes at a time (which is 2 oz or 4 T). If he gets to the point of still being hungry after 2 cubes, I will move on to 3 cubes.
Hope this helps!! Any other suggestions that I might have missed? Please let me know by commenting on this post.
And of course, please discuss any questions or concerns with your child’s pediatrician because each child is unique!
30 Comments
Join the discussionIs there anywhere you have mentioned how to make the baby food?
When my kids were small, I used a food processor, and made it thin to begin with by adding water. As they grew, I gradually thinned it less.
Hi Marty,
Thanks for the question…so far I have only posted a 4 to 6 months “how-to” that gives details on how I made all my son’s first foods. The link to that is http://onceamonthmom.com/4-to-6-month-cooking-day-schedule/ or you can check under “Baby Food” under “How to’s”. When I make next month’s menu I will also place that post under the “how to’s” section. Also some individual recipes in the “recipe” section will say which method works best. Hopefully I answered your question : ). If not let me know. Thanks again for the feedback
C.
Do you heat up the fruits as well?
I do until it is about room temperature, or I will plan ahead for the next day and place the cubes in the refrigerator so they are thawed by the morning.
I know that I sound silly, but I really don’t know what I am doing in this category :)I am a little confused, you said that you heat the baby food up until it’s hot to kill any bacteria. You don’t have to worry about the bacteria in the fruits, just the veggies?
I admit…I am a little lax on the fruits and veggies. The USDA suggests heating any frozen items up to hot. I DO heat up the meats until piping hot but as I said I am lax on the fruits and veggies : ) I will heat them until hot if I am home but sometimes on the go, I just let them (fruits and veggies) defrost in the container until I am ready to feed my son. If I am going to be out during dinner time without a heating source, I take along a jarred meat and not chance the homemade meats.
Do your bananas change color? I pureed and froze a bunch of bananas in ice cube trays yesterday. Today I thawed some in the microwave to feed to my son for lunch. I tasted it and it tasted fine, although they were darker in color than they originally was. Is this normal because it’s banana? Should I just let them thaw in the fridge?
Bananas and avocados, especially, will change color. They are both safe to eat, but when oxygen hits the fruit it causes a little discoloration. No biggie, the nutritional benefits don’t change.
What do you find to be the best way to get the frozen cubes out of the trays to put them into freezer bags? I have such a hard time getting them out!
I have never had a problem getting them out – except once with bananas and I just used a fork to poke them out. Maybe it’s the type of ice cube trays you are using. I know that sometimes when I am trying to get ice out of the trays at a friend’s house, I have a hard time. They have the thicker white ones. I just use the blue cheapies and they work fine. Sorry I can’t be of any more help. If you figure it out, let me know!
I run warm water on the bottom of the tray for just a few seconds. They pop out quickly without defrosting.
Such a great question: how do you reheat the frozen baby food? I’ve tried my hand at a lot of methods thus far. Here are my favorite ways:
1)place the food cubes in a small glass bowl (just like you have pictured) and place entire bowl in about an inch of hot water in saucepan. I often boiled the water, then placed the bowl in and let it sit for a while. Use potholders to remove the bowl, as it is HOT! Let cool, then serve to your babe.
2) If I thought ahead the previous night, I popped a few cubes out of the tray and placed in the fridge overnight. They were defrosted and I either served chilled or heated in the saucepan.
3) I’ve never microwaved my daughter’s food. I actually think microwaves will be banned in the US one day, and hope you don’t use them for your babes’ food. Microwaving changes the composition of food, too much! If you microwave water and then use it to grow a seed, that seed will never grow. Try it… it can’t be good for people if it isn’t even good for a seed….
Just my 2 mommy cents.
I’ve written a “making baby food” post as well, if you’re interested… http://spilledingredients.com/…
when will you post another one for 6-9 months old or 9-12 months old baby food? i loved your 4-6 month old one and looking for new ideas. thanks!
I just posted an 8-10 month summer menu. I am working on a 6-8 month summer menu to hopefully come out late next week. . .stay tuned.
I am about to go out of town for 5 or so days and I am wondering what is the best way to take your homemade baby food with you? Would you put it in a cooler with dry ice to keep it frozen on the ride there? Thanks!!
That is a good idea, dry ice. Honestly, I just bought jarred baby food when we went out of town during that stage. . .it was easier because the trip was to Florida and took us two days. Depends on how far away you are going and whether it will stay frozen on your way. Any more details you want to share?
I’m confused…do frozen pureed avacados and banana need to be reheated or can you simply thaw like frozen breastmilk under water and serve?Thanks!
C
They do not need to be reheated.
Thank you so much for the speedy reply!!!
what kind of trays do you use to freeze the food?
I use ice cube trays for freezing baby food if that is what you are referring to. I find that the cheap ones from the dollar store work perfectly. Bigger ice cube trays usually are harder to break the cubes out of too.
thanks! i was considering the trays that they make especially for baby food, but everyone is saying ice cube trays work just as well.
I think that ice cube trays work just fine!
I have an 8 month old and made all of his baby food last week for the next month. I can’t seem to get the food as smooth as the stage 2 that he is used to so he is not eating it very well. I am using a mini food processor. Any suggestions? Also, if you accidentally overfill your ice cube tray how do you get the food out? I have a whole tray of squash that is stuck. Thanks for your help.
For pureed stuff I just add more water when I make it or some breast milk or formula – my first child never would eat my vegetables. I have no idea why. But it the added milk did help.Ice cube trays – run water along the bottom of them to loosen them, then try to get them out.
Thanks. I will try that.
How long can you keep the food frozen/ how far in advance can you freeze it? Could I freeze a lot of the food while I am still pregnant so that when the little one comes I can spent more time with them and not in the kitchen???
Great question. It really isn’t so much a matter of safety as much as quality. When you freeze the items it is important to use freezer containers (see the post on best containers), however, if done properly they should easily stay good for 3-6 months. Beyond that they tend to lose quality/taste and not be “unsafe”.
Does that hold true even with a chest freezer?Thank you!
I use a silicone mini muffin baking tray. Silicone is food safe and they pop out with little effort…