So I think I'd like to make Angelfish's baby food. I have a food processor and a veggie steamer. How hard can it be?
What I don't have is a food storage system. I'd like to use something that can do individual portions. I need something that can be frozen and be warmed up in the bottle warmer (because that would work for the daycare down the line, especially if I'm going to insist that they don't microwave it).
Suggestions, tips, recipes, comments like "you're nuts, buy jars, it was good enough for Clownfish" and other thoughts are welcome.
I used little glass jars with plastic lids. I think they were made by Libby. I also used ice cube trays, then popped the cubes into ziploc baggies, then into the glass bowls to thaw for the next meal. Hmm, maybe pint sized canning jars would fit in a bottle warmer? (This was only for my first kid. My second went directly to scrounging off our plates, so I just rolled with it and cut up teeny tiny pieces for him.)
ReplyDeleteI know a lot of people who use those silicon ice cube trays to freeze the food, then put the cubes in ziploc baggies. That doesn't solve the problem of what to use for warming the food, but if you keep a collection of small glass jars that fit in the bottle warmer, you could just move the food cubes to those? These are good questions to ponder.
ReplyDeleteWe really didn't do baby food. We started cereal, which Abigail hated unless it was made to be somewhat thick. She hated baby food and would rather have the real deal. So we stuck with steamed veggies that were soft enough to gum, we just made sure it was cut super small. She LOVED black beans so that took care of protein if we needed to give her some, and she was fine with small pieces of meat. I don't know if we just got lucky or her preference of chunky rather than puree is what did it, but I'm super glad! Oh, and the kid was nuts about yogurt!
ReplyDeleteregular ice cube trays, then once frozen put into labeled ziploc bags. for warming if you put frozen cubes into a container (little tupperware) in the morning, they are defrosted by noon. or, if you're home, 20 seconds in the microwave does it.
ReplyDeleteBabyfood is pretty easy to prepare - they don't eat that much of it, so freezing batches isn't hard.
ReplyDeleteCook extra vegetables for your own dinner - leave out the salt - (good for everyone) and then puree with a stick blender or food processor, into the ice cube mould.
Good with sweet potato, pumpkin, carrot, spinach, cauliflower, broccoli (peel the stalks) and a combination.
Apple or pear puree is good mixed in with the vegies, or on its own. Sometimes babies will take a vegie mixed with apple or pear that they won't on its own.
Another thing you can do is make vegetable purees by peeling and steaming or boiling any of the above, pureeing it in the food processor and using it as a soup base - yummy food for the whole family!
If you want protein added then making a stock from chicken bones is much easier than you'd think. Chicken frames are often sold cheaply - 3 for $1 here, and you can just boil them up with a roughly chopped onion, celery, carrot if you have them. Simmer, then drain. Voila! Chicken broth for soup/baby food.
If you want fresh food in a hurry, then avocado and banana are both great - cut, mush with a spoon or fork and you're done.
I am late to the game, but I made most of Jack's baby food. I did the ice cube tray thing and also I bought enough of the little plastic tubs of food (for times when we ran out and I couldn't quite get to making it) that I could put individual servings in there. However, those plastic tubs were annoying as heck because they fell all over the freezer.
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