Using a baby food mill allows you to puree or mash, and introduce homemade foods to your baby. Although making your own baby food requires some knowledge of nutrition and knowing when to introduce new food types, the trade-off comes in knowing the foods you serve are free of chemical preservatives. Neither manual nor electric grinders are difficult to operate and you can prepare foods in advance and freeze for later or serve immediately.
Preparation
Step 1
Wash your hands using soap and warm water.
Step 2
Chop, peel or separate, depending on the food you are preparing.
Step 3
Select a preparation method. Choices include steaming, boiling, baking or microwaving. According to HomemadeBabyFoodRecipes.com, the best preparation method is steaming, as this method is best for retaining nutrients. If you choose to boil foods, use as little liquid as possible and save the liquid for later use.
Step 4
Allow cooked foods to cool before running through the baby food mill.
Manual Baby Food Mill
Step 1
Read instructions specific to the baby food mill you purchased. Attach the grinder or masher plate to the handle of the mill and tighten.
Step 2
Fill the baby food mill with cooked food.
Step 3
Lock the handle into place.
Step 4
Place the baby food mill on a flat surface, hold the serving cup base with a firm grasp and rotate the handle clockwise, continuing to rotate until pureeing or mashing is complete and the serving cup is full.
Step 5
Serve immediately or transfer the preprared food to an airtight storage container and refrigerate or freeze.
Electric Baby Food Mill
Step 1
Read instructions specific to the baby food mill you purchased. Put the electric baby food mill together, choosing a blade or blending attachment according to how you want to process the cooked food.
Step 2
Place cooked food in the baby food mill, cover and plug in.
Step 3
Activate the mill and grind until cooked food is the consistency you want.
Step 4
Transfer to a serving dish or airtight container and serve immediately or freeze.
Things You'll Need
- Hand soap
- Pots, pans, utensils
- 2 cutting boards, plastic or glass
- Baby food mill, manual or electric
- Serving dish
- Storage containers with lids
