Say goodbye to expensive little jars of baby food. Instead, make your own wholesome homemade baby food free of fillers and additives often found in commercial baby food. The food will taste better to your baby, and you are in complete control of the quality of the food that your baby will be eating. Making homemade baby food will save money, and will introduce your baby to the same foods that the rest of the family enjoys, advises Clemson Cooperative Extension. (Ref 1)
Step 1
Wash your hands before preparing homemade baby food. Wash all surfaces and utensils with hot, soapy water. Rinse thoroughly, then sanitize everything with a mixture of 1 qt. water and 1 tsp. unscented bleach. Allow the bleach solution to remain for five to 10 minutes, and then rinse and dry. Use separate cutting boards and utensils for meat. (Ref 1)
Step 2
Wash firm fruits and vegetables thoroughly under cool, running water. Scrub the food with your hands or a soft, clean vegetable brush.Throw away any soft or bruised areas. Remove stems, peel and seeds.
Step 3
Cut the fruits and vegetables into chunks and place them in a steamer basket. Place the steamer basket in a saucepan over boiling water and steam the fruits or vegetables to a temperature of 185 degrees F. (Ref 1). Baby food can also be baked or boiled, but steaming will preserve nutrients more effectively.
Bananas can be mashed with a fork and don't need to be steamed.
Step 4
Remove skin from chicken and trim the fat from chicken or other meats. Cut the meat into small pieces and cook it in a steamer basket over boiling water. Use a meat thermometer to be sure the meat is thoroughly cooked. Refer to the meat thermometer for specific temperatures for each type of meat.
Step 5
Cook grains according to the directions on the package, and then mash or puree the cooked grains. Millet, rice, oats and quinoa are good choices for baby food. Pasta should be cooked until the noodles are very soft and then pureed or mashed. Feed older babies finely chopped, cooked pasta.
Step 6
Remove the cooked food from the steamer. Place the food in a blender or food processor and blend until the food is smooth. Add liquid such as juice, water or breast milk if the food is thick, especially for younger babies. Puree the foods separately, or combine foods such as apples and sweet potatoes or a combination of vegetables.
Step 7
Spoon the cooked, pureed food into ice cube trays. Cover the ice cube tray with plastic wrap and place the tray in the freezer. Each cube will be approximately 1 ounce of baby food.(Ref 2) Alternatively, spoon the baby food onto a baking sheet. Freeze the baking sheet. Remove the frozen servings of baby food and freeze them in a zip-close bag or airtight container. Write the name of the food and the date it was prepared on the container and use the food within one month. (Ref 1)
Step 8
Thaw the frozen baby food in the refrigerator. Alternatively, heat the baby food straight from the freezer or thaw the food under cold running water. Never allow baby food to thaw on the counter or in standing water. (Ref 1)
Step 9
Heat homemade baby food in a baby food warmer, a small saucepan or a microwave oven. Be sure the food is heated through. Dispose of any baby food that is left over after heating. Store thawed baby food in the refrigerator and use the food within two days. Keep chicken and meat in the refrigerator no longer than one day. Never heat food more than once, and never refreeze baby food that has been thawed. (Ref 1)
Things You'll Need
- Unscented bleach
- Soft vegetable brush
- Fruits and vegetables
- Steamer basket
- Saucepan
- Meat thermometer
- Grains and pasta
- Blender or food processor
- Juice, water or other liquids
- Ice cube tray or baking sheet
- Plastic wrap
- Zip-close bags or airtight containers
- Baby food warmer, saucepan or microwave oven
