As gourmet baby food has become more widely available, you may have noticed packets of frozen cubed baby food at your local grocery store. This baby food, which is usually made with fresh produce and meat and flash-frozen, can be quite expensive. However, it's fairly simple to make your own baby food cubes at home using either store-bought jarred or homemade baby food. Frozen baby food cubes, which generally keep for several months, are portion-controlled and reheat fairly well in the microwave or on the stove.
Step 1
Purchase several ice cube trays with lids, if you can find them. New trays are best because they won't be worn or cracked. As baby food can stain the plastic, you'll need to designate these trays specifically for making frozen baby food cubes.
Step 2
Place a clean, dry ice cube tray on a level surface and spoon 2 tbsp. of room-temperature or chilled baby food into each cube compartment. This will ensure that each cube is a uniform 1-oz. serving of baby food.
Step 3
Cover the ice cube tray either with its lid or a tight layer of plastic wrap. Place the filled, covered tray on a level surface in the freezer, and leave it in there for two to four hours, or until the baby food cubes are frozen solid.
Step 4
Pop the frozen baby food cubes out of the tray, and load them into a zip-top freezer bag. Use a marker to label the bag with the type of food and the date, then slide the sealed bag of cubes directly into the freezer.
Step 5
Remove baby food cubes from the freezer on an as-needed basis. Because each cube is equal to 1 oz. of food, four cubes equal one 4-oz. jar of baby food.
Step 6
Warm the cubes in a small saucepan on the stove over low heat, stirring constantly. You can also thaw the cubes by putting them in a microwave-safe bowl and microwaving them on the defrost setting, stirring the bowl of food after each minute passes until it is warm. Remember that you should never serve baby food that's warmer than room temperature.
Step 7
Rotate the frozen baby food cubes, using the oldest ones first. Vegetable- and fruit-based baby foods last about three to six months in the freezer. Meat- and fish-based baby foods last one to two months. Discard any homemade baby food cubes that have a layer of frost growing on them or otherwise appear freezer burned.
Things You'll Need
- Ice cube trays with lids
- Homemade or store-bought baby food
- Tablespoon
- Plastic wrap (optional)
- Zip-top freezer bags
- Permanent marker
- Small saucepan
- Microwave-safe bowl
References
- "The Everything Cooking for Baby and Toddler Book"; Shana Priwer, Cynthia Phillips and Vincent Iannelli; 2006
- "No-Nonsense Nutrition for Your Baby's First Year"; Annette B. Natow and Jo-Ann Heslin; 1988
- Baby Center: How to Make Your Own Baby Food
