How To Freeze Baby Food - Method 1
Thoroughly clean a regular ice-cube tray and spoon your prepared baby food into each section.
A lidded tray is ideal, as it protects the food from freezer burn or from picking up any other odours from the freezer. If you don't have a lidded tray, you can cover the tray with food-safe plastic wrap. Some people use foil, although we don't recommend it as you can find that some pieces of foil remain in the food!
Place the ice-cube tray into the freezer and - once the cubes are firm - press them out and place them into zip-top bags, which take up less space in your freezer.
This gives you perfectly sized little portions of baby food - usually around an ounce or so. One cube per meal may be enough for your child at first, but as he grows you may wish to place two cubes in each zip-top bag.
You can also make lots of different baby food flavours by mixing and matching different fruit and veggie cubes - combining a cube of pureed apple with a cube of pureed carrot, for example - yum!
How To Freeze Baby Food - Method 2
This is similar to method 1, because it involves freezing baby food then transferring it to zip-top bags - but instead of using ice cube trays, you can use silicone mini-muffin pans! Their flexibility makes it easy to pop out the food portions - plus, of course, their use goes beyond the storage of baby food when your little one is older!
How To Freeze Baby Food - Method 3
If you don't have any appropriately sized containers for freezing baby food, then you can use the baking sheet/cookie sheet method (although you'll need a little more freezer space initially).
Just spoon your prepared baby food on to a baking sheet to form little mounds (although please note that this won't work as well if your purees are very runny). Cover the entire baking sheet with food safe wrap (orlooselycover with foil), freeze until firm, then transfer the portions of food to a zip-top bag as before.
How To Freeze Baby Food - Method 4
Another good way to freeze homemade baby food is by spooning it into freezer-safe jars and transferring the jars directly to the freezer.
Please note, though, that you should never freeze baby food in glass jars unless the manufacturers of the jars specifically state that it is safe to do so.
Jars that are safe to use in the freezer should clearly say so on the packaging - other jars (including commercial baby food jars) are usually not strong enough to withstand the expansion of the food that occurs during the freezing process. This means that the jar may break or - worse - may experience tiny hairline cracks, which you may not be able to see, but which will deposit tiny shards of glass in your baby's food.Many parents like to useBall Quilted Crystal Jelly Canning Jars, which are designed for use in the freezer.
How To Freeze Baby Food - Method 5
Probably the most popular method of freezing homemade baby food is to use 'purpose built' baby food freezer trays or pots - and boy, are there a lot to choose from!
Manufacturers, recognizing the growing trend for parents choosing to make their own baby food rather than relying on commercially prepared alternatives, have come up with a whole range of products designed to make life easier! What's more, these products are free from the potentially harmful chemicals that some plastic trays may contain.
Baby Steps Freezer Trays Baby Steps Freezer Trays hold seven 2 oz portions of baby food and come with lids, protecting baby's food from freezer burn or from absorbing odours. The tray can be labeled with a dry erase marker. |
Fresh N Freeze 2 oz. Reusable Baby Food ContainersThese containers are from One Step Ahead. They come in a set of twelve 2 oz containers, each with its own screw top lid (so you can safely pop one in your diaper bag when taking your baby out). They stack together and have an organizer tray that fits inside most freezer doors. |
Beaba MultiportionsThese trays come from the makers of theBeaba Babycook. Again, they have seven 2 oz portions and are freezer, dishwasher and microwave safe. |
Green Sprouts Silicone Baby Food Freezer TrayThis tray is similar to a regular ice cube tray, except that it is made from food-safe silicone. It will hold 15 potions of food, in 1 oz servings. |
Juvenile Solutions 1 oz/35 ml Baby CubesBaby Cubes come in a set of eight individual containers, each with its own attached lid - another good choice if you want to take the cubes out and about with you! |
Beaba Babycook Baby PortionsThese containers - in which you can freeze AND heat baby's food - are a little larger than most. Two will hold 5.1 oz each and the other two hold a generous 10.1 oz each. |
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