How to Make & Store Homemade Baby Food

As a parent, there are so many things that are out of our control, but one thing we have power over is what we feed our little ones. At least while they’re still babies that is, because once they become toddlers, forget it; the pickiness ensues. When I left the corporate world to become a stay-at-home mom, I made it a goal to make all of my son’s food. From fruit and vegetable purées to oatmeal and soups; I knew I wanted to have a hand in anything he ate. I thought I’d have more time to prepare each meal for my son since I was home, but somehow I always seemed to be pressed for time; there was always something on my to-do list. So much so, that I even wondered if I’d have time to make his food. It was two of my dearest mommy friends, Roxanne and Anita, full-time working mothers, who gave me tips and recommendations on how to start doing this. They made batches of food and froze it. When ready to feed their kids, reheating a healthy meal was a breeze and available within minutes. I followed their advice and it helped make mealtime much easier throughout the week.

So does this mean I never let my kid eat out or eat store-bought food? Of course not. We live in a time where we are constantly on-the-go. If we were traveling or were away from home, I purchased organic pouch food, but the majority of their meals came from what I cooked at home. I felt good knowing I made their food and also being aware of what was in it. I made baby food for stages 1, 2, and 3. Stage 1 is completely smooth; stage 2 is slightly thicker; while stage 3 is chunky in texture.

There are two types of purées in today’s post; no-cook and cooked. The first recipe we’ll go through is a no-cook purée.

No Cook Purée

Ripe-enough fruits are a breeze to purée and freeze. This is a great option for Stage 1 baby food.

Method

1. Chop mango and peach, add to food processor. Purée until completely smooth.
2. Fruit purée can be poured into jars and labeled for the next couple of days or spooned into freezer trays.

How to Store:

1. Spoon purée into crevices of freezer tray (link to freezer tray at end of post)
2. Freeze overnight
3. Remove from freezer tray. Add to ziploc freezer bag with date
4. Remove from ziploc bag when ready to use
5. Reheat in microwave or stovetop when ready to serve

I absolutely loved this freezer tray. Each crevice holds 1 ounce of food, so if I wanted to reheat 4 ounces of baby food, then I’d remove only 4 blocks. The half circle shape also made it easy to push out of the tray. A plus was that this freezer tray had a lid, so I didn’t have to worry about anything contaminating the food.

Everything You Need to Know About Freezing

When I first started making baby food for my kids, Wholesome Babyfood was one of my go-to sites for questions and methods. It’s packed with recipes and great info. Below are two great comprehensive posts on freezing baby food.

Frozen Baby Food Puree Chart – How Baby Food Purees Will Freeze
Everything You Want to know about Freezing Homemade Babyfood

Reheat frozen cubes in jar.

Cooked Purée

Most purées I made were cooked. This takes a couple of extra steps, but again, worth it when baby is hungry and all you have to do is reheat the food. This sweet pea purée is more of a stage 2 purée as it is slightly chunky in texture.

Method

1. Start with 1lb fresh sweet peas
2. Steam sweet peas until completely cooked
3. Add to food processor with ½ cup water (add more depending on desired consistency). Purée until smooth.
4. Let cool then fill crevices of freezer tray

Follow steps from mango-peach purée on storage and reheating.

Equipment

Here is a list of the products I used to make baby food for my kids. Below you’ll find two links for food processors. The purple one (pictured throughout blog post) is the one I used for both of my boys. The Baby Brezza was gifted to me for my little son. I used it for a short time as he wasn’t on purées for very long, so I ended up donating it to a friend.

Kitchenaid Mini food processor

Baby Brezza One-step food maker

Storage Options

With my older son, I only used freezer trays and glass jars to store his food, but by the time my second son was born and ready for food, a lot of new products were on the market. One of which included pouches that could be filled with homemade food. I was quite excited for this as it was a game changer. I used it for a short time since he wasn’t on purées for very long. Of these options, I’d highly recommend the freezer trays and pouches. The glass jars are great for reheating the frozen blocks.

Mumi & Bubi Freezer Trays

Sage Spoonfuls Glass Jars

Infantino Squeeze Station Pouches

My older son is now 3 years old and my youngest, 15 months. These are the methods I used to make their food when they were little. I hope you will find this post useful or inspiring if you don’t know where to start!

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Mango + Peach Puree & Sweet Pea Puree

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Ingredients

Mango-Peach Puree

• 1lb fresh mangoes
• 1lb fresh peaches

Sweet Pea Puree

• 1 lb sweet peas
• ½ -¾ cup water

Instructions

1. Peel and chop mango and peaches. Add all fruit to food processor. Pulse until smooth.
2. Spoon puree into freezer trays or pouches. Freeze overnight. Reheat to desired temperature when ready to serve.
3. For sweet pea puree: rinse and steam peas until completely cooked. Add peas and water to food processor. Pulse until desired texture is achieved.

Notes

Best for ages 5-6 months+

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Disclosure: Please consult with your child’s pediatrician about making homemade baby food and when to start feeding your baby solids. 

Did you make and store baby food for your little ones? Please feel free to share what your process was like below.