Today’s post is a little different. I felt like sharing my
experience with making my daughter’s baby food for the first time and also
needed something for my DIY Wednesdays this week, so I decided to kill two
birds with one stone. Hope that’s alright with all of you. ;)
First off,
I felt I should include a little disclaimer, of sorts. Yes, I boiled the fruits
and veggies I used. Yes, I know steaming is better because you don’t lose as
many nutrients and other good stuff. To be real honest, my husband cooks more
than I do. I’m not familiar with steaming ANYTHING and didn’t feel like
researching steaming methods before I made the baby food. I just wanted to get
it done. (I do feel a little silly now because I just read that steaming is
actually quicker.) I do plan on steaming the fruits and veggies next time I make
baby food and I suggest you do the same as well for the previously mentioned
reason.
I decided
several years ago, long before I had my daughter, obviously, that I wanted to
make my own baby food for my children. Three summers ago I had a bad case of strep
throat and decided to eat some baby food because I didn’t much feel like eating
but knew I needed something. Let’s just say it was a name brand baby food and
it made my tongue BURN. My husband even tried it just to see if my being sick
had something to do with it. Nope. He had the same reaction. If it can make an
adult’s tongue feel that way, I’m sure as hell not letting a baby eat it! So,
now that I have my daughter, she will NEVER eat that brand of food. I have
bought her some store bought food, but I check the ingredients like a hawk!
Peter Rabbit Organics and NurturMe are my fave store bought brands. But we’ll
save those for discussion another time. ;)
Ever since
my daughter was born, I couldn’t wait to start making her own baby food! I’ll
admit, though, at first I just assumed my husband would do most of the work
since he’s the one who actually likes cooking. Now that the time has come to
actually make it since Myka is starting to try “real” food, I just decided to
take the task upon myself since I have more days off than my husband. And
honestly? It really wasn’t as bad or hard as I thought it would be! I actually
enjoyed it! Not to mention the peace of mind I have from knowing there are no
additives or extra preservatives in her food.
As you can know, there are a
billion different ways in which you can prepare food; making baby food is no
exception. Listed below are simply the items I used and the steps I took in
making mine. I strongly encourage you to play around with your own methods and
find what’s right and easiest for you! :)
What you’ll need (Don’t let the length of the list scare
you. It’s basic kitchen items for the most part.):
-fresh veggies and fruit (you can use frozen as well if
fresh ones are unavailable)
-knives
-cutting board
-peeler
-large pot(s)
-ladle or wooden spoon
-spoon
-food processor
-ice cube trays, freezer/fridge safe container, reusable or
disposable food pouches
-permanent marker (or anything you can use labeling for that
is not going to wash or rub off easily)
Optional:
-steamer basket (would come in handy for steaming instead of
boiling)
-Infantino Fresh Squeezed line Squeeze Station (I cannot
express enough how handy this is!)
1)
If you’re using frozen produce, be sure to thaw it out in the
refrigerator the night before you plan on making food.
2)
Prep your produce: wash, peel, chop, etc. Suggestion: the
smaller you chop/cube your produce, the quicker/easier it is going to blend.
3)
Boil or steam your produce until it is nice and tender. Make
sure you drain the water well if you choose to boil. (Trust me. I found this
out the hard way with the green beans yesterday. Lol)
4)
Once your produce is completely drained, you can either dump
all of it into the food processor at the same time or add it in small amounts.
I dumped all of mine in at the same time and wish I would have done it in
increments. I suppose it also depends on how much you are making.
5)
Puree your produce to the consistency you like/need. Be sure
to scrape off the sides occasionally, like you would with cake, cookie dough
batter, etc.
See how it's all clumpy in the middle? Don't forget to scrape occasionally!
Yum yum! My daughter is a pureed pea fiend! :)
6)
Pour your puree into your choice of storage container. I would
highly recommend using a large metal spoon for this, no matter what kind of
containers you’re using.
The spoon helps out a LOT, but a funnel would be helpful too if you have one!
7)
Don’t forget to label and date! Depending on how much you make
and how much your child eats, I would recommend putting the majority in the
freezer (obviously do this if you use ice cube trays!) and putting one or two
of each blend in the refrigerator so you have some ready to go!
Of course the one time I NEED a permanent marker, I can't find one to save my life!
Helpful Tips:
-Multi-tasking is your friend, especially if you’re making
large batches of purees! I tried to have one type of produce in the
“processing/squeezing” station, another boiling, and a third type being peeled
and chopped at any given time. I know it sounds insane, but you’re a parent, after
all. You multi-task all day long whether you realize it or not. :D
-If you’re feeling really adventurous, you could have
several large pots/steamer baskets going at the same time with different
veggies/fruits to expedite things some.
-Please, please, PLEASE be sure to wash all of your
equipment thoroughly that you’ll be re-using, ESPECIALLY if your child has not
tried a particular food yet. You never know if your child may have a food
allergy and you don’t want to cross contaminate if they do.
-Try to get your cooked produce from the stove to the food
processor as quickly as possible. I found that the warmer it is, the
easier/quicker it is to puree.
-I highly recommend checking into Infantino’s Fresh Squeezed
line of baby food making products. The squeeze station I used made things sooo
easy!
-I’m going to stress again how important it is to drain off
excess water if you boil. Evidently I didn’t do my green beans well enough and
when I went to squeeze some out for my daughter yesterday there were pockets of
water. Lame!
-I also suggest dumping your cooked produce in increments in
the food processor. This way you won’t have to scrape the sides as much and get
everything pureed completely quicker.
Multi-tasking is your friend!
Squeezing pureed peas into the pouches!
I’d love to hear about your baby food making techniques and
experiences! What products make your life easier? What is your baby’s favorite
food?
*I did not receive any form of compensation, money,
products, or otherwise, from Infantino. I have no affiliation with them. I just
really like their line of Fresh Squeezed products and felt like sharing! All
opinions expressed herein are my own.
