Does anyone have any recommendations for storage containers for fresh-to-frozen baby food. It seems there are a ton out there that are either sectioned from one piece or come in cubes (seems like a more logical way to store) and come in various sizes. If anyone has recommendations for storage **specific brand/type, etc. for homemade first foods, I would greatly appreciate it!! We fed my daughter store bought, but want to try to give fresh a go with our new little one. Thanks!!
Thank you to everyone for your ideas!! I can't wait to get started!! Thanks again!!
You can never go wrong with good old fashioned Bell jars. The ones used for canning. I use these for all my food storage. You can reheat in them by either the microwave or placing in boiling water. You don't have to worry about plastic toxins leaking into the food. And you can buy them in various sizes. Most grocery stores sell them.
Believe it or not - ice cube trays and some aluminum wrap! Read "Super Baby Food" - it explains it all beautifully!
I just use ice cubes trays. After the food is frozen, I transfer the cubes to freezer storage bags,label and date them. It's inexpensive and works great!
Hi T. M
The Covered Ice Cube Trays sounds like your best options.
If this is the route you are going to go then contact your local Tupperware consultant they are on sale right now in a really nice Purple. She/He can also get you some good tips & recipes Or email me & I can send you this last part. If you do not have a consultant then you can always go to my Website.
It ships directly to you but Hurry they expire this Friday.
Good Luck. & Congratulations on going Fresh.
L. M
Las Vegas NV
Ice cube trays worked the best & were the cheapest for us. 1 ice cube is about 2 oz. so it was also a handy way to measure about how much was needed too.
Wal-Mart has Parents Choice brand baby food that comes in little plastic containers with snap on lids. I wash the containers in the dishwasher and puree whatever we're having for dinner (as long as the ingredients are safe for baby) in my Magic Bullet countertop blender. I usually add a little water to thin it out. Then if there are leftovers or if it's something he really loves, I'll make enough to fill a few containers and freeze them and label them with a dry-erase marker with the contents and date. I let them thaw in the refrigerator when I'm ready to use them and heat them for about 15 seconds in the microwave. This makes them just slightly warmer than room temperature but not nearly hot enough to worry about plastic contaminates. I save a ton of $$ this way and now only purchase prepared baby food for on-the-go situations when it's not convenient to take a refrigerated item.
I use Fresh Baby trays that look like ice cube trays with lids, then transfer the cubes to freezer bags. I originally tried Baby Cubes, 2oz containers that fit into its own tray, but because I had only one set, I couldn't make a lot of food at one time. So now I use the Fresh Baby trays to make the cubes and use the Baby Cubes as containers to take the food to go. Both products are BPA free.
Here's some links:
http://www.google.com/search?q=baby+food+storage+containe...
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&a...
Just a word of caution: some "plastic" food containers contains BPA's or "phthalates" in them which can leach into the food especially if heating/warming up the food in the container. Best to warm/heat up any food in a glass container.
Baby food grinders are also really great to make baby food. I loved mine. There are many types, just do a search.
Good luck,
Susan
I got regular ice cube trays and froze the food, and then divided them into snack-size ziplocs so I could quickly pull out just the amount I needed at the time. I got seperate ice cube trays from my regular "ice" ones so that my ice wouldn't taste like the food. LOL
I did the same thing Jane C does. The ones on one step ahead are a little small so if your baby has a big appetite, you can go through those containers quickly and have to refill and freeze often. Just put pureed food in an ice cube tray, freeze, pop it out and place in a zip lock bag. I made all kinds of combinations this way, too. I would put a cube of butternut squash and a cube of cauliflower together once the baby's palette became more developed. A cube of peas and a cube of carrots, a cube of broccoli and a cube of potatoes, etc. After a bit, I would introduce a cube of turkey or chicken into the mix.
For the convenience of a baby food jar, I used Gladware mini rounds. Puree the baby food, put them in there and freeze. When you on an outing, take one out of the freezer and use it to cool the other items in the bag and after a few hours, the food is fully defrosted and ready to eat!
Get regular ice cube trays. blend food and put in trays. cover with tin foil put in freezer and when frozen transfer to quart freezer bags. i then take out a cube and put it either in a small microwavable dish (not plastic!) or reuse a baby food jar (microwavable) (if i am going out). my daughter at 6 months ate 2 cubes, one starch and one veggie. now she eats 4 cubes at 9 months..two starch, one veggie or two veggie, one starch and one fruit. I also at 7 months started feeding her water in a gerber sippy cup with her food.
so much fun and you know what our baby is getting. it always tastes better when you make it.
I used the Baby Cubes from One Step Ahead . . . easy to use, easy to store, very convenient. When I started they only made 1 oz size, but now they make 2 oz as well.
I just used old baby food jars (ask other friends to donate them to you) they work great & you don't have to worry about the plastics! Good luck
Hi
Good on you for going fresh this time.
We keep it simple. I put all of my daughter's food that I make her in ice-cube trays, freeze it for 24 hours (with aluminium foil covering it to reduce freezer burn), then take it out of the cubes and put it in ziploc bags which I then label. So easy and quick.
Good luck
Go to www.onestepahead.com - they sell baby cubes (for the freezer) that are BPA and phthalate free! And they are cheap!
I used covered ice cube trays (one for fruit and one for vegies) then once they were frozen put them in a freezer zip lock bag. Worked great!
I made my baby food and put it in ice cube trays, then popped them out and stored them in baggies. Just seemed the most logical way, i labeled them and used the baggies over and over for the same food cubes. But for fresh, I saved my baby food jars and ran them and the lid thru the dishwasher (sterilize cycle if you have it) and just uesd those for the fresh. If you are traveling and need a secure lid (as the used baby food jar lids dont ever seem to get screwed on tight enough) try those "take and toss" little containers, I know that First Years makes those BPA free. I have seen tiny ones from rubbermaid too, not sure if they are BPA free tho. Good luck and have fun!
Hi T.,
Because of concerns about chemicals in plastics leaching into food, I used glass containers. I used the Kerr or ball jars in the little 8oz size and they worked well for freezing and thawing. I felt so great when my son enjoyed my homemade concoctions! Good for you!
S.
