Tips on freezing baby food

Hi all

Making baby food is so easy. The best part is you know what your baby is eating, you know that baby is receiving lots of important nutrients and you also know that there are no preservatives and additives involved. It's also super cheap to do so why not make it in bulk and freeze most of it so you have food ready to go!

One of the simplist ways of doing this is to freeze your baby puree into your Qubies then once frozen simple pop the cubes into labelled and dated freezer bags. At meal time you just take what you need or mix and match to make a different meal at each sitting.

Q: How long can baby puree stay in the refridgerator?
A: It's recommended that fresh pureed homemade baby food is kept in the freezer for no longer than 48 hours. This limits the growth of bacteria and also reduces the food getting that "freezer taste".

Q: What can you freeze?
A: You can freeze almost anything... except food in their can, however once it's out you can freeze it. You also can't freeze eggs in their shells!

Q: How long can my Baby food cubes stay in the freezer?
A: Generally 3 to 6 months. The long the food remains in the freeze the more it builds up ice crystals which may have an effect on the nutrient level of the food upon thawing. So try to use sooner rather than later!

Q: Can I use frozen fruit and vegtables to make baby food and then re freeze it?
A: Yes you can as these foods have been "flash frozen" so that they may retain the majority of their nutrients.

Q: Does frozen food retain nutrients?
A: The freezing process itself does not destroy nutrients.

Q: How do I safely defrost food?
A: Never defrost foods out on the kitchen bench. This can leave your food unsafe to eat.
There are three safe ways to defrost food:
* in the refrigerator,
* in cold water,
* or in the microwave.
It's best to plan ahead for slow, safe thawing in the refrigerator. Small items may defrost overnight. After thawing, cook immediately.When microwave-defrosting food, plan to cook it immediately after thawing because some areas of the food may become warm and begin to cook during microwaving.

Hope this helps.
For more info visit: http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/FreezePage.htm

Ciao for now!

Baby food vegetable purees

Hi all

Here are a couple of simple baby food recipes to help introduce vegies to you baby. Experience has taught me with my 2 that this is by no way a guarantee that they will continue to each vegies once they become a little older - ARGH!

Carrot and parsnip puree
(suitable for 6 months plus)
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
1 parsnip, peeled and diced
1 Qubies (baby ice cube tray for baby food)

Simply steam or boil your vegetables until tender then, puree to the desired consistency. If you need to adjust the texture add some boiled water or baby's usual milk. If it is too watery add a couple of teaspoons of baby rice cereal to thicken. Cool and serve.
This is a perfect recipe to freeze, just place the left overs in your Qubies!


Broccoli and Cauliflower puree
(suitable for 6 months plus)
1 large floret of broccoli
1 large floret of cauliflower
1 Qubie

Simply steam or boil your vegetables until tender, then puree to the desired consistency. If you need to adjust the texture add some boiled water or baby's usual milk. If it is too watery add a couple of teaspoons of baby rice cereal to thicken. Cool and serve.
Again, perfect to freeze the leftovers for another time. Just pop leftovers in your Qubies.

Ciao for now!
x

Sweet Potato delight

Hi all

Flynn is nearly 11 months now so the super pureed baby food days are over..... BUT here is a fantastic easy recipe that combines fruit and veg for a yummy meal. Let me know what your baby thinks!

Ciao for now!

Sweet Potatoe, Apple and Rice
Suitable for baby 6 months onwards

1 apple, peeled and chopped
1/3 Sweet potato, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon rice
1 Qubies baby food freezer tray

Place all ingredients into a saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until tender and rice is soft. Drain any excess water. Puree to the desired consistency. Once cooled, serve to baby. Freeze the leftovers in your Qubies.

A little ray of Sunshine

Hi all

It's a cold windy rainy day in Melbourne brrrrr (but it was sunny 20 minutes ago) so I'm putting something bright and happy and summery for Flynn.
Stay warm!

Banana and Peach Sunshine
(suitable for babies 6 months +)

1 banana
1 peach (canned is fine)
Rice cereal (optional)
1 Qubie (ice cube freezer trays for baby food)

Simply mash / puree banana and peach together. If you find the consistency is too runny simply add some rice cereal to thicken it. Serve straight away!

Make sure you freeze the leftovers in your Qubies for tomorrow.

Idea: Add 1 or 2 cubes to natural yoghurt and serve!

Chicken for all

Hi all

I finally found my camera cable so I can transfer photos again - hooray. Problem is all baby food puree tends to look the same so I do apologise if you look at my fantastic photos and think "hmmmm, that looks just like pureed.......". When my life becomes calm again and I have as much free time as I had as a single person I think I'll definitely do a photography course - it's on my list of "to do" things! Sound familiar :)

In the meantime this is a great homemade chicken dish because it's super duper easy and it can have a dual purpose. Make a double batch and puree and freeze half for baby in your Qubies baby food container. Use the other half to make into Chicken pie. I make this recipe all the time as I can feed Flynn and because it's so simple I know that Tyler who is now 3 will also eat it! Once you've made it a few times, add your own vegies like peas or mushrooms to give it a bit more color and baby a bit more variety.

Chicken for all
(suitable for babies 7 months onwards)

4 Chicken thighs
1 tbs oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 small carrot, grated
1tbs flour
50gm butter
1.5 cup milk
100gm tasty cheese, grated
400ml can creamed corn
2 Qubies baby food container

Step one
Place chicken into a saucepan with water and simmer/poach until cooked through. Once cooked, remove from water and wait until chicken has cooled. Once cooled shred chicken by hand. Place shredded chicken into the blender.

Step two
Place oil in a fry pan with onion. Cook on a low heat for approx 10 mins until onion becomes translucent. Add carrots and continue to cook until carrots have softened. Place ingredients into the blender and wait.

Step three
To make Bechemel Sauce place butter in a saucepan and melt on a low heat. Add flour and stir for a couple of minutes. Add milk and continue to stir until mixture thickens. If it becomes too thick add some more milk. Once thick add cheese and creamed corn.

Step four
Add as much or as little sauce into the blender and you like. Blend all the ingredients to the desired consistency.

This is really really yummy. For Flynn I often will add cooked pasta or rice and freeze it with the chicken. It's perfect for freezing and I always make too much!

Happy cooking!