Baby Food-Freezing Chart, Thawing and Heating Directions

 Freezing Chart, Thawing and Heating Directions for Baby Food

So now you ask... I have made the baby food-- How long can I store it and how do I defrost it?

You will find a list below of foods that do and do not freeze, along with how to defrost the baby food, and how long it can be stored in the fridge.

Here is a chart of the foods that do and do not freeze well.

Pureed foods that freeze well (browning is not indicative of rot but of natural oxidization - that is unless you have used rotten fruit to begin with.)	Puréed foods that we find do not freeze very well
Apples (may turn brown - freeze in slices for a nice teething reliever in a baby safe feeder)	Apricots (may not freeze solid and texture may be altered, otherwise ok)
Avocados (may turn brown when pureed, otherwise ok - best frozen in halves with a bit of lemon juice)	Citrus such as Orange, Tangerine or Grapefruit
Bananas (may turn brown when pureed, otherwise ok - freeze bananas whole in their jackets for less waste - cut in half, wrap then freeze)	Dairy products (may freeze yogurt - texture and color may change, otherwise ok)
Banana mixed with other fruits	Eggs (cook whole egg or just yolk and then freeze without pureeing.)
Blueberries	Melon (may become watery and taste/texture may change - ok to freeze if not puréed)
Broccoli	Grapes (freeze whole or halved)
Cauliflower	Potatoes - White (difficult to reconstitute when frozen in puréed form otherwise ok to freeze - may thaw and heat up with a mealy texture)
Carrots	Prunes (may not freeze solid and texture may be altered, otherwise ok)
Corn	Rice (difficult to reconstitute when frozen in puréed form otherwise ok to freeze)
Green Beans
Mangos	Mangos (great in chunked form - watery and gritty when in pureed form)
Meats	Meats may become gritty when thawed otherwise they are fine.
Nectarines (may turn brown and taste may change - mixed results)
Noodles - freeze "whole"	Noodles - do not freeze well when pureed.
Peaches	Papaya (great in chunked form - watery and gritty when in pureed form)
Pears (may turn brown and taste may change - mixed results - freeze in slices then mash for best bet)
Peas
Plums (may turn brownish and taste may change - mixed results)	Squash - Zucchini & Summer (yellow) (may turn extremely watery when thawed and some taste may suffer
Rice (freeze it without pureeing and then puree when thawed for a nice taste/texture)	Tofu (color changes and texture becomes spongy - still ok to eat however)
Squash - Acorn, Butternut, Winter
Sweet Potato

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Thawing and Heating of Homemade Baby Food

When thawing or heating baby food cubes, take out as many cubes that you will feed your baby for 1 or 2 days. 

Transfer the cubes to a storage container and let the cubes thaw in the refrigerator.  You may even wish to transfer the cubes to a glass bowl and then thaw them in the microwave. We'll discuss the various methods below.

Microwave Thawing and Heating of Homemade Baby Food

If you do not wish to use a microwave to thaw your baby food cubes, you may thaw your baby food cubes in the refrigerator over night (ensure that the cubes remain a closed container and not in an uncovered bowl) as mentioned.

If you are using a microwave to thaw or reheat baby food cubes, be sure to stir food to ensure no hot-pockets are left to burn baby. Always warm baby food cubes in a glass bowl and not in plastic containers as research indicates glass is safer.

Many parents do not like to use the microwave for a variety of reasons. It is up to you to decide if heating or thawing your baby food cubes in the microwave is right for you and your baby.

** We do not and will not make any statements concerning the use of the microwave. The research is simply too conflicting and much of it is not reputable.**

For cooking, we prefer to bake when possible (for optimal nutrient retention) and steam when possible. For thawing and heating, we use the fridge and pots and pans. We use the microwave for heating on occasion but mostly just for reheating teas and coffees. This is just our personal choice.

Refrigerator Thawing of Homemade Baby Food Cubes

If you do not wish to use a microwave to thaw your baby food cubes, you may thaw your baby food cubes in the refrigerator over night (ensure that the cubes remain a closed container and not in an uncovered bowl).

Submersion or Warm Water Thawing of Baby Food Cubes

You may also place the cubes in a small bowl and then place the bowl in a larger bowl filled with hot water. Thawing baby food cubes using this "submersion method" should take between 10-20 minutes. You can also do this with a pan of warm water on the stove; add the smaller bowl to a pot of water that you have warmed.

*Thawing food on your kitchen counter is never recommended as bacteria or other contaminants may get into the food.

*You should not feed your baby from the container and then re-store the container that baby has been fed from. Saliva may contaminate the food and bacteria may evolve. Always take the portions you will serve from the container and transfer to a feeding bowl.

*Please keep in mind that reheating baby food cubes is NOT necessary.  Baby food cubes may be served at room temperature once they have been thawed. Many babies enjoy room temperature foods.

 

 

How Long is it Safe to Keep Thawed Baby Food in the Refrigerator

Thawed homemade baby food is just like other food that you have cooked, frozen and then thawed.

Thawed homemade baby food may safely be kept in the refrigerator for 72 hours maximum.

Ensure that the thawed baby food is kept in a sealed container to avoid contamination.

Sites I found this information:

Wholesome Baby