Make Your Own Baby Food

In just a few weeks our family will have a new addition. Our youngest son and his wife are expecting a wee little baby. One thing that I know that we will do is to offer the baby the best. One way we do this is by making our own baby food. Have you ever thought about making your own baby food?? Start with this great recipe for steamed applesauce for baby 

• Steamed recipes can be made in food steamers, or if you do not have one try a metal colander resting over a pot of simmering water. This delicious applesauce recipe is made by steaming. No need to add sugar                                                                                                                                                                          
  

  

            

2 to 3 apples … seed, peel and cut into quarters                                                      1 stick of cinnamon                                                                                                   1 tsp.. lemon zest                                                                                                       Water for boiling. 

In a pot, add the ingredients and cook apples until they are completely cooked through. Once the apples are cooked, remove from heat. Let it cool down. Remove the cinnamon stick. Blend the apples with some of the water that they were cooked in. 

Once the apples are cooked, remove from heat and let it cool down Remove the cinnamon stick. Blend the apples with some of the water that they were cooked in until smooth. 

• Steamer: I like my Black & Decker food steamer, but you really don’t need a separate appliance. Inexpensive alternatives include a traditional expandable steamer or a metal colander resting in a pot with a couple inches of simmering water.
• Slow cooker: I love making dinner in my slow cooker, but it’s also great for making baby food because I can leave food cooking for a long time – and sometimes foods take a long time to get soft enough for baby (like apples, peas, and prunes).
• Food mill and/or Food processor and/or Blender: I actually have a large food mill, a 7-cup food processor, a 2-cup electric food mill, a 3-cup mini-chopper, a regular blender, and a hand blender. You definitely don’t need all of them to make baby food. I use my food mill for applesauce, corn, peas, green beans, and anything that might have a component that should be removed before being served to baby. I use my large food processor for big batches of squash, carrots, peaches, etc. And I use my electric food mill for things I want to serve fresh, like avocados and bananas. I never reach for my mini-chopper or blenders when I’m making baby food. I would recommend the large food mill over a food processor since foods that can go in the food processor can also go through a food mill. But if you already have a food processor, you may want to consider Kidco’s manual food mill. I’ve never used it myself but I’ve heard some good things about it.
• Ice cube trays: Any ice cube trays will do, and they don’t have to be specially made for baby food. Trays with covers are convenient if you want to leave the cubes in the tray, but I usually dump them into a labeled zip top freezer bag so I can use the tray for another batch. (I’ve reviewed Kidco and Fresh Baby trays here and trays from the Container Store here.)
• Masking tape and a permanent marker: I’ve included these items in the list to emphasize how important it is to label the food before you freeze it. Trust me, it can be surprisingly difficult to tell peaches and pears apart, not to mention carrots and butternut squash, peas and green beans, and so on. Don’t forget to write the date down too, since it’s best to use the food up within 30 days or so, and always within 3 months (per WholesomeBabyFood.com). I also keep a list on the freezer door of foods that are inside along with the date that I made them so I know what needs to be used up

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