Making Baby Food in Bulk: Save Time & Money
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As a busy mom of 3 under 5, I don’t have much down time.
Scratch that–I have NO down time.
This stage of life is intense, people. Multitasking has been taken to a new level. Just the other day I found myself playing catch, folding laundry, talking on the phone and entertaining a cooing infant all at the same time.
Life right now moves fast and I am in awe that my infant is already eating solids. To save time and money, I prefer to make my own baby food in bulk at home. This may seem like a daunting task for someone who has never cooked this way so I wanted to walk you through what it looks like to cook baby food in bulk and freeze portions for months to come.
Before I dive it, it’s worth mentioning the value of having a big secondary freezer for the busy seasons of life like the one I am in.
Making food in bulk and freezing it has become a lifestyle and I simply couldn’t do it without a quality secondary freezer like the Frigidaire Gallery® 2-in-1 Freezer/Refrigerator. It’s got the space and flexibility for freezer meals, stocking up on fruits and veggies while they are in season and of course, baby food!
Cooking Baby Food in Bulk
Tonight’s menu plan for my family calls for Sweet Potato Quick Biscuits. Since I’m already baking sweet potatoes for this recipe, I’m going to throw a few more in the oven for a baby food recipe that I will eventually freeze. I call this one, Sweet Potato Apple Mash.
As long as your potatoes are stored correctly (in an airtight container of some type), they should be good for up to 10-12 months.
So, is making your own baby food really worth it?
Costs will differ from recipe to recipe but I ran the numbers on this sweet potato apple mash recipe and compared it to a store bought sweet potato apple squeeze pack.
I found that one 4 ounce organic squeeze pack typically costs $1.25. On the flip side, to make 4 ounces of my organic sweet potato apple mash costs around $.50. So basically, you are saving $.75 for every single portion you make!
You can imagine the savings making your own baby food can accrue over time, right? High fives all around!
This is just one example of thousands of recipes you can make for your little eater.
Simply make it a habit to double up (or triple up) on what you are already making for dinner, blend it up a bit and store in your freezer. Easy peasy!
How to Make Sweet Potato Apple Mash:
Cook three medium sized sweet potatoes at 400 degrees for about an hour (or until softened all the way through). Let them cool and remove the skin.
In either a food processor or blender, combine the cooked sweet potatoes and 1.5 cups of organic apple sauce. Process as little or as much as you want to achieve your desired texture.
If using a blender, you may need to add a little moisture to get it mixing. You can use water, breast milk or formula. Your choice!
Divide the mix into small portions and freeze! This recipe makes about 4 cups of baby food.
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Homemade sweet potato apple mash is baby food at its absolute best.
Ingredients
- 3–4 medium sized sweet potatoes
- 1.5 cups organic apple sauce
Instructions
- Wash sweet potatoes well and poke a few holes at the top
- Bake potatoes at 400 degrees for about an hour or until softened to the touch
- Let cool and remove skin
- Put cooked sweet potatoes into blender or food processor and add apple sauce
- Process until desired consistency
What Should I Freeze Baby Food In?
Here are a few freezing options that I like to use:
- Glass Storage Containers: I like these because they are safe to use and easy to see what is inside. It’s easy to thaw individual portions in the fridge beforehand too.
- Silicone Baby Food Storage: These storage containers make it easy to store in bulk and pop out one portion at a time. They also stack nicely in the freezer.
- Ice Cube Trays: These are a simple solution if you don’t have other storage containers on hand that will work. Simply freeze food in the trays and then move them to an airtight container of some type. I prefer to use plastic storage bags.
- Muffin Pan: You can even use a simple muffin pan to freeze baby food. Similar to the ice cube trays, simply freeze the food and then move the portions to an airtight container of some type.
Thanks to my Frigidaire Freezer, when dinner time hits, I simply pull out a few different portions of frozen baby food, warm them up and serve my infant his dinner along with the rest of us!
Hop over to Frigidaire.com to learn more about the different secondary freezers you could have in your home.
You are ladies after my own heart! I was already in love with your blog, but the baby food post takes the cake! I am beginning that season of motherhood and just do not see the point in buying baby food when I can just modify what I already make for my husband and I. Love these tips!!
You’re on the exact right track, Haley. No need to buy the expensive and less nutritive baby food at the store. I didn’t learn that until my 2nd and 3rd kids, unfortunately. But, I usually just added a little filtered water to whatever veggie, fruit, and sometimes meat we were eating at dinner, mashed it up well with a fork, and let them have at it. As they got a little older, I left it chunkier (yet made sure it was very soft) and let them feel the texture more with their hands and mouths. Ironically (or maybe not so ironically), both of my younger kids are much more willing to try new foods than my oldest who only ate yucky store-bought baby food for a long, long time.