Baby food freezer storage bags


Buying Guide 2022: Best Baby Food Storage (6 expert tips)

The Best Baby Food Storage Containers for storing and freezing homemade baby food. Plus – 6 expert tips on how to store baby food, as well as a how-to guide on freezing and thawing your own baby food, FAQs, pros and cons and so much more!

Medically reviewed and co-written by Lauren Braaten, Pediatric Occupational Therapist (OT).

Best Baby Food Storage Containers

Want to make your own homemade baby food, but are not sure the best way to store it?

Then this post is for you!

Regardless if you are making homemade purees or going with the baby-led weaning approach to feeding your baby, you will need some small fridge and freezer-safe containers to store your baby’s food in.

Below you will find my tried-and-true storage containers at all price points, along with my guide on how to freeze and thaw baby food purees., FAQs, pros and cons of each container, as well as 6 tips on the best way to store baby food.

How to Make Baby Food Video

Watch this video to see how easy it is to make and store your own baby food!

Top Baby Food Freezer Storage Containers

If you just want to cut straight to the chase – these are our absolute favorite storage containers for baby food.

Baby Food Trays

WEESPROUT Silicone Baby Food Freezer Tray – great 10-sectioned baby food tray that holds 1.5oz each, but has a 1 oz fill line for smaller portions. Is made out of premium food-grade silicone and has a plastic lid for easy stacking. These trays or worth their price and we would recommend getting a couple of their fun color trays so you can easily stock up on your homemade baby food.

4 Pack of Silicone Ice Cube Molds Tray with Lid – This is a newer purchase for us and so far the quality has been great and you can’t beat the price for 4 trays! The trays are made out of food-grade silicone and BPA-free plastic and each cube gives you 1oz of baby food.

Glass Baby Food Storage

WEESPROUT Glass Baby Food Storage Containers – We absolutely love these jars! You get 12 colorful glass jars that hold 4oz each. Great for storing baby food purees as well as yogurts, overnight oats, chia seed pudding for toddlers and kids. While the price is a little high, you will get many years worth out of these jars. Well worth the investment in our opinion.

Babymoov Glass Food Storage Containers – I love that this set comes with two different sizes of containers – 4oz and 8oz. This is great if you have a baby that is a bigger eater and needs more than an ounce or two of purees at each meal.

Plastic Baby Food Containers

WEESPROUT Leakproof Baby Food Storage – just as amazing as their glass jars, just with a smaller price tag! This set comes with 12 colorful 4oz jars made out of BPA free high-quality polypropylene plastic. I also love that this plastic version is easier (and lighter) to toss into your diaper bag for a quick baby meal on the run.

OXO Tot Baby Blocks Freezer Storage Containers – a great smaller set that contains 4 – 4oz PVC, BPA, and phthalate-free jars and a storage tray. Great space-saver system that helps keep your jars of baby purees organized and tidy. Plus, you can easily stack more trays on top of each other if you need a bigger freezer stash.

Full Review of each Container: for our full reviews on each of the above products, including pros and cons, go to the end of this guide.

Other Helpful Tools
  • Stasher Bags – these silicone reusable bags can hold your frozen cubes of baby food purees.
  • ZipLock Bags – another option for storing your frozen purees in.

How to Freeze Baby Food

When making homemade baby food purees, your freezer is about to become your best friend, allowing you to keep several weeks’ worth of baby purees at the ready.

For more information on how to make your own baby food, check out my Ultimate Guide on Making Your Own Baby Food!

  • After making your puree, let it cool until just warm.
  • Spoon the puree into your choice of baby food storage container.
  • Cover your container with a lid or plastic wrap, and place in the freezer.
  • Let the puree freeze completely before you crack the purees out of the tray and place the cubes into a plastic freezer zip-lock or stasher bag. If using jars, the frozen purees would stay in the jars.
  • Label each bag or jar with the name of the puree and the date you made it.

How to Thaw Baby Food

Thawing may seem like a no-brainer, but it never hurts to know your options. There are three different ways to thaw purees:

Microwave

Take the frozen puree cubes that you want to serve out of your freezer, place them in a glass container, and microwave in 20-second increments, stirring every time. The puree is ready when it is just warm to your touch.

Grab two clean spoons, one for you and one for your baby, and test your puree before serving.

Some infants like their puree cold, warm, or really warm, and some will devour it no matter the temperature. You will get to know your baby’s personal preferences as the two of you bond over food.

Fridge

This one takes the longest time, but it is a great alternative to using a microwave.

Take the frozen puree cubes you want to serve out of your freezer, and place them in glass containers with airtight lids and leave in the fridge for 12 to 16 hours. Do not leave the puree in the container to thaw on the counter or anywhere out of the fridge, as bacteria will start to grow at a rapid rate – which is definitely not good.

The puree will be cold but thawed, so if your baby likes her puree warmed, you’ll have to finish the job using the microwave or stovetop method.

Stovetop

In the smallest saucepan, you can find, place the frozen puree cubes you want to serve, and gently thaw them on medium-low heat until warm, stirring occasionally.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long can you store homemade baby food?

You can store homemade purees in the fridge for up to 5 days or up to 4 months in the freezer. For small finger foods, depending on the item, you can store those in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Is it better to store baby food in glass or plastic?

You can do either! Just make sure to use plastic containers that are BPA-free and container no scratches or dents. To keep the plastic in tact, be sure to wash the containers by hand and do not place in the microwave.

6 Expert Tips on Storing Baby Food
  • Do Not Overfill: it’s important not to overfill any baby food storage container as the purees will expand slightly when freezing.
  • Label Purees: in order to know what you are feeding baby, it’s important to label your purees while they are freezing in the storage containers and when they are stored in freezer bags. Make sure you put the name of the puree as well as the date you made it on. Putting the date on it helps you remember when the puree will expire.
  • Keep Some/Freeze Some: whenever you make a puree, put several ounces in the fridge for your little one to enjoy that week, then freeze the rest of the batch for her to finish up at a later date.
  • Dedicate Space in Freezer: I found it helpful to dedicate a certain space in the freezer (a shelf or drawer) just for your homemade baby food purees. That way you don’t have to go rummaging around your freezer trying to find a puree when your baby is already hungry for dinner. I also found this helpful so that I could take a quick look in my freezer to know exactly how much purees we had on hand and when I would need to make some more.
  • Have Multiple Storage Containers on Hand: while not cheap, having multiple storage containers on hand is really needed to be able to have a good freezer stash of your own baby food. I usually recommend having at least 4 storage trays or 2 sets of jars. This way you can make and store a good amount of purees for the weeks ahead. With the trays, you will freeze the purees in them and then once frozen you can pop out the cubes and place them into a freezer bag, thus leaving you with more trays to work with. For the baby food jars, you will freeze the purees in the jars but they do not pop out, you have to thaw and serve the purees in order to get the jar ready for the next round of food. Either work great, just depends on how you work in your kitchen.
  • What to Look For: regardless of which jars or trays you go with, look for a freezer-safe and dish-washer-safe brand, cuz I know you have better things to do than handwash dishes!

More Resources

Here are some more in-depth guides that will help you feed your baby!

  • Best Spoons for Baby
  • 12 Best High Chairs for Baby
  • Best Sippy Cups for Baby
  • Best Baby Cereals
  • Beaba Babycook Neo Review

Key Features

  • Includes 10 sections that hold 1. 5 ounce each, with a 1-ounce fill line for smaller portions
  • 100% food-grade silicone
  • Reinforced bottom with a sturdy build for stacking multiple trays
  • Non-stick for easy food removal
  • Easy clip-on lid provides coverage
  • Dishwasher safe
  • Available in a variety of fun colors

Why Our Experts Love it

No more time spent looking for lost container lids! We love this compact, all-in-one baby food storage design. It’s ultra-durable, unbreakable, and made with 100% food-grade silicone, which means no harmful chemicals contacting your baby’s food.

Pros/Cons

Pros

  • Multiple sections make it possible to mix and match flavors for a balanced meal
  • 100% food-grade silicone
  • Sturdy design makes it easy to stack multiple trays at once
  • Comes with easy clip-on lid
  • Dishwasher safe

Cons

  • Lid is made of plastic, although contact with baby food is minimal to none, depending on how full you decide to fill containers

Parent’s Review

I’m really pleased with the baby food cube trays. I’ve now been using them for 2 weeks to do my batch cooking for my baby boy. They’re fantastic, good portion sizes, easy to remove and clean, great clip-on lid to prevent food from spilling out before frozen. I will most likely invest in a couple more trays in the near future.

-Jenni

WEESPROUT Silicone Baby Food Freezer Tray

No more making baby food every day or cleaning multiple containers throughout the week! Batch prep baby food, purees, breastmilk, and more – then store your food in the tray or transfer to a Ziploc bag for easy meals.

Amazon

Walmart

Key Features

  • Food grade silicone
  • Comes with removeable lid
  • Easy to stack and store in the freezer
  • Dishwasher safe

Why Our Experts Love it

The quality is great and you can’t beat the price for 4 trays! Each cube gives you 1 ounce of baby food for perfect portion sizing to help minimize waste.

Pros/Cons

Pros

  • Great price
  • Each tray has 14 small sections, giving you plenty of space for different baby food flavor combinations
  • Small portion size can be useful for other items, such has freezing bone broth, fresh herbs in olive oil or candy molds

Cons

  • Not made with the same high-qualilty materials as the trays marketed for baby food – which may not last as long.

Parent’s Review

I bought the trays to freeze my homemade baby food (thanks to COVID-19, I needed to save money and had the extra time). These trays are AMAZING! The lids made for easy stacking in the freezer. The cubes were very easy to pop out, definitely more sturdy than they feel, easy to clean, great colors, and can’t beat the price for he quality. I highly recommend this product!! Thank you!!

-Lacey

4 Pack of Silicone Ice Cube Molds Tray with Lid

These silicone ice cube molds are quite the bargain! The flexible silicone material shapes the bottom well, making it easy to release baby food.

Amazon

Key Features

  • Set of 12 glass baby food storage containers with lids
  • 4-ounce capacity jars with measurement markings
  • Made of food-grade glass
  • Airtight, twist-on lids
  • Microwave, freezer and dishwasher friendly
  • Also available in 8-ounce capacity

Why Our Experts Love it

We love these colorful, eco-friendly glass jars. They are great for storing baby food purees as well as yogurts, overnight oats, and chia seed pudding for toddlers and kids. They also come in a BPA-Free plastic version – WEESPROUT Leakproof Baby Food Storage.

Pros/Cons

Pros

  • Ultra-durable glass jars
  • Airtight twist-on lids helps keep food fresh
  • Convenient measurement markings lets you control the portion size
  • Jars are stackable for space saving

Cons

  • More expensive than other storage containers, although many reviewers feel their durability makes the investment well worth it

Parent’s Review

I’m thrilled at this product. I was looking for non-toxic, non-plastic container options to store baby food and to take to daycare. This has been an awesome solution! I love that I can store in freezer, write on lid, and thaw food in warmer without worrying about heating up plastic. The glass is sturdy, they look great, and I can reuse for more than just baby food. I’m really happy with this purchase. The package came safe with thoughtful minimal packaging. Love this eco-friendly, zero waste baby product. Wee Sprout has been excellent to work with and offers amazing customer service.

-Michelle

WeeSprout Glass Baby Food Storage Containers

WeeSprout Baby Food Storage Containers make batch preparing baby food quick and easy. Airtight lids keep food fresh, nutritious, and delicious longer.

Amazon

Walmart

Key Features

  • Set of 8 glass containers and lids (four, 4 ounce and four, 8 ounce containers)
  • Measurement markings on the jars
  • Leak proof lids
  • Made of environmentally-friendly glass, BPA and Phtalate free
  • Microwave, freezer and dishwasher safe

Why Our Experts Love it

We love that this set comes with two different sizes of containers – 4 ounce and 8 ounce. This is great if you have a baby that is a bigger eater and needs more than an ounce or two of purees at each meal.

Pros/Cons

Pros

  • Multi size pack provides convenience
  • Airtight screw top keeps food fresh
  • Stain resistant and free from harmful components
  • Stackable for easy storage

Cons

  • More expensive than other storage containers, although many reviewers feel their durability makes the investment well worth it

Parent’s Review

I bought a set to test out as reusable containers for my breast milk and I am not disappointed!! I love that they’re able to hold a good quantity of milk even more so than the baggies and the main reason I got them is because I can easily just wash them and reuse them…. they fit perfectly fine and could be easily stacked so I’d say they’re the perfect size!! The lid is a twist on so you don’t have to worry about leaks at all which was another important thing for me very easy to use clean and reuse… the best part is I can use them for this now and later on when needed I can use them for other things so I’ll be getting my money’s worth with them.

-Adriana

Babymoov Glass Food Storage Containers

Provides a healthy and easy way to store your baby’s meals, in addition to preserving the taste of food for longer. Stackable for easy storage and microwave, freezer, and dishwasher safe.

Amazon

Walmart

Related

Title of Related Post

Key Features

  • Set includes four, 4-ounce containers and stackable tray
  • Leak-proof seal
  • Measurement markings indicate portion sizes
  • BPA free
  • Microwave and dishwasher safe
  • Also available in 2-ounce capacity

Why Our Experts Love it

The OXO Tot Baby Blocks are a great smaller set if you don’t plan on making a lot of baby food or only making baby food occasionally. The space-saver system helps keep your jars of baby purees organized and tidy.

Pros/Cons

Pros

  • Airtight, watertight, leak-proof seal prevents spills in freezer or diaper bag
  • Stackable tray keeps containers stable and organized in the freezer
  • Measurement markings make portioning simple

Cons

  •  Some reviewers find that taking apart 3 pieces to wash can be tiresome, but does allow for a thorough cleaning

Parent’s Review

The quality of these containers is definitely much superior than the other cheap ones we see here on Amazon. Why buy a cheaper thing to your baby if you will be using these containers over an over again? Also they are beautiful and very easy to clean. They are so good that I decided to buy more sets, I have 2 of 4 oz containers and 2 of the 6 oz containers. For now, that my baby is 8 months old his meals are 4 oz but might improve in the future so I decided have those bigger ones and fill with whatever quantity I want now.

– Renata

OXO Tot Baby Blocks Freezer Storage Containers

Baby Blocks are airtight, watertight and leakproof for safe storage and spill-free outings. Blocks fit into the freezing tray, and multiple trays can be stacked to save space in the freezer.

Amazon

Walmart

Target

Tips on Freezing and Best Containers

Learn the secrets to storing and freezing homemade baby food for ultimate freshness—AND the best baby food storage containers to use to ensure that you never waste what you make!

Baby Food Storage

Going through the effort to make homemade baby food really only works if you have a good plan for how to store the food to ensure that it stays fresh and that baby has plenty of opportunities to enjoy it. After making a LOT of baby food for my third kiddo to send with him to daycare, I got into a good routine of making and storing baby food—both in the fridge and freezer. Here’s how you can do it too.

TIP: You can find my favorite baby food recipes here.

Homemade Baby Food Storage: In the Fridge

You can store baby food in the fridge in airtight containers for up to 3 days. You can use masking tape and a Sharpie to label the containers with the contents and the date if you have a hard time keeping track of when you made something. (It’s definitely helpful to do that!)

Best Baby Food Storage Containers

I have a four favorite baby food storage containers that I use regularly.

1. Wean Green Baby Food Cubes

These are small, incredibly durable, and made from glass. They’re easy to clean and last forever. (Seriously, I’ve been using the same set for 7 years and they’re still as good as new!) $19.99 for a set of 4

2. Easy Lunchboxes Mini Dippers

These small containers are a perfect size for 1-2 frozen baby food cubes and they’re my go to for packing food for a baby to take to daycare. They also nest nicely when stored in the cabinet. $7.95 for a set of 8

3. Beaba Food Storage Containers

I have two sets of these and I use them regularly for larger amounts of baby food (you could probably fit 4 cubes of frozen food) and for toddler snacks. When assembled, they snap together, so they’re an easy way to stay organized. $14.95 for a set of 6

4. Oxo Tot Baby Food Blocks

This neat system is easy to keep contained in the fridge and is also made from a polypropylene body that is PVC, BPA, and phthalate free. They are dishwasher and microwave safe. $9.99 for a set of 6

Homemade Baby Food Storage: For Freezing

Storing homemade baby food in the freezer allows you to make a bigger batch at once, and then serve it to baby over the course of a few weeks or months.The easiest way is to use an ice cube tray, which has the added benefit of portioning out the baby food nicely.

TIP: Any ice cube tray will do. You can use silicone ice cube trays if you prefer a non-plastic option.

Baby Food Storage Without An Ice Cube Tray

If you don’t have an ice cube tray or you’d just rather not use one, you can place a predetermined amount of baby food into a pint-size freezer bag. Remove as much air as possible, press flat, and seal. Place flat in the freezer to freeze. Then you can thaw the entire bag in the fridge overnight, or break off a portion of it to thaw.

How to Store Baby Food in the Freezer Step by Step

  1. Place baby food into each compartment of the ice cube tray, or fill as many as you need to with the amount of baby food you have.
  2. Cover (if your ice cube tray has a cover) and freezer for 4-6 hours or overnight.
  3. Pop out frozen cubes and transfer to freezer storage bags. Label as desired with the type of baby food and the date.
  4. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

TIP: I like to have a bag of sweet fruit purees and more savory vegetable purees to avoid having too many separate bags in the freezer at any given time. Then you can combine them into baby food combinations easily!

How to Thaw Baby Food

To thaw baby food, simply remove a cube (or as many as you need) and place into airtight containers. Thaw overnight in the fridge and serve. 1 cube may be plenty for a baby aged 6-7 months and older babies may enjoy two cubes.

Tips for the Best Baby Food Storage

  • Keep fresh baby food in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge.
  • Use a regular ice cube tray to freeze, a silicone ice cube tray with a lid, or a small freezer bag with the contents pressed flat.
  • Store frozen baby food in a freezer storage bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.
  • To avoid freezer burn, try to remove as much air as possible from the storage bags.
  • Label your bags with the contents and the date.
  • To thaw baby food, simply remove a cube (or as many as you need) and place into airtight containers. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
  • Use leftover baby food to flavor yogurt, baby oatmeal, baby rice cereal, smoothies, or cottage cheese.
  • See some of my favorite Baby Food Pouch recipes here for more ideas on how to serve your baby food!

I’d love to hear your feedback if you have another storage technique or container that you love, so please comment below!

How to store milk formula? — Bellakt

Proper storage of milk formula largely determines its quality and, as a result, ensures the baby's nutritional safety. Strictly adhere to the manufacturer's recommendations when storing dry and diluted mixtures.

9006 Baby dry mixes "Bellakt" are produced in cardboard boxes with foil bags. nine0006 Therefore, closed dry mixes are recommended to be stored in a dry, cool place within the expiration date indicated on the packaging.

Never use expired meals!

Keep the opened package in a dry, dark, cool place at a temperature not higher than +25ºС and air humidity not higher than 85%. Avoid exposure to direct sunlight.

9006 The best place for storage is a closed kitchen cabinet away from the stove. Do not store the mixture in the refrigerator as the high humidity may cause it to clump. nine

After opening the inner pouch, keep the product tightly closed and out of the reach of children.

Use the contents of the opened package within 20 days.

Even if you still have formula after this period, do not feed it to your baby. The mixture is packed by the manufacturer in a vacuum environment. After opening the package, the substances that make up the mixture interact with atmospheric oxygen, resulting in a change in their physical and chemical properties. For an adult, such changes may not be noticeable, but the baby's body reacts sharply to all changes in its familiar environment. nine

In addition to the mixture itself, it is important to properly store all the accessories necessary for its preparation - spoons, nipples, bottles. It is optimal to take a special container for them or store them in a sterilizer.

Remember that only clean, dry hands can measure and dilute the mixture. Otherwise, there is an increased risk of pathogenic organisms entering the dry food, for which a mixture rich in nutrients is a favorable environment for reproduction and growth. How to store the finished product? nine0006
Can formula be stored and if so, for how long?
This question often comes to the manufacturer from parents.

9006 The mixture is recommended to be prepared immediately before use and it is not recommended to use the remains of the mixture for subsequent feeding. nine

But this possibility is not always available.

9006 The European Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) issued recommendations in 2004 according to which reconstituted dry formula can be stored in a sealed bottle at room temperature for no more than 4 hours. In the refrigerator at temperatures up to +4°C, the finished mixture can be stored for 30 hours. nine

But this is only if the bottle is tightly closed with a sterilized cap, and the baby did not eat from the bottle.

9006 If the child even drank a little from the bottle, it cannot be stored, because the risk of developing pathogenic microorganisms increases. nine

One of the options for safe feeding a child outside the home (on a long walk, on the road, in a clinic, etc. ) is to take water and dry formula separately. Pour the required amount of formula for one feeding into a sterilized bottle and close tightly. Pour boiled water heated to +50°C into a thermos. When the baby is hungry, dilute the mixture. nine0006

Councils for storage of children's mixture:

- use the mixture only within the expiration date indicated on the packaging;
- store the opened mixture for no more than 20 days; nine0125

- store the mixture in a dry, dark, cool place in an airtight container. The optimum storage temperature is from +1 to +25°C. Do not store the mixture in the refrigerator, near the stove or near heating appliances;

- do not store the mixture next to flour and cereal products, vegetables, fruits and mushrooms in order to avoid contamination of baby food by insects;

- The mixing spoon must be dry and clean. If moisture gets into the powder, it may deteriorate earlier than the deadline; nine0006
- Prepare formula just before each feeding.


    How much and where to store baby food in jars?

    Some manufacturers write detailed storage guidelines for sealed and unopened baby food directly on the label. These rules must be observed, even if they differ from the rules for storing similar products from other manufacturers. If there is no detailed instruction, use the following recommendations. nine0125

    Once again, we remind you that even unopened packaging must be stored in a dark, cool place. At temperatures above +25°C, products may deteriorate even in their original packaging.

    Porridges for breeding:

    • The main enemy of dry mixes and porridges is moisture. Therefore, always make sure that the spoon for the porridge set is absolutely dry, and the bag itself is tightly closed after use;
    • Try to release as much excess air as possible before closing, so that moisture from it is not absorbed into the product; nine0450
    • Keep an opened bag of porridge in a dry place at room temperature. There is no need to store cereals in the refrigerator, they quickly become damp and spoil there;
    • Ready diluted porridge can be stored for no more than an hour or two. An opened package can be stored for 2-3 weeks (see manufacturer's instructions). But if after a few days you notice that the powder has become damp, lumps are noticeable in it - throw it away. Even if the product looks normal, but was opened more than three weeks ago, it is dangerous to feed it to a child. You can use leftovers in adult homemade cakes. nine0450

    Choose cereals for your baby

    Industrial purees

    Unopened can can be stored at room temperature in a dark place. An opened jar of fruit and vegetable puree will live in the refrigerator for no more than a day, and only if you follow simple rules.

    Select baby puree

    Do not bottle feed your baby. Put the desired portion with a clean spoon into a separate container, close the jar with the rest and put it in the refrigerator. Reheat reserved food if needed. You don't need to heat the whole jar. nine0125

    If you fed your baby directly from the jar, the shelf life of such puree is only a few hours even in the refrigerator, because the baby's saliva and bacteria got into the food on the spoon.

    Important!

    The shelf life of mashed meat after opening is only 24 hours, subject to the same rules. If you bought puree in a metal package, be sure to transfer it to a clean, dry jar and close the lid. It is undesirable to store opened puree in its original packaging and it is recommended to use it immediately. Closed - store in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. nine0125

    Homemade cereals

    Same rules as for diluted cereals. In the process of cooking, the porridge is ground with a blender and rubbed through a sieve. At this time, microorganisms get into the porridge from the air, so you can’t store such porridge for a long time.

    Home-made puree

    It is possible to increase the shelf life if the finished puree is poured into small sterilized containers, covered with cling film and immediately put in the freezer.


    Learn more