Can you freeze gerber baby food

How to preserve Gerber and other food for your baby

It’s been a while! Today I’m just going to share some ways to preserve homemade and processed baby food like Gerber. My daughter is about to be 8 months by the end of this month and we noticed that she always gets interested in solid foods more than breast milk now. However, she just eats small portions of food most of the time.

Whenever I buy food for her, I always get the bigger package because that’s more practical. I didn’t realize that it’s so unpractical to have leftovers because it has to be thrown away. As you could see most the processed baby food can only last for 2 days when refrigerated. If you’ll check the example below, it says you can only keep it in the fridge within 48 hours.

Having that said, I decided to buy food containers to store my baby’s food. There are three questions below that we’ll answer.

1. Why do we need to know how to store our baby’s food?

It’s practical to portion our baby’s food to avoid leftovers
It will lessen our prep up time because all we need to do is to thaw and reheat the food
It’s more manageable
And it will prolong the shelf life of our baby’s food.

2. What do we need to store the food properly?

First, we must have clean and freezer-safe containers. In my case, I use a hard plastic BPA-free container. There are several options for containers in the market. I’ll include some related items below in this post.
If it’s going to be homemade baby food, cook and prepare it first. Let it cool down for a while to avoid getting moist in the containers. Once it has cooled down, transfer it in portions on the containers. Make sure that it is closed tightly to avoid any contamination.
If it’s commercial baby food, just transfer it in portions on the containers and freeze it.
If there are no tiny containers available for portioning, just put it on a freezer-safe container and make sure that it is clean and tightly closed all the time. You can scoop it like ice cream whenever you need some portions of it.
Other moms use ice cube containers and wrap them with cling wrappers.
You can store it the way you want it. Just make sure that your containers are clean, freezer safe, and always tightly closed.
Do not use glass containers.
Do not refreeze thawed portions and any leftovers.
Add some labels for the date it was processed and what it is.

3. How long will it be preserved?

Food that is stored in the freezer can last up to 3 to 6 mos. But of course the shorter the better.
Food that was thawed on the fridge can only last for 48 hours.
Any unusual refusal of the baby towards the food means that it’s no longer good.
Any unusual smell or discoloration of food may need to be disposed of.

So there you go! It’s very simple and safe to freeze out some food for your baby. It saves time and easier to prepare.

Upon checking Cerelac or any instant baby food formula is not good for freezing. Anyway, that is easier to prepare but honestly, I don’t like that for my baby. Not because it is bad for babies and not that I am against the brand. It’s just that I find the taste similar to other flavors. Yeah! I always try my baby’s food. Hahaha.

I hope this helps. I guess other sites have discussed this already, but I found one site about freezing commercial baby food. So I guess not everyone may not be aware of that. Kindly like and share. Cheers!

Like this:

Like Loading...

YouTube Video VVU2a1plWjdySVYwSU9KaHlpUHpEdmRBLk5jdDAyS01SbWd3 YouTube Video VVU2a1plWjdySVYwSU9KaHlpUHpEdmRBLlUxeWVWek9qSndv YouTube Video VVU2a1plWjdySVYwSU9KaHlpUHpEdmRBLms0VEhubXJoWlJN

Partners

Travel in the Philippines

Like us on Facebook

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Email Address

Join 3,020 other subscribers

Most Recent

How to Freeze Baby Food- Everything You Need to Know

Freezing Homemade Baby Food

There are some important freezing guidelines that you must follow.
This page outlines some common questions asked about freezing homemade baby food and even provides a chart of the foods that will and will not freeze nicely (Homemade Baby Food Cubes Freezing Chart – opens in a new page)

How long will baby food [cubes] keep in the freezer & refrigerator?

Freezer: 3-6 months (ideally use within 1-3 months)
Refrigerator (fruits / veggies): 48 hours
Refrigerator (meat, poultry, fish eggs): 24 hours

For optimal quality and nutrient retention, keep frozen baby food cubes in the freezer for a maximum of 3 months.
Baby food cubes are safe to remain in the freezer from 3 to 6 months. Using baby food cubes within 1 month to 3 months is really more prudent. Due to the amount of water crystals that tend to build up with baby food purees, and due to the fact that nutrients may leach/evaporate upon thawing because of the water crystals, it is more prudent to use your frozen baby foods cubes as soon as possible – 3 months of storage tops. We always recommend using within 1 month if at all possible.
Many authoritative guidelines will say that most fruits and veggies will keep from 8 to 12 months in the freezer. This is mostly true of foods that are frozen in their natural state. This is also assuming that the freezer remains at a constant sub-zero temperature. Storing foods in a deep freezer is best should you wish to keep frozen foods for that time frame.
Remember that when certain books give freezer time guidelines, they rely on the typical guidelines for fruits/veggies that have NOT been cooked and turned into purees.

How long with baby food cubes keep in the refrigerator?

In the refrigerator, it is recommended that fresh pureed homemade baby food be stored no longer than 48 hours (many food safety authorities say that 72 hour is fine.). This limit ensures that bacteria growth in the puree is kept to a minimum and that the food does not take on the “taste of the fridge”. This “rule” applies for veggies, fruits, meats etc.
If you do not plan to freeze your homemade baby food, I suggest that you make the puree on a day to day, or every other day, basis.
For example, one sweet potato may be baked and then you may freeze one half without pureeing it and then puree the other half. This method will help cut down “waste” and also allow for food safety.

Can I safely use frozen vegetables or fruits to make baby food purees and refreeze them?

YES. You can refreeze frozen veggies & fruits. Using frozen fruits and vegetables is the second best option to using fresh foods. The process of flash-freezing (foods being frozen at a very low temperature and frozen very quickly) actually preserves and allows for optimal nutrient retention.
One of the most commonly asked question is “Can I safely use frozen vegetables or fruits to make baby food purees and refreeze them?”. There are no studies or research to show that refreezing is negative and/or may adversely affect health. The caveat is that you must cook the foods prior to refreezing them. Frozen vegetables and fruits are NOT COOKED prior to being frozen.
Picked at the peak of freshness, a vast majority of frozen veggies are flash frozen either right in the fields or in the warehouse close by. “Fresh” veggies may sit around in trucks and warehouses and criss-cross the country before it even makes it to your table.
Frozen veggies are NOT cooked when packaged and so they must be cooked prior to eating. Please be sure to read the label of your frozen veggie bags as a few brands of frozen veggies may be pre-cooked; you would not want to refreeze these.
The fact is, cooking foods deplete more nutrients than does freezing foods. Contrary to myth, freezing foods (fruits and vegetables in particular) does NOT deplete 100% of that food’s vitamins and minerals. The process of freezing, if kept at a constant 0 degree temp does not contribute to a TOTAL loss of nutrients – if it did, then the majority of the population would be malnourished as we rely on and eat a large amount of frozen foods.
If you ever forget what the “rule” is, remember this example : you can take out a roast that was frozen uncooked & raw, thaw it, cook it and then freeze the leftovers for another meal. Once you have thawed the leftovers, you should never re-freeze the leftover-leftovers.

The package says not to refreeze. Question received from one of our visitors:

Q. Just reading the section on using frozen food to make baby food and then refreezing. I was just concerned because on the package (Green Giant Peas) it says to not refreeze thawed product. Do you know why that is??
A. You should never refreeze a thawed product, that is correct. Refreezing thawed products may affect the taste and quality (and possibly very minutely, the nutritional value) of the product. You should ALWAYS cook a thawed product prior to re-freezing it. Cooking a thawed product will allow you to then re-freeze it for one cycle.
Keeping a bag of frozen veggies or fruits on makes it simple for you to serve up a meal. You don’t have to puree the whole bag, just cook and use a handful at a time.

Freezing Homemade Baby Food – The Ice Cube Tray/Freezer Bag Method:

Using this method, you spoon or pour your baby food purees into regular ice cube trays and then cover with plastic wrap.
Prior to using your ice cube trays, you want to thoroughly cleanse them with warm soapy water and/or run them through the dishwasher on the sanitize setting. Some parents have even submerged their ice cube trays in boiling water for sanitizing (note: please make sure that the manufacturer of the trays indicates it is ok to boil the trays.)

Learn more about baby food purees and storage here

The ice cube tray method of storing homemade baby food offers you many advantages.

Each cube is approximately 1+ ounces, allowing you to have an idea of the amount of food your baby is consuming.
There is minimal waste as you use only 1 cube at a time and will not have to toss away much food; such as you toss away when using commercial foods.
Another advantage is that you probably have ice cube trays on hand and will not need to go out and buy them.
Once the purees have been frozen in the trays, you simply pop out the cubes and use as needed. Using this method also allows you to make several trays at a time so your time spent in the kitchen making baby food is decreased.

You may transfer the baby food cubes into freezer bags, freeing up your trays for the next batch of food as well as freeing up some freezer space.

If using the freezer bag method for your food cubes, be sure to label the bags with the type of food and also date the bags. This will help you to quickly grab a cube from a bag of veggie and a bag of fruit without having to guess what you have in the bags. It also allows you to keep track of the length of time the food cubes have been in the freezer.
Learn more about Homemade Baby Food Storage Methods

My baby food cubes are frosty and have ice crystals on them – Do my homemade baby food cubes have freezer burn?

Don’t be alarmed if you see ice crystals forming on your baby food cubes. As mentioned earlier, this is NOT freezer burn rather it is the excess liquid used to make the puree that rises and freezes at the top of the cubes. These crystals or frost are not dangerous and will not make your baby food cubes inedible or harmful.

Freezer Burn – What is it and How may I spot it?
Freezer burn looks like grayish brown spots on the frozen item. It appears as a leathery type texture and is easily noticeable. Crystals on frozen foods are not freezer burn but are a result of any excess liquids being frozen and forming ice crystals.
Freezer burn does not make a frozen food harmful; it simply makes the areas affected very dry. The only thing that may suffer in foods that have a lot of freezer burn is the quality. You can cut away the burned portions and still be able to use the unaffected area of the food.
Freezer burn results when excess air in the frozen package descends on the food. Try to eliminate air pockets in the packages you will be freezing to help stop freezer burn.

Can I use glass jars for freezing homemade baby food? Can I use Gerber/Beechnut glass jars?

Glass that is not specifically manufactured for freezing has the unfortunate ability to crack, leave behind tiny, microscopic shards and fragments and also is prone to bursting. Baby food jars are not manufactured for freezing or for extreme heating. BALL, makers of home canning products, manufactures 4 ounce jars specifically for freezing as do other manufactures.
Many people do freeze in baby food jars but I do not advocate this whatsoever. After all, you’re making baby’s food because you want the best nutrition and health for your little one; why take a risk by freezing in jars? There are glass jars on the market that are specifically manufactured for freezing and those jars should pose no hazards at all.
Gerber containers do not have any specific markings or labeling to indicate that they are good for either temperature extremes. I have emailed Gerber and they have said that they do not recommend using their containers for storage at either temperature extremes such as freezing or extreme heat (microwaving). Feel free to contact Gerber as they were very quick with their reply to us. I do not advocate freezing foods in any container that is not specifically labeled for freezing.

There are certain “grades” of plastics that are specifically manufactured to withstand high temperatures and/or freezing. You may look on the bottom of the containers for the plastic symbol and then look the symbol up here at American Plastics Council. Please note that these codes do not necessarily mean that the container you are using is 100% safe for heating or freezing; the codes will give you a baseline to help with your decision.

What is the “rule” for freezing Meat Purees or Meat Combinations?

Meat Purees and Meat “Dinners” that you have mixed may be frozen just as you would fruits or veggies or combinations. It is safe to freeze meats that have been frozen when raw and uncooked, thawed, cooked and then puréed.

You should not freeze meat purees from meats that have been frozen when raw, thawed, cooked and then frozen and then, thawed again.
If you ever forget what the “rule” is, remember that you can take out a raw frozen roast, thaw it, cook it and then freeze the leftovers for another meal.
Once you have thawed the leftovers, you must use them within 48 hours; you should never re-freeze the leftover-leftovers.

Can I Use Previously Frozen Breast Milk or Formula to Make and then Freeze Baby’s Vegetable or Fruit Purees?

You should not use Previously Frozen Breast Milk to thin purées that you will then be freezing into baby food cubes.

Breast Milk should never be re-frozen in any way or form. Using formula to thin and then freeze Purées is acceptable.

Formula
You may freeze purees that have been mixed with formula. Formula should not be frozen in the form of bottles or cans. For example, you should not freeze formula bottles that you have mixed nor should you stock up on pre-mixed formula and freeze that. As the formula companies note, freezing formula causes a separation of the fats from the liquid and texture suffers. There is no health risk to freezing formula, just texture and quality. Think of it as the same as freezing a gallon of milk – it’s not dangerous but it makes the quality of the milk suffer.

The Enfamil website notes:

“Freezing of any Enfamil formula is NOT recommended. Freezing infant formula can lead to physical property changes like fat separation, which may prove difficult for sensitive infants to digest. Freezing will not extend the expiration date of the formula.” “Freezing of our products may cause loss of desirable appearance and functionality (though not nutrition), and is not recommended.” Clinical Frequently Asked Questions, Storing Enfamil

The International Formula Council Notes:

“Should Infant Formula Be Frozen? The use of infant formula after freezing is not recommended. Although freezing does not affect nutritional quality or sterility, physical separation of the product’s components may occur. ” http://www.infantformula.org/faqs.html#14

It might be easier to freeze your purees without adding any extra liquids. If need be, thin your puree food cube(s) when it comes time to feed your baby. Should you decide to do this, you simply thaw the “un-thinned” food cubes and then thin the food cubes to the desired texture that your infant requires.

Want to make your own baby food? Visit our blog on making your own baby food purees and storage

More Resources About Freezing Food and Food Safety

USDA Freezing Guidelines
Freezing Prepared Foods
Freezing Food from NDSU
Do’s and Don’t’s of Freezing
Food & Nutrition – Storage & Freezing from UIUC
American Frozen Food Institute

Remember, always consult with your pediatrician regarding introducing solid foods to your baby and specifically discuss any foods that may pose allergy risks for your baby.

This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here.

SHARE ON FACEBOOK SHARE ON PINTEREST

How to freeze baby food - Encyclopedia Baby food

Levchuk Victoria©

Knowing how to freeze baby food, you can cook and store whole batches of homemade food for a child, because this is a real find for busy parents.

Table of Contents:

There are several ways to freeze baby food - they all work equally well - but may take up varying amounts of freezer space.

All ways …

…you should prepare homemade baby food and then refrigerate it as quickly as possible to prevent bacterial growth. Any food left at room temperature for more than two hours is not safe for a child to consume and should be thrown away.

To cool cooked food quickly, you can try putting it in a shallow container - you can even dip the container in a pot of cold water to help speed up the process.

How to freeze baby food - Method 1

Thoroughly clean the ice mold and the spoon that will be used in filling each section. An ice tin with a resealable lid is ideal as it protects food from frostbite or picking up any odors from the freezer. If there is no mold with a lid, you can cover with food-safe plastic wrap. Some people use foil, although we don't recommend it as some of the foil will remain in the food!

Place the filled ice cube tray in the freezer, and - once completely frozen - place them in ZIP bags that take up less space in the freezer.

This method produces small portions of baby food that are ideally sized - typically around 30 grams or so. One cube per meal may be enough for a child to start with, but as they grow, you may need to increase the number of cubes at a time or increase the ice cube tray.

You can also make many different flavors of baby food by mixing and matching different fruit and vegetable cubes, for example, the combination of cubed apple puree with cubed carrot puree, delicious!

Which ice mold should I choose?

Some ice cube trays are specifically made for baby food and do not contain potentially harmful chemicals - but you can use a regular ice cube tray, or you might be advised to try a silicone mold, or even stainless steel trays, although the regular plastic version will do. if there is confidence in the quality of the workmanship.

How to freeze baby food - Method 2

Same as method 1, since the process of freezing baby food is the same, only silicone cake molds are used instead of an ice mold! Their flexibility makes it easy to remove food portions - plus, of course, their use is beneficial when the baby starts to eat more baby food!

How to Freeze Baby Food - Method 3

If no suitable freezer containers are available for baby food, baking paper can be used (although a little more freezer space will be needed initially).

Simply spoon the cooked baby puree onto the baking sheet to form small mounds (though note that this will not work if the puree is too thin). We cover the baking paper with cling film, freeze, and then mix the servings of food into bags, as before.

How to Freeze Baby Food - Method 4

Another good way to freeze homemade baby food is to divide the puree into freezer-safe glass jars and place them in the freezer.

However, please note that you should never freeze baby food in glass jars unless the jar manufacturer has specifically stated that freezing is safe and possible.

Jars that are freezer safe must be properly labeled and distinguished from other tins (including commercial baby food tins) that are not strong enough to withstand the expansion of food that occurs during the freezing process.

This means that the jar may burst or, even worse, there may be small microcracks that cannot be seen with the eyes, but which will allow tiny pieces of glass to get into the baby's food.

How to Freeze Baby Food Method 5

Probably the most popular way to freeze homemade baby food is to use freezer trays or jars for baby food, there are so many options to choose from!

Manufacturers, recognizing the growing trend of parents to freeze baby puree, offer special forms of baby food that make life easier, well, because there is a lid! What's more, these molds are free of potentially harmful chemicals, which is something some plastic trays for general consumption are guilty of.

Tracking the finished product

Most types of baby food - especially puree - freeze perfectly. Sometimes you will have to experiment with texture, since the freezing process itself consists in the fact that the water in the product expands when it freezes, destroying the cell walls. This is especially noticeable when the whole food is frozen, for example a frozen banana will be very soft when thawed.

To reduce the hassle of freezing baby food here are some helpful tips...

- Do not puree too thin before freezing. Keep in mind that many foods become watery when thawed (especially fruits and vegetables), adding extra liquid before freezing will then add too much cereal to thicken!

- Herbs and spices tend to lose their flavor in the freezer. If a baby food recipe calls for them, it is best to add them after after the food is defrosted, just before heating.

- Baked foods - like homemade nuggets or fish fingers - are best frozen when almost cooked but not fully done. This is because the structure of the food when frozen and thawed can behave negatively.

— When freezing yogurt, remember that it may be too thin when defrosted. Sometimes stirring it well is enough to solve this problem - but in some cases, the resulting yogurt is too thin to eat with a spoon, so such yogurt can be used in a smoothie!

- A good result is obtained from freezing rice and oatmeal, which is good if the morning is like a nightmare and there is no time to organize a full breakfast. Only cereals should not be made too thin before they are frozen .

- Many fruits - especially apples and pears - can look very brown when frozen and thawed. This discoloration is a natural and harmless result of the fruit being exposed to air, but if it's a concern, mixing lemon juice and fruit puree before freezing can solve the problem. Please note that citrus fruits can cause an allergic reaction in babies, so you can use it with a changed color!

- If you want to make your own stock of vegetable or meat broth, which is convenient, you just need to prepare a large batch at a time and freeze. It's worth trying freezing in ice cube trays or baby food trays, as discussed above - then the ideal size of small portions will be in the freezer to use as needed.

- If baby food has been frostbitten, fortunately food safety is not affected - just thaw and then cut or spoon away the affected areas.

How to defrost baby food

The safest and easiest way to defrost baby food is to put it in the refrigerator overnight before feeding. Frozen baby food cubes take 8-12 hours to thaw in most refrigerators. Thawed baby food should be used within 24 hours.

Never, never re-freeze defrosted baby food as this creates a risk of food poisoning for the baby.

Product question. How to prepare baby food for the future. BelPressa

Those who choose the second option eventually realize that they cannot do without blanks, unless you are a robot or you have a bunch of helpers. How to prepare baby food for the future? Belgorodskiye Izvestiya collected practical advice, and pediatrician Antonina Zayeva told how not to harm the baby and make food as healthy as possible.

Purchased no worse than

Contrary to well-established beliefs, doctors recommend feeding young children with industrially prepared complementary foods, because the chemical and microbiological safety of their composition can be guaranteed. In such products, the degree of grinding of raw materials corresponds to the age of the child. Also among the advantages are a long shelf life, homogenization and a wide range.

“If a mother decides to prepare food for her baby on her own, then the food should be prepared with the maximum benefit for the child. In frozen foods, the chemical composition practically does not change, but the amount of vitamins and minerals decreases. And the organoleptic properties also change: taste and smell, cellular structure. With conventional freezing, about 35% of the original quality of the product is lost, and with shock or acoustic freezing, 10% is lost,” said Antonina Zayeva.

She notes that it is better to freeze food in vacuum packaging: this way their taste will suffer less. It is also important to write the date of freezing and observe the terms and conditions of storage.

Vitamins for all seasons

In summer or early autumn it is useful to freeze vegetables for the winter, especially if they are grown in your own garden. But if it is not there, then it is quite possible to buy and freeze it. In any case, vegetables will cost more in winter. In the cold season, their assortment is smaller, and the taste is worse. Most often, zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli, green peas, bell peppers and tomatoes are frozen for children. This is usually done in plastic bags, after washing the vegetables and cutting them into pieces. It is better to freeze in small portions, so that later it is convenient to get and cook. You can also freeze various berries. They are convenient to use for making fruit drinks and compotes.

“Frozen vegetables can be stored for an average of 6 to 12 months at -18°C. At -12 ° C, the shelf life is reduced to 30 days, and at -8 ° C - to 7. You can also freeze ready-made vegetable puree. But you have to use it within a month. Quick-frozen fruits are stored for no more than a year, and berries - 9 months," said Antonina Zayeva.

Meat is always at hand

For a child who already chews well, you can make semi-finished products and store them in the freezer. These can be meat or fish cutlets, meatballs, meatballs, in which, in addition to meat, vegetables and cereals are added if desired. They will always be at your fingertips, all you have to do is get them and cook them.

Meat for cooking can be frozen in advance in small pieces. Put it in bags and sign it so you don't forget what's in it. You can also store ready-made meat in the freezer, dividing it into the portions you need in terms of volume.

“However, it keeps longer if it is frozen in large blocks. So, it is recommended to store a chicken carcass at a temperature not higher than -12 ° C for no more than 8 months, and divided into parts - 1-3 months. Beef is stored at -12 ° C for 8 months, but pork is only 5 months. The lower the temperature, the longer the food can be stored. Fish at -18 °C can be stored for 6 to 10 months. Frozen ready-made meat dishes are stored on average up to 30 days, and semi-finished products from 1 to 3 months,” said Antonina Zayeva.

Puree to eat immediately

— How long can you keep freshly prepared vegetable, fruit and meat baby food?

— Refrigerated for up to 24 hours. During this time, the growth of pathogenic bacteria is minimized. You can freeze vegetable broths to make a quick soup or dilute porridge. But meat is not recommended until 1.6 years, because when cooking from meat, chemical and biological active substances, fats, salts, traces of feed, antibiotics that were given to the animal get into the broth. When using such broths, the child's enzyme system may fail. Try rich bone broths from pork, lamb, beef after 3 years, advises Antonina Zaeva.