Can you freeze jarred baby food


Storing Baby Food | Happy Baby Organics

Read time: 6 minutes

  • How to store homemade baby food and store-bought pureed foods

  • How to thaw and re-heat pureed baby food

  • How to help prevent bacterial contamination of baby foods

Whether you buy baby food at the market or make it from scratch, it’s important to know how to store, prepare, and reheat your baby’s food correctly and safely.

Store-bought baby food usually comes in a glass jar, plastic container, or pouch and usually does not require refrigeration or freezing before opening. These foods are manufactured to be shelf-stable, like any other pantry item (think beans, soups, or condiments). They can typically stay fresh on the shelf for 1 to 2 years, but always check expiration dates carefully.1

Baby food storage guidelines
  • Pureed store-bought baby vegetables and fruits can stay in the refrigerator for up to 48 to 72 hours and in the freezer for 6 to 8 months.

  • Pureed store-bought meat, poultry, or fish can be refrigerated for 24 hours after cooking and frozen for 1 to 2 months.

  • Homemade baby foods will keep for 24 to 48 hours in the refrigerator and for 1 to 2 months in the freezer.2

Be sure to refrigerate freshly cooked baby food within two hours as bacteria will start to grow at room temperature after those two hours are up. Note that your refrigerator should be kept at, or below, 40 degrees F. Any warmer and illness-causing bacteria can thrive and quickly multiply.3

Want some tips on feeding your little one or on making baby food? The Happy Baby Experts are infant feeding specialists and here to help (for free!) with questions about starting solids and picky eating, as well as formula and breastfeeding. Chat now!

Can I feed baby directly from the jar or pouch?

If you feed your little one directly from the jar or pouch, all leftovers must be thrown out after the meal. Saliva from baby’s mouth gets back into the jar or pouch via the spoon, this introduces bacteria that can quickly multiply and contaminate the food.

If you know baby won’t finish it all, spoon a serving in a separate bowl and feed from that. Then you can refrigerate the jar or pouch of remaining food for an upcoming meal!4

Read more: How Can I Make my own Pureed Baby Food?

How to warm refrigerated or shelf-stable foods and thaw frozen foods:
  • Microwave: Warm up store-bought food directly in its glass jar or transfer the food – including previously frozen purees – into a separate glass bowl (never heat up pureed food in a plastic container or pouch). Reduce the microwave to 50% power (or use the defrost feature) and then warm the puree in 15 second increments.4 Check and stir the food thoroughly each time to ensure even heating and to eliminate any heat pockets that may burn your baby’s mouth.

  • Stovetop: Warm your baby’s store-bought food or thaw frozen baby food on the stovetop by placing the food in a small saucepan and warming on low heat until the puree is the same consistency and no longer frozen. To preserve the nutrients, heat only as much as is necessary.

  • Submersion Method: Thaw frozen baby food by placing the pureed cubes in a plastic bag and then inside a bowl filled with hot or warm water. This method allows for even warming but does take a little longer – figure about 10-20 minutes for the food to thaw fully. 5 Many parents also use the submersion method to thaw frozen breastmilk.

  • Refrigerator: Thaw frozen baby food simply by transferring it to the refrigerator.5 This process will take 4-12 hours so plan ahead (transferring the food the night before it’s needed to allow thawing overnight is a good rule of thumb). Homemade frozen baby food that’s been thawed can safely stay in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours. Be sure to keep thawed baby food in a sealed container to avoid contamination.

  • DO NOT let baby food thaw for long periods of time on the counter at room temperature. This will allow bacteria to grow. 5

How to freeze baby food
Freeze purees in ice cube trays or on a cookie sheet
  • Sanitize or thoroughly clean standard ice cube trays before spooning the puree directly into each cubed section. You could also cover a cookie sheet with parchment or wax paper and spoon small ‘mounds’ of puree onto the sheet to freeze.

  • Cover the tray with plastic wrap and place into the freezer.

  • Once the cubes or ‘mounds’ are solidly frozen, pop them out and store them in plastic freezer bags.

  • Label the bags with the type of baby food as well as the date. This allows you to use it before it expires. (Remember: store-bought fruits and veggies can be frozen for 6 to 8 months, while meats, poultry, and all home-made baby food can be frozen for 1 to 2 months).

  • When your baby is ready to eat, grab an individual portion of the cubes you want to use and thaw!

Ice cube trays are not only convenient, they are also incredibly helpful in portioning out homemade baby food. The cubes are roughly one ounce each, so you can easily measure the amount of food your baby is eating and thaw small portions at a time to reduce waste.

Do not freeze food in glass containers

Glass baby food jars (or any glass container) are not meant to be frozen. Frozen glass can burst or cause tiny fractures in the glass leaving behind microscopic shards that you may never see.Freeze baby food in safe “ok to freeze” plastic containers instead.

Consider a deep freezer if you want to store purees long-term

For best results, frozen foods should remain at a constant sub-zero temperature. A deep freezer is better equipped to handle this temperature control as opposed to your regular freezer, which may fluctuate with you opening and closing the door often.

Throw away leftover food that’s already been reheated

You cannot reheat (or re-freeze) baby food more than once, so once you’ve thawed a frozen puree, toss any leftovers. This rule also applies to breastmilk. So if you’re using breastmilk to thin out your homemade baby food purees, add the milk while it’s fresh!

Read more: Safe Storage of Pumped Breastmilk

You can also use formula to thin a puree. Do not freeze formula in its original can or bottle, but once mixed into a puree it’s ok to freeze. Freezing formula causes a separation of the fats from the liquid, which may negatively impact the texture and quality.6

Let’s Chat!

We know parenting often means sleepless nights, stressful days, and countless questions and confusion, and we want to support you in your feeding journey and beyond.

Our Happy Baby Experts are a team of lactation consultants and registered dietitian nutritionists certified in infant and maternal nutrition – and they’re all moms, too, which means they’ve been there and seen that. They’re here to help on our free, live chat platform Monday through Friday, from 8am–6pm ET. Chat Now!


Read more about the experts that help write our content!

For more on this topic check out the following articles


How do I Choose Store Bought Baby Food?

Food Safety for Babies and Toddlers

Everything You Need to Know About How to Prepare and Store Infant Formula

Avoid Giving Your Child Too Much Sugar And Salt

How to Store Baby Food – Happiest Baby

By Gabrielle McPherson, MS, RDN, LDN

There’s nothing more frustrating than opening the fridge and taking a whiff of baby food left idle for too long. Whether it’s ready-to-buy baby carrots or made-from-scratch peas, keeping your baby’s grub safely stored helps prevent wasting food and having to scramble to prep the meal over again. Plus, as important as food safety is for all of us, it’s extra important for little ones.  Babies are born with weak immune systems that make it challenging to fight off sickness, putting them at a higher risk for foodborne illness. No matter if you’re stashing packaged baby food or homemade purees, we’ve rounded up the advice you need to store your little one’s eats safely.  

How to Store Packaged Baby Foods

Retailers typically stock baby food aisles with plenty of puree options in plastic containers, jars, and pouches, which require no refrigeration before opening. These store-bought baby foods are similar to other shelf-stable foods like chicken broth or canned beans. Pre-packaged baby foods may have a long life in your home pantry, as long as they’re unopened and in a cool, dark place. Of course, always let the best-by date be your guide!

How to Store Leftover Baby Food

You’ve cracked open the jar of bananas for feeding time, but your bub only nibbled on half the jar. Now what? If your baby eats directly from the jar of baby food, and there are leftovers, they must be thrown out. That’s because double dipping the spoon causes saliva to contaminate the leftovers—creating a playground for bacteria growth.  

A better bet? Before serving your baby store-bought baby food, transfer some of it to a baby-friendly dish (you know, the kind that won’t shatter if your little one knocks it off their tray or out of your hands). Then, you can safely store any untouched leftovers in the refrigerator.

How to Store Packaged Baby Food in the Fridge

Store baby food purees in sealable containers, such as BPA-free plastic containers, glass jars, or reusable pouches. Place baby food purees in the fridge and use them within these recommended time frames to keep them fresh:

  • Fruits and veggie purees: 2 to 3 days  
  • Meat purees: 1 day
  • Meat and veggie mixed purees: 1 to 2 days

 

Tips for Freezing Store-Bought Baby Foods 

Some baby food companies don’t advise freezing their products because it may change the texture and consistency once thawed.   Other companies will tell you it’s okay to freeze their products if your baby isn’t too bothered by the surprise texture change.

Place baby food purees in freezer-safe containers, such as:

  • Silicone ice cube trays
  • Silicone muffin tins
  • Freezer-safe glass containers (avoid regular glass containers as they can break in the freezer)
  • BPA-free plastic containers
  • Reusable pouches

Store shelf-stable purees in the freezer and use them within the recommended time frames:

  • Fruits and veggie purees: 6 to 8 months
  • Meat purees: 1 to 2 months
  • Meat and veggie mixed purees: 1 to 2 months

 

How to Store Homemade Baby Foods

Though it doesn’t take a master chef to prepare homemade baby foods, it does take time, effort, and patience. Knowing how to store them is vital, so the food stays fresh and your hard work doesn’t go to waste. 

How to Store Homemade Baby Foods in the Fridge

  • Always refrigerate freshly prepared baby foods within two hours.
  • Like store-bought baby foods, you can store homemade purees in sealable, fridge-worthy containers such as BPA-free plastic containers, glass jars, or reusable pouches.
  • Only store homemade baby foods in the fridge for one to two days. Homemade baby foods don’t go through pasteurization like store-bought foods, therefore, they can spoil more quickly.
  • Keep track of refrigeration dates by labeling your storage containers. 

Tips for Freezing Homemade Baby Foods

Freeze homemade baby foods in small amounts for easy thawing. You can conveniently freeze your homemade baby foods in:

  • Ice cube trays (1-ounce portions)
  • Silicone muffin tins
  • Freezer-safe glass containers (again, glass that isn’t freezer-safe could break!)
  • BPA-free plastic containers
  • Reusable pouches

You can also use a cookie sheet to freeze thicker baby food (this technique won’t work for liquid-y purees). Line the sheet with parchment or wax paper, and scoop single portions of baby food onto the tray (in the same way you’d scoop cookie dough onto a tray). Line them up in rows, and put the pan in the freezer. 

Once individual portions are frozen (whether in ice cube trays, muffin tins, or on a sheet pan), you can pop them out and place them in labeled zip-top plastic bags to save freezer space.

Baby Food Thawing Tips

Once you take your frozen baby food out of the freezer, you’ll need to thaw it before serving. Here’s how to thaw baby food:

  • The Center for Disease Control advises against thawing frozen baby foods on the counter because of potential bacterial growth during thawing.
  • Thawing frozen baby foods in the fridge is the safest option, but it may take up to 12 hours (so plan well!)
  • A good rule of thumb is to put the frozen food your baby needs in the fridge one day before you plan to serve it. 
  • You can thaw frozen baby foods in the microwave by using the defrost setting, but it’s very important to test the temperature before serving your little one (the microwave tends to reheat food unevenly, so sometimes the outer edge of the container will get hot, while the rest might feel okay). Aim to serve baby food lukewarm to prevent burns. 

Get more baby food advice:

  • A Feeding Schedule for Your Baby's First Year
  • The Best Finger Foods for Your Baby
  • What to Know About Baby-Led Weaning
  • Happiest Baby's Feeding Guide
  • The Best Foods for Babies 6 to 9 Months
  • The Best Foods for 10 to 12 Months

 *** 

REFERENCES

  • U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (FoodSafety.gov): People At Risk Children Under Five
  • U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (FoodSafety.gov): 4 Steps to Food Safety
  • Center for Disease Control and Prevention: Four Steps to Food Safety: Clean, Separate, Cook, Chill

About Gabrielle McPherson

Gabrielle McPherson, MS, RDN, LDN is registered dietitian in Missouri who specializes in community and pediatric nutrition. Gaby is passionate about encouraging families to eat well in simple, practical ways that are realistic. ..and delicious! When not working, Gaby loves cooking, baking, and making messes and memories with her sous-chef/preschooler Charlotte.

View more posts tagged, feeding

Have questions about a Happiest Baby product? Our consultants would be happy to help! Connect with us at [email protected].

Disclaimer: The information on our site is NOT medical advice for any specific person or condition. It is only meant as general information. If you have any medical questions and concerns about your child or yourself, please contact your health provider.

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 be a solution. 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.

Frozen puree - preparation of fruits and vegetables for children for the winter » Suseki

Skwerl - Oct 12th, 2016

Categories: Freezing

Tags: Baby Puree, Frozen Pears, Freezing Vegetables, Apricot Puree, Pumpkin Puree, Blueberry Puree, Applesauce

trace elements. In summer, this is easy to do, there are many fresh vegetables and fruits, and in winter you need to come up with alternative options. A large number of manufacturers offer a wide range of ready-made baby purees, but are they really that good? After all, we do not know exactly what is in their composition, whether the technology of preparation and storage of products is correctly observed. And even if everything is fine there, then such a puree consists not only of vegetables and fruits, but at least sugar and thickeners are added there. So how to be? The answer is simple - make your own puree and store it in the freezer.
You can freeze in the form of puree absolutely any fruit, vegetable or even meat that a child can eat.

Ingredients: meat, vegetables, fruits
Time for laying: Summer, autumn

Content

  • 1 Furifier from vegetables
  • 2 Fruit fruits
  • 3 Features of storage
  • 4.

Freeze vegetable puree

Most often, mothers prefer to freeze seasonal vegetables, such as: zucchini, pumpkin, rhubarb, celery, green peas, cauliflower, broccoli, spring carrots, spinach. In order to freeze mashed vegetables, you must first bring these same vegetables to readiness. In this case, stewing vegetables is most suitable, this allows you to save more vitamins than boiling. It is necessary to cook each vegetable separately and strictly observe the cooking time, so the zucchini will be ready in 15 minutes, and carrots or cauliflower will need 7-10 minutes more. You can also add pre-cooked meat to vegetables, children love this puree very much. Immediately after cooking, while still hot, it is necessary to turn the vegetables into a puree using a blender or by rubbing through a sieve, put them in a clean, dry dish and send them to the freezer.

Freezing fruit puree

Fruit puree is even easier to prepare than vegetable puree. To prepare it, you just need to thoroughly wash the fruit, peel and puree them in any convenient way. Most often, mothers prefer to prepare mashed potatoes for their babies from apricots, peaches, plums, pears, apples. You can prepare a combined puree, for example, apple puree with blueberries, strawberries, currants or raspberries. These fruits lend themselves well to freezing and do not lose their taste and useful properties.

Storage features

When it comes to baby food, it is very important to follow the food storage technology so as not to harm the baby. It must be remembered that baby puree cannot be re-frozen, so it is necessary to use dishes that fit only one serving. These can be jars of store-bought mashed potatoes, small plastic containers, ice molds. If there was a power outage and the products melted, they will have to be thrown away, it is not safe to give this to a baby (

Consuming frozen baby puree

In order to feed a child with frozen vegetable or meat and vegetable puree, you need to take out one serving and heat it in a water bath or microwave to the desired temperature, add a little butter or vegetable oil and you can eat.

Fruit puree is simply enough to defrost at room temperature, without cooking. Fruits and vegetables in the form of puree are successfully combined with various cereals, cottage cheese and kefir and make these dishes more attractive for little gourmets.


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