Jars for homemade baby food
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 ContainersWant 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 ContainersIf you just want to cut straight to the chase – these are our absolute favorite storage containers for baby food.
Baby Food TraysWEESPROUT 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.
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 ContainersWEESPROUT 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.
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.
Thawing may seem like a no-brainer, but it never hurts to know your options. There are three different ways to thaw purees:
MicrowaveTake 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.
FridgeThis 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.
StovetopIn 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
WEESPROUT Silicone Baby Food Freezer TrayI’m really pleased with the baby food cube trays.
-JenniI’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.
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
4 Pack of Silicone Ice Cube Molds Tray with LidI 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
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
WeeSprout Glass Baby Food Storage ContainersI’m thrilled at this product.
-MichelleI 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.
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
Babymoov Glass Food Storage ContainersI 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
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.
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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
OXO Tot Baby Blocks Freezer Storage ContainersThe 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
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.
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Baby Food Puree in Glass Jars
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26 ideas on how to use baby food jars
The child has grown up, eats with everyone at the same table, and there is no longer a need to buy baby food in jars for him.
During the time while you accustomed him to various tastes, a huge amount of containers for juices and purees accumulated. Where to put jars of baby food? InterestsPortal invites you to take advantage of our ideas.
Candle holders from jars
The simplest idea that most often comes to mind is to make candle holders. Place colored sand, beautiful pebbles, decorative glass pebbles on the bottom and light tea candles. nine0003
DIY candle holders
Baby food jars can be decorated to fit any theme. In this photo, the candlestick is made in a marine style. Paint the jar with paint. Apply colorless varnish around the bottom and, while the varnish is still wet, sprinkle sand on it. Tie the neck of the baby food jar with pretty ribbon or twine. Glue decorative glass pebbles, shells, starfish.
Vase for your interior
It is always a pleasure to keep fresh flowers in different parts of the house. You can decorate small vases with your own hands to match the style of your interior.
A group of vases for an original interior
We are used to having a bouquet of 5-7 flowers in vases. Try using several juice bottles. Put one flower in each jar, and you will get a bouquet of vases. Is it really original?
For table setting
Use the idea of table setting. Place cutlery and napkins in each bottle. If you also write the names of the guests on the jar with a permanent marker, then you will also get cards for seating guests at the table. nine0003
For bathroom utensils
Place ear buds, cotton pads and other small things that are needed for daily hygiene in glass jars and you will see the contents. By screwing beautiful handles to the lids, you will no longer need to unscrew the lid of the jar every day - just cover it. Brilliant idea for organizing space in the bathroom.
DIY napkin holder
Paint the baby bottle your favorite color. Make a slit on the lid of the jar, twist the napkins and place inside.
Pull the center napkin through the slot. Such a napkin holder can be used both for table setting and placed on an office desktop. nine0003
Lunch to go
Use the food jar as a food container. Our idea is to prepare a healthy cheesecake and put it to the children at school. Place crumbled shortbread cookies on the bottom, then curd cheese, decorate with berries from cherry jam on top. We think your kids will definitely like this dessert to take away.
Healthy food to go
It's always nice to start every morning with a healthy breakfast, like this smoothie. Can't have breakfast? Close the lid and take it with you. nine0003
Here are some more healthy smoothie recipes.
Baby food jars as glasses
Why buy wine glasses or drink glasses when you have a huge number of bottles? Pour cold lemonade into them, insert a straw and treat your friends.
Spice jars
Another idea for using baby food jars is to use them as spice containers.
Storage box for buttons, needles and threads
Organizer for all sewing accessories in one jar. Use this idea to lose nothing and find quickly.
Nails, screws, bolts container
Screw the jar lid to the bottom of the shelf in your shed. Now you don't have to look for anything, all content will be immediately visible. Why not a paradise for a perfectionist?
Garden lights
Twist the handles for the candlestick out of the wire. Place a tea candle in a jar - the lantern for your garden is ready. nine0003
Romantic garden
Do you want to create a romantic atmosphere in your garden? Hang these lanterns over your resting place.
Here are some more ideas for creating garden seating areas.
Garden Party
By combining the two previous ideas, create a blooming fragrant garden. Use bottles as vases.
Pencil holder
Colored jars are the perfect solution for storing office supplies.
These glasses can hold pens, pencils, crayons, scissors and more. nine0003
Do-it-yourself small terrarium
You can make such a terrarium with your children on vacation.
More ideas on what to do with your child during the holidays read here.
New Year's decor
Preparations for the celebration of the new year always begin with decorating your home with themed decor. Glass jars provide an incredible amount of ideas.
DIY gift for the New Year
Every year we spend a lot of money buying souvenirs for loved ones. Make a New Year's gift with your own hands from a baby bottle. Place artificial snow, a spruce twig, a snowman toy, glass beads inside - an original gift is ready! nine0003
Girl's birthday
Rinse bottles that used to contain juice. Fill them with a milkshake or other drinks for a girl's birthday party. Insert tubes. Your princess's guests will be delighted.
Boy's birthday party
Have you already decided that the boy's party will be pirate-style? Then this idea is for you.
You can place these candy bottles in a candy bar, or distribute them to little guests as birthday gifts. nine0003
Healthy dessert
What's a party without dessert? Place the berries in portions in baby food jars, add curd cheese or natural yogurt. No one will refuse such a dessert.
DIY gift for Valentine's Day
It is customary to give heart-shaped sweets on Valentine's Day. Pack your gift in a glass jar and tie a crochet heart. It's so cute.
Small present for a colleague
Succulents are said to relieve static energy accumulated on the desktop. Give a colleague such a plant in a glass jar pot. Tie with a pretty ribbon.
Change box
What do you think of the change coin collection? How often do you find her at home in various places? Collect and put it in such a cute piggy bank.
In truth, a penny saves a ruble. By giving a second life to baby food jars, you save on buying accessories and items that you can easily make yourself.
To do this, you just need a little time and imagination. Dare, and you will succeed! nine0003
How do I use empty baby food jars?
Are you a new mother? Then, probably, glass baby food jars appeared in your life, which the hand does not raise to throw away. There are already a lot of them in my house, so I propose to discuss how they can be useful to us.
I conducted a small survey of colleagues and friends on this topic. The results are as follows:
Lena keeps her branded adjika in jars - it is convenient to take it in such a container for a picnic, for example. nine0003
Stores dried berries for tea.
He also arranges small tasty gifts for his friends - homemade jam. Arranges in jars, decorates them and gives them.
The last idea caught my attention - I like to make homemade jam. I took note of such a sincere gift option.
Zhenya keeps medicinal ointments in jars.
Also a great option, given the odor of such drugs, as well as their small volumes. nine0003
Anya uses the jars as a sugar bowl and salt shaker on long journeys. Or for a picnic. She also keeps beads for needlework in them.
I tried to use jars for leftover canned cod liver. And this, I tell you, is extremely convenient. Open canned food should not be stored for longer than a day, and it is imperative to transfer food to a container, preferably glass. And the baby food jars are perfect! Small, hermetically sealed (which is especially important in the case of products with the smell of fish), and then it is not a pity to throw them away. nine0003
I also put paper clips in one jar. There was an open package at home, now the paper clips are neatly stored in a jar.
Inspired by the opening horizons for the second life of jars, I began to look for other ways to use them. I searched websites and social networks.
I confess, I am delighted with the fantasy of young mothers, and dads too!
How to use baby food jars
Use can caps in educational games for children:
- stick pieces of colored paper on them and arrange them in containers by color,
- stick drawings with letters on them and add syllables and words,
- make a slot in the lid of the milk formula jar (or in a box of chips, for example) and put the lids into it, like in a piggy bank,
- make a fishing rod out of a pencil, string and magnet and arrange "fishing", collecting caps.
Use cans:
- for dipping the brush while painting with watercolors,
- for seedlings of flowers or greenery,
- as small vases for small wildflowers,
- for storing spices,
- as a home air fragrance: put a piece of cotton wool into a jar and moisten the cotton wool with a drop of perfume or essential oil.
If you decorate a jar - it’s not a shame to replace the sachet and put it in a prominent place in the house,
- for needlewomen - to store small items such as buttons, beads, etc. in jars,
- use as a portion dish in candy bars that are so popular now at children's parties,
- colorize and turn the jar into a candlestick by putting a pill candle into it,
I found candle-tablets. It's a sin not to try, I decided. I’m not friends with paints yet, I found a satin ribbon. Half a minute to tie it, and voila! Modest, but also an option. nine0003
But finally I was subdued by such decor of the can.
Using a jar as a photo frame is original, isn't it?
And also, I think, it may not even be interesting to search for the use of jars or lids, but the process of decorating itself. Space for imagination, yours and your child!
How to decorate jars
• Spray paint or decorate with acrylic or stained glass paint,
• Paste over the jar with double-sided tape and roll in sequins or beads,
• Use the decoupage technique (stick a beautiful napkin with a pattern on the jar), since there is an abundance of materials for needlework on sale now,
• Stick lace, ribbons, fabric on the jar,
• Paste clippings from magazines or newspapers - looks very interesting.
