By Paula 37 Comments
When I started making my own homemade baby food, I was surprised at how cheap and easy it was to make. The best part is, youdon’t have to buy any special equipment to make your own baby food at home. I used an ordinary blender that I picked up at walmart for around $20. It’s worked perfectly for two babies, and it’s still going strong! Why buy a super-expensive baby food making machine when you probably already have everything you need at home? *This post contains affiliate links*
To make your own Baby food, all you need is:
- An Ordinary Blender
- A Steamer
- Fruits & Veggies, Fresh or Frozen
- Mason Jars 4oz Size (You can buy them at target or amazon
)
)Step One:
Chop and Steam the fruits and veggies. Decide on the fruit or vegetable that you want to prepare and chop it in to small pieces. Since the pieces don’t all need to be the exact same size, you can quickly cut them up and throw them in the steamer. Some things, like frozen peas, obviously won’t need to be chopped. Peas were my favorite thing to make because they steamed so quickly and required no prep work!
Next:
Scoop the steamed food into the blender. I’ve found I got the best blend when I only filled the blender halfway. After you have the blender half full of soft and steamy veggies or fruits pour in some water. The water shouldn’t cover the steamed food entirely, just pour it in until it’s just under the top of the food. (see image below) Put the lid on and blend!
The food to water ratio is not an exact science. When a baby is younger, and just starting on baby food you will want to add more water to make thinner and it easier for baby to swallow down. As the baby gets older, you can use less water and leave some small chunks of food in when you blend. This way a baby gets eased into more solid foods at the pace that is perfect for him or her.
Then:
Blend the baby food until it is the desired consistency for the age of your child. For a younger baby, the food should be thin and smooth (add more water if needed) for an older baby you can make it a bit thicker and leave a few chunks of food here and there if your baby can handle them.
After the food is all blended up pour it into the small mason jars. At this point you can freeze them, store them in the fridge or serve them to baby! I would cook enough food for the week and freeze all but what I needed for the day. Every morning I could get a new jar out from the freezer and keep it in the fridge until I was ready to use it. The baby food will last in the refrigerator for a few days, so that is always an option as well!
I was amazed how easy it can be to do homemade baby food, and how much cheaper it is! I could make over a dozen jars of homemade baby food for the price of two pre-made jars from the store! And I love knowing exactly what’s going in the food, no extra preservatives or sweeteners!
Are you wondering what types of foods to try? Here are a few of our favorites to get you started, they are all made the same way, super easy!!!:
- Sweet Potatoes
- Peas
- Applesauce (homemade applesauce = apples & water!)
- Carrots
Have you ever made your own baby food? Are you considering it now?
If you are looking for MORE ways to save, check out this incredible e-book by my friend becky! Click the image below to read all about the book and purchase it!
Reader Interactions
Comments
Michelle says
I LOVE making my own baby food! It truly saves lots of money and is super easy. Another great tip is to use the steaming water to blend/puree the food. That way you are adding back to the baby food some of the vitamins & minerals (& flavor!) that seeps into the water during cooking. Each time I make baby food, I boil water in a tea kettle so that as I use up the water from the cooking pot to puree the baby food, I have hot water ready to start the next batch so that I’m not waiting for water to boil again. If you don’t use all of the cooking water when you puree the current batch, keep using the same water for the next batch, just replace what you need from the tea kettle. When I’m finished cooking, if there’s any of the cooking water left in the pan, I let it cool and give it to my daughter in her sippy cup or bottle. It tastes great as it’s flavored with apples, carrots and whatever I have cooked for her – a homemade juice blend! Plus it has those vitamins and minerals that seeped out during cooking. :)
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Kim says
It’s amazing how simple, cheap and delicious it is to make your own baby food, isn’t it?!? We did this with our oldest daughter (who will be three in September), and we’re gearing up to do it again soon with our four-month-old baby girl. I posted a few posts about it back in the day, if you’re ever browsing for new ideas! :)
Found you through the Mix It Up party! Love your blog!
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Gabrielle says
Yep, I loved making my own babyfood for my first baby. The thing that really surprised me was the difference in color in my homemade baby food versus the stuff at the store. What a great way to save money!
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Heather says
I love making my own baby food. It’s so much more cheaper & healthier as well! :)
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Keisha says
My little one is 3 month, and I’m lookin forward to making his baby food soon! Thanks for the information. Any suggestions on first foods for him?
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Miranda says
Awesome! I love making my son’s baby food, but the jar tip is really great! thanks!
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Tati (Writer Mom) says
This post is very informative for me right now. I am just hitting this stage with my son. I have tried in the past but failed. Hoping to do better this time around. Looking forward to checking into the mason jars. Thanks for the information.
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Lisa says
I’m a mom of 7 – my youngest is 9 years old, but I have grandbabies! I used to make my own baby food just like you do – and often I used the leftovers of tonight’s meal to make tomorrows meal for baby. It was so inexpensive and easy…I still have no idea why people buy baby food! I didn’t actually “can” the food, though, I just prepared enough baby food for a few days.
Now my daugher-in-law makes her own baby food!
Great post!
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Abbi Cappel says
This is an awesome post!! As a nanny I’ve had to make baby food before but this method is so easy!!! Abbi @ Seasons of Homemakers
Please check out the Seasons on Saturday Link Party going on right now!!
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Becky says
Paula, you’re such an inspiration!
My sons are all grown up now, but I also made most of my own baby food. Like one of the previous comments, as I made dinner for us, I would steam extra veggies or fruit, and before seasoning it, I would blend it up. Some would be for dinner for the baby and the rest would go into ice cube trays. Once frozen, I would put the fruit or veggie cubes in zip-lock bags – dating and labeling. Then when you need some, take out as many cubes as your baby needs for a meal.
Keep up the good work!Reply
Paula says
great idea! thanks Becky!!!
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Chelsea says
I’ve been thinking about this lately. Thanks for sharing. I’d like to invite you to our Organize Me! Sizzlin’ Summer Link Up Party at Get Your Crap Together!
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Mrs. Delightful says
This is such a healthier alternative. Thanks for sharing!!
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Trisha says
I’m definitely going to be making homemade baby food for my little one once she’s old enough. She’s barley over 11 weeks now, so I still have a few months to go :)
I’ve heard of adding breastmilk to thin out purees instead of water, have you tried it? I was thinking I might do that, maybe to make grown-up food an easier transition?
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Paula says
I never did it myself, because I was not able to pump, but it would definitely work! :)
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Adelina Priddis says
I love making our own baby food! So much cheaper and healthier for the little ones. Thanks for sharing on Foodie Friday
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BeBetsy says
Thanks for sharing on the BeBetsy BRAG ABOUT IT. We’d love it if you would link back to us! Have a wonderful weekend!
Sharon and Denise
BeBetsyReply
I really wished I had made their food when my kids were babies. Good for you! Thanks for sharing at All Things Pretty!
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Jann Olson says
What a great mom you are. They look so pretty in the jars! Thanks for sharing with SYC.
hugs,
JannReply
Paula says
aww thanks :)
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Jann Olson says
Forgot to mention, not seeing a link back to Share Your Cup. Am I just missing it?
hugs,
JannReply
Paula says
It’s on my ‘link parties’ page. I have them all organized by day <3
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My baby is all grown up, but I’m sure there are some new mom’s that would appreciate this. Pinned of course! Thanks so much for sharing on Two Cup Tuesday at Pint Sized Baker. I hope to see you again on Monday night!
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Tati (Writer Mom) says
Quick question, can you freeze the mason jars?
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Paula says
yes! I’ve never had a problem freezing them. Make sure there is room at the top in case the baby food expands a bit, but there’s never been an issue and I always freeze mine! :)
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Paula says
Just don’t go straight from the freezer to the microwave. thaw by setting the (closed) mason jar in a bowl of warm water, or set it out on the counter/in the fridge for a few hours.
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Judy @Savoring Today says
Though I am way past baby food days now, I appreciate you’re tutorial and encouragement to moms to do something so simple and so good for their babies. Thanks for sharing with Hearth & Soul Hop. :)
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Hi Paula, So much easier than people think. As they get a bit older introduce spices & flavors. One of my daughters even freezes some in ice cube trays & then puts the cubes in baggies in the freezer until needed. Like someone mentioned above using left overs for baby food too. Great post. Thanks for sharing on my link up your featured in the shout outs. Grab a featured button if you like. Theresa
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Kelley says
This seems so easy! It is one of things I wish I had done with my kids. Maybe with the next one! ;)
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Jessica H @mommyenvy says
I loved making my own baby food! My baby doesn’t like it any more and I still have some frozen carrots. lol
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aww – I miss making my own baby food ;) my guys are all bigger! But this is such a great post! Saw you over at the Pin Junkie and would love for you to come over and link up to Super Sunday over at Who Needs a Cape! http://whoneedsacape.com/2013/08/super-sunday-link-party-9/
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Thank you for sharing your homemade baby food tutorial with us on The Hearth and Soul hop. It’s great to be able to use your own fresh ingredients and it helps baby to become accustomed to natural tastes and flavours. Thank you for sharing this post with the Hearth and Soul hop.
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Hi Paula! I’m really excited about this post because my daughter is due to have her baby in 8 days and will be wanting to make her own baby food (of course, later). She has been asking for one of those baby bullet blenders (not sure if she ever got it), but I think that she will find this a great alternative. I shared it with her, I’m sure she will find it quite useful.
I’d like to invite you to share this post and up to two others at our From the Farm Blog Hop, which is live right now. Your style of blog posts would fit right in with the wonderful posts that are shared!
Hope to see you there!
~Kristi@Let This Mind Be in YouReply
Woodlynn says
Hi! Thank you so much for posting this as I am extremely excited to begin making my first batch of baby food. I just had a question as I am extremely new to this so I am sorry if it comes off silly:
Do you seal your jars or do you just place the lids on it and place it in the freezer/Frig? Is it safe to just hand wash the jars (as I don’t have a dishwasher)? How long can the unopened baby food stay in the frig?
I am nervous about bacteria forming on the food. I am only planning on making a weeks worth of baby food once a week.
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Paula says
I just put the lids on them and place in the freezer or fridge. If they are hot, make sure to let them cool on the counter tops (lids off or not on completely) before putting them in the fridge or freezer so that glass doesn’t break.
As long as you wash them thoroughly I wouldn’t see a problem with hand washing, wouldn’t be any different than hand washing any other eating dish or utensil, you know?
I made mine once a week too, from what I read you don’t want to keep it in the fridge longer than 3 days, but they can last much longer in the freezer (weeks at least). Also, if baby isn’t eating an entire jar in one sitting, if you pour it from the baby food container into a bowl before serving that can help against bacteria as well so that baby’s saliva doesn’t get mixed in with the food that you are saving for another time.
Those aren’t silly questions at all!!! We all want to do the most-safe thing for our babies!!! <3 let me know if you have more questions!
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Debbie Pilkington says
My grandson is 5 months now, so experimenting with food on him. His favourite at the moment is carrot, apple, and rice. Boil the rice for 10 mins, then add the chopped up carrot, and apple(with the skin left on), and boil for another 10 mins. Take it out and puree it. Ive just got a cheap £10 smoothie maker. Does the job :)
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FARAH says
can we use them for 4 months baby?
MahmoudReply
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