Heating and Thawing Homemade Baby Food purees: It’s important to know how to store and preserve baby food. One method is freezing and thawing and reheating whenever you need to feed the baby. Here is what you can learn about thawing to do it right.
We always insist on giving homemade baby food freshly. But unfortunately for some parents, it would be hard to find the time to make baby food freshly for some valid reasons, freezing and thawing baby food is probably the better option for them
When you prepare food by yourself or buy it from the market, it’s essential to know the best way to store, prepare, and reheat safely and correctly. Food meant for your baby is incredibly delicate and should be handled carefully. You can store homemade baby food puree like any vegetable or fresh fruit. Here are things you need to know about storing and preparing baby food.
Why Food Hygiene is Important
Every time you store homemade baby food, you should prioritize hygiene. Compared to your immune system, your baby is less developed, which makes babies more vulnerable to infections and bugs. Therefore, it’s important to take care when feeding your baby. Sterilize spoons and wash the baby’s bowls in hot water or a dishwasher. Also, ensure your homemade baby food recipes contain the right ingredients as babies may not have the ability to digest all kinds of foods.
How to Store Baby Food Safely
How long can you freeze homemade baby food? It’s recommended to store baby food no longer than three months. This ensures optimal nutrient retention and quality.
Another question is, how long does homemade baby food last? This depends on how you’re storing the food. If you intend to store it in a refrigerator, freshly made baby food should last up to 48 hours. To store baby food correctly, here are useful tips to ensure safety.
If you’re preparing batches of the food in advance, cool it in 90 minutes, then store it in the fridge. Any food that you’ll not use within 24 hours you should freeze.
If the baby leaves food in the bowl after a meal, you should throw it away. Food that came in contact with saliva contains bacteria, which will multiply with time.
Confirm the use-by and best-before dates on food for your baby. If there’s uneaten food remaining in the jar, you could store it in the fridge 24 hours after opening the can. However, throw away any leftovers already heated once.
Use homemade baby food pouches with a tight seal to store baby food in the fridge. Check the seals on jars and cans to ensure they have not been broken.
Thawing and Heating in Warm Water
There are two ways to thaw baby food in warm water safely. The first is placing the container with the food inside a large container filled with hot water. This process takes 10 to 20 minutes to thaw one cube. The second option is placing the container in a pot of warm water on the stove. This method is faster. In both methods, you should opt for ceramic or glass containers to avoid melting.
Thawing Baby Food in a Microwave
The WHO and FDA approve heating food with microwaves as long as you do it correctly. When you choose to heat your baby food with a microwave, you should first decide if you’re comfortable using one. To help you do microwave right for your baby’s food, here are things to remember.
Stir the baby food thoroughly because microwaves can cause hot spots. Before you feed the food to your baby, always taste to ensure the temperature is stable throughout.
Always use a microwave-safe container. Avoid stained or scratched plastic containers or any reused plastic containers (from whipped topping, margarine, etc.). Studies indicate that plastic leaches contain potentially endocrine-disrupting chemicals. If you have doubts, use glass or ceramic.
Use a paper towel over the container to trap moisture and ensure the baby food puree heats evenly.
Don’t heat high-fat foods in a microwave because the microwave heats fat faster, causing splattering and hot spots. Use a stovetop instead.
Conclusion
You should always be attentive when handling baby food. A baby’s immune system is not developed to handle the kind of pathogens adults can deal with, so always prioritize hygiene. Also, ensure you’re storing the food correctly, considering hygiene and freshness. If you need to use a microwave to heat the food, don’t use plastic containers or bags as these could release chemicals that might be harmful to the health of the baby.
What’s your routine for preparing and storing baby food? Share some tips to help someone in the comments below.
Author’s bio:
Rachel Burns is an experienced copywriter and photographer with a design diploma. She works with startups, entrepreneurs, bloggers, and companies from around the world. In addition to writing articles and promotional materials, she enjoys hiking, reading, cooking, and spending time with her family.
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