As
concerns about genetically modified produce and dangerous farming
practices escalate, and controversy surrounding Monsanto become more
common, the number of parents committed to – or at least considering the
practice of – making their own baby food is also on the rise. There are
also parents who would love to provide their baby with organically
grown, preservative- and additive-free foods, but are under the
misconception that the process is a long and laborious one. In fact,
making baby food from locally or organically grown fruits and vegetables
is surprisingly simple.
The Price Factor
Any parent who’s seen the expensive systems advertised for making and
storing baby food at home could easily be fooled into thinking that the
process is not only a difficult or time-consuming one, but also an
incredibly pricey option. The truth is, those systems are only more
convenient than the tools you already have in your kitchen, if that, and
they are by no means necessary to create fresh, nutritious food of
verifiable origins for your bundle of joy. With nothing more than a pot,
a knife, a cutting board, fresh produce, and a blender, you can be on
the path to becoming an in-demand chef for the smaller set. Because
saving money by making healthful food for your baby rather than paying
more for processed jarred food is one of the many selling points of
taking on the task, spending a small fortune on an entire system with
all the bells and whistles is unnecessary.
Storage
Buying a fully-stocked homemade baby food system brings a set of
storage containers to the party, but there are several storage options
at your disposal that will work just as well in conjunction with the
blender you already have. Rather than purchasing a space-hogging, pricey
system, take advantage of the variety of storage solutions available to
you for a fraction of the cost.
For frozen foods, simply prepare an item in accordance with your
chosen recipe, and allow it to cool. Spoon the pureed food into ice cube
trays and freeze them until they’re solid, then pop the cubes out and
into carefully labeled freezer bags. Foods can then be defrosted in just
the amount you need, eliminating waste and allowing you to make food in
large batches when you have free time, rather than scrambling to make
baby food every day. Small storage bowls are widely and readily
available in the market today, and are also suitable for baby food
storage. Just be sure that any plastic containers you purchase are BPA
free in order to avoid any potential health risks.
Tips for Making the Most Out of Your Blender
Because small batches of food tend to be pushed to the sides of a
blender carafe and missed by the blades, your blender is most effective
as a method of pureeing baby food when you’re working with a fairly
substantial amount of food. This small drawback is eliminated, however,
by setting aside an afternoon to make and freeze enough food for a few
weeks. Properly stored in airtight freezer containers, your baby food
will have a shelf life of up to three months.
Blenders are also great at liquefying solid foods, which means that
it’s important to keep a close eye on food that’s being pureed in a
blender, lest it become a very thin soup. Always use the pulse button
for maximum control over the texture and consistency of the food; using
even a low continuous setting could turn your perfectly prepared produce
into something more akin to a juice if you’re distracted from the
running blender for a moment. With children in the house, there’s
constant potential for distraction, so use the pulse button and watch
carefully. Remember to scrape down the sides of the blender carafe
regularly as well to ensure a uniform texture with few lumps.
Immersion or Stick Blenders
Parents that are lucky enough to have an immersion or stick blender
in their kitchen are in an even better position to make their own baby
food with less hassle. Rather than transferring cooked food to a blender
carafe to puree and then moving it to containers for storage, food can
be blended in the cooking vessel and dished straight into storage
containers for easy clean-up. Just be sure to avoid scraping the sides
or bottom of a non-stick pot with an immersion blender that doesn’t
feature housing or guards to prevent flakes of Teflon from ending up in
your baby’s carefully prepared, all-natural organic baby food.
P.S. This post was proposed to me for publication by Kaitlyn Johnson. I'm therefore publishing it by her invitation and
under her permission. See also the link below fore more information:
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