Making Homemade Baby Food

It all started when a friend let me borrow her Beaba Babycook Baby Food Maker.  I thought I might occasionally use it when Wesley began eating solid foods, but I would say I have made 90-95% of what he's eaten as far as baby food purees go.  I started with bananas, and the list just grew.  It is so easy and fun to make, and you know exactly what is in the food you are giving to your child - plus, it is less expensive than buying pre-made baby food.  This past weekend I made him nectarines.  Here is a quick 'how to':

(Just a note - this can also be done by steaming the fruit/veggies on the stove, then pureeing them in a food processor/blender)

 Start with 2 or 3 medium/large nectarines

 

 Peel the fruit (I like to buy fruit that is not quite ripe, because it is firm and easier to peel) 

 

 After the fruit is peeled, cut it up into large chunks

 

Now it is ready to go into the steam basket of the Babycook machine

Scoop up the diced fruit and put it into the steam basket inside the mixer bowl

Pour water into the reservoir, put the lid on, and turn the knob to steam; the light on the knob goes off when the steaming has completed so you know it is done!

Once the fruit has steamed, separate the steam basket from the mixer bowl

 

 

Pour the liquid into a measuring cup, so it can be added to the fruit as it is pureeing to bring to the desired consistancy (smoother for younger babies, 'chunky' for older babies)

Also, if I have room in my ice cube trays I'll freeze any extra liquid and add the cubes to Wesley's water/juice in his sippy cup to sweeten it or put a cube in his fresh food feeder to help with teething pain

Dump the steamed fruit from the steam basket into the mixing bowl

Put the lid on and turn the knob to puree

 

Add the reserved liquid as needed to desired consistency

Pour the puree directly into ice cube trays to freeze

 

Once the puree is frozen

 

Pop them out of the ice tray

 

Label a freezer bag with the name of the fruit and the date it was made, and freeze up to 3 months

Get a couple cubes out of the freezer and let sit at room temperature to defrost (or microwave if you are in a hurry) for meal time!