Equipment Basics, Getting Started

Equipment 

There are only a few items you need to make baby food at home.  

1. A good quality Food Processor

http://amzn.com/B000NO6PS4 (This is the one I use and highly recommend.)

2. Ice cube trays

3. Freezer Ziploc bag

Please take my advice that all those fancy gadgets they sell in the baby stores are a waste of time and money.  I learned a valuable tip from Alton Brown; never buy a "unit tasker" for the kitchen.  As in something that only does one thing and then takes up space on the counter or cupboard.  You will always use a food processor so likely you have one already if not, get one and you'll use it for a million things.

After you've made your puree, storing it is the next step.  I portion food into ice cube trays, cover with a piece of plastic wrap then freeze.  Once frozen I pop the cubes out into a Ziploc bag then label the bags.  Frozen baby food is good for 3-6 months.  I make medium size patches so I use it within a month.

Getting Started

The number one thing with making baby food at home is cleanliness.  Food safety is serious.  Infants are high risk and can get sick very easy.  So start with a clean, sanitized kitchen and equipment.  Clean your own hands often and always clean your produce.  Even if the package says "pre-washed and ready to eat" clean it again anyway.

When selecting your produce I choose ripe, fresh and in season when available.  Some things I generally buy frozen like a bag of peas is a great example.  I also try and buy organic whenever possible.  This is our second year with our own garden out back and it's amazing to cook something you've grown yourself.  Can't get any fresher than that!