Learn the secrets to storing and freezing homemade baby food for ultimate freshness—AND the best baby food storage containers to use to ensure that you never waste what you make!
Baby Food Storage
Going through the effort to make homemade baby food really only works if you have a good plan for how to store the food to ensure that it stays fresh and that baby has plenty of opportunities to enjoy it. After making a LOT of baby food for my third kiddo to send with him to daycare, I got into a good routine of quickly making and storing baby food—both in the fridge and freezer. Here’s how you can do it too.
You can find my favorite baby food recipes, tips for starting solids, and baby-led weaning advice to help, too.
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Best Baby Food Storage Containers
Having baby food storage containers on hand and ready to go can make preserving your baby food a lot simpler. These are my four favorite options (that last, so you can use them to store general leftovers after you’re in the baby food phase).
1. Wean Green Baby Food CubesThese are small, incredibly durable, and made from glass. The glass jars are easy to clean, dishwasher safe, freezer safe and last forever. (Seriously, I’ve been using the same set for 7 years and they’re still as good as new!)
2. Beaba Food Storage Containers
I have two sets of these and I use them regularly for larger amounts of baby food (you could probably fit 4 cubes of frozen food, whether fruit, veggies, cereal, or a protein) and for toddler snacks. When assembled, they snap together, so they’re an easy way to stay organized.
3. Oxo Tot Baby Food Blocks
This neat system is easy to keep contained in the fridge and is also made from a polypropylene body that is PVC, BPA, and phthalate free. They are dishwasher and microwave safe. Less than $12 for a set of 6
4. ANYDAY 2-TABLESPOON FREEZER TRAY
This silicone tray allows you to easily freeze small portions of food for a future week. And it works just as well for sauces and dips, so you can use this product for years to come.
Homemade Baby Food Storage: In the Fridge
You can store baby food in the fridge in airtight containers for up to 3 days. You can use masking tape and a Sharpie to label the containers with the contents and the date if you have a hard time keeping track of when you made something. (It’s definitely helpful to do that!)
Homemade Baby Food Storage: In the Freezer
Storing homemade baby food in the freezer allows you to make a bigger batch at once, and then serve it to baby over the course of a few weeks or months.The easiest way is to use an ice cube tray, which has the added benefit of portioning out the baby food nicely.
Any ice cube tray will do. You can use silicone ice cube trays if you prefer a non-plastic option.
Baby Food Storage Without An Ice Cube Tray
If you don’t have an ice cube tray or you’d just rather not use one, you can place a predetermined amount of baby food into a pint-size freezer bag. Remove as much air as possible, press flat, and seal. Place flat in the freezer to freeze. Then you can thaw the entire bag in the fridge overnight, or break off a portion of it to thaw.
How to Freeze Baby Food Step-by-Step
- Place baby food into each compartment of the ice cube tray, or fill as many as you need to with the amount of baby food you have.
- Cover (if your ice cube tray has a cover) and freezer for 4-6 hours or overnight.
- Pop out frozen cubes and transfer to freezer storage bags. Label as desired with the type of baby food and the date.
- Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
TIP: I like to have a bag of sweet fruit purees and more savory vegetable purees to avoid having too many separate bags in the freezer at any given time. Then you can combine them into baby food combinations easily!
How to Thaw Baby Food
To thaw baby food, simply remove a cube (or as many as you need) and place into airtight containers. Thaw overnight in the fridge and serve. 1 cube may be plenty for a baby aged 6-7 months and older babies may enjoy two cubes.
Baby Food Recipes to Try
Here are some of my most popular baby food recipes that store really well and are yummy options to try with baby.
Turn fresh carrots into a simple, nourishing baby food for baby with this easy method to make Carrot Puree. Read the Notes for additional flavor options and storage information.
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You can make this puree to feed to a baby or toddler, or as a simple side dish for the whole family to share.
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Perfectly creamy Sweet Potato Puree is a very favorite easy side dish (and baby food!). This is delicious in fall, takes less than 30 minutes, and can be flavored in all sorts of ways.
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This fresh pumpkin puree is mellow and flavorful, and can be combined with other purees to make delicious baby food combinations. (See the Notes for flavor options.) The amount of puree you wind up with will vary according to the size of the pumpkin you start with.
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Transform nutrient-rich quinoa into a delicious baby food—with options for older kids and parents to share it—using this simple method. (Find flavor variations and storage tips too.)
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Learn how to make quick and flavorful Green Bean Baby Food as a baby-led weaning food or as a Stage 1 or 2 puree. Plus, find tips on how to store and mix the puree with other flavors to make yummy baby food combinations.
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Use a ripe banana with at least some brown spots for the best flavor in this puree.
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There’s no one right serving size for every child, so start with a smaller amount and offer more as indicated by baby. When they turn their head or close their mouth, end the meal—it’s usually pretty obvious when they want to be done!
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Learn how to make easy homemade Apricot Baby Food, with both puree and BLW options. Find storage tips and baby food combinations, too.
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This easy baby food pouch is an easy staple to serve as a baby meal or snack and contains fruit, protein, calcium, fiber, and healthy fats. Find more flavor ideas in the Notes at the end of the recipe.
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Best Tips for Success
- Keep fresh baby food in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge.
- Use a regular ice cube tray to freeze, a silicone ice cube tray with a lid, or a small freezer bag with the contents pressed flat.
- Store frozen baby food in a freezer storage bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- To avoid freezer burn, try to remove as much air as possible from the storage bags.
- Label your bags with the contents and the date.
- To thaw baby food, simply remove a cube (or as many as you need) and place into airtight containers. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Use leftover baby food to flavor yogurt, baby oatmeal, baby rice cereal, smoothies, or cottage cheese.
- See some of my favorite Baby Food Pouch recipes here for more ideas on how to serve your baby food!
Related Recipes
I’d love to hear your feedback if you have another storage technique or container that you love, so please comment below!