what did you store your homemade baby food in?

[Catubodua]

looking for ideas on what to store my homemade baby food in. i've seen some mini-cup type things on the tupperware site, but i'm interested in other suggestions.

babyfood for us right now means pureed vegetables

[BetsyS]

First, let me say, we do a mix of purees (especially naturally "baby foodish" stuff, like applesauce, oatmeal, yogurt, butternut squash puree, etc), plus small pieces of food. So, my way of doing it might not be good enough for someone that needs a larger supply.

If I make a bigger batch of something, I freeze in ice cube trays, then pop them out and store in the freezer. If I only make a tiny bit, and I don't want to freeze, then I'll store it in 1/4 pint (4 oz) canning jars (with plastic lids--I've been canning for years, and I have a bunch). If it's a tiny baby, then I store in Tupperware midgets. They store 2 oz.

If we're going off for a short time (say going to grandma's for lunch), then I'll take applesauce or whatever in the 2 or 4 oz container. If it's for a longer trip, then I use purchased food. It's easier for my life. And, I save and reuse the jars. I also keep a purchased thing of food in the diaper bag for emergencies.

[just_lily]

We froze in ice cube trays as well, and then popped them out and kept them in a ziploc bag in the freezer.

If I needed to take them somewhere I would just put them in a little tupperware container, or a small take and toss type container.

But we did purees for a very short period of time as we did a mix of purees and baby led weaning. I really wouldn't spend a lot of money on containers unless you will have a use for them later.

[busymama77]

Looking for ideas as well.

[Catubodua]

I should add - I've asked on freecycle for empty baby food jars and have people contact me, but no one ever follows through.

i've seen the icecube tray suggestion before, but i don't know why, i just don't like it. i wish i could figure out what about it i don't like.

[green_momma2007]

Gladware has these small bowl type containers that come in a four ounce size. When Liam was a baby that's what I used to put his purees in.

[EdnaMarie]

For bigger servings you can get Pyrex which is glass, but my sister did ice-cube trays and they were super convenient for her and my mom (she works). Then she put it in ziplog baggies for travel, which she re-used for crackers and other dry food for herself and her DH as he threw them out. I'll definitely do it if I ever get around to pureeing stuff instead of just mashing up our food with my fork.

[sunnysandiegan]

All the moms in our playgroup used store-bought food, so I asked for their empties at every playdate instead of them being tossed out. We washed them in the dishwasher and reused them.

[noobmom]

With DS, I froze in ice cube trays, although I didn't like it because of the plastic aspect, even though plastic generally doesn't leach when it's frozen (compared to being heated, etc.) Then I transferred the cubes into ziploc bags.

I just made a bit of puree for DD (1 sweet potato worth) and made little mounds directly onto a regular Corelle dinner plate and froze it that way. Then I laid it on a hot towel to loosen and popped them off. I put them loose into a glass canning jar (suitable for freezer) for storing. I just did this today, so I'm not 100% sure that they will stay separate, but I don't see why they wouldn't. Not a great solution if you plan to make a lot, but fine for me where I am really just putting aside the extra.

BTW, I've heard that you should not freeze food in baby food jar because they aren't rated for the freezer. Here, for example:
http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/FreezePage.htm

[PaytonPlace]

Originally Posted by just_lily

We froze in ice cube trays as well, and then popped them out and kept them in a ziploc bag in the freezer.

If I needed to take them somewhere I would just put them in a little tupperware container, or a small take and toss type container.

Same here.

[velochic]

I froze in canning jars. Specifically, I used the smallest jelly jars. I didn't want dd's first foods in contact with plastic.

But for all my good intentions, dd had other plans. She didn't want baby food. She just had very little interest in solids and was for all intents and purposes exclusively breastfed until she started regular food when she was 12 - 15 months. The pureed baby food ended up in soups.

[BetsyS]

Originally Posted by velochic

But for all my good intentions, dd had other plans. She didn't want baby food. She just had very little interest in solids and was for all intents and purposes exclusively breastfed until she started regular food when she was 12 - 15 months. The pureed baby food ended up in soups.

This was my exact experience with baby #1. FWIW, the purees do really well in soups and spaghetti.

[texmati]

Originally Posted by BetsyS

First, let me say, we do a mix of purees (especially naturally "baby foodish" stuff, like applesauce, oatmeal, yogurt, butternut squash puree, etc), plus small pieces of food. So, my way of doing it might not be good enough for someone that needs a larger supply.

If I make a bigger batch of something, I freeze in ice cube trays, then pop them out and store in the freezer. If I only make a tiny bit, and I don't want to freeze, then I'll store it in 1/4 pint (4 oz) canning jars (with plastic lids--I've been canning for years, and I have a bunch). If it's a tiny baby, then I store in Tupperware midgets. They store 2 oz.

If we're going off for a short time (say going to grandma's for lunch), then I'll take applesauce or whatever in the 2 or 4 oz container. If it's for a longer trip, then I use purchased food. It's easier for my life. And, I save and reuse the jars. I also keep a purchased thing of food in the diaper bag for emergencies.

ooh! where do you get plastic tops for your canning jars?

[velochic]

Originally Posted by texmati

ooh! where do you get plastic tops for your canning jars?

Just about everywhere that sells canning items sells the plastic lids (both regular and wide mouth). They are plastic screw tops that come in boxes of 10. Better yet, most metal screw top jars (those that truly screw on, not those like spaghetti sauce jars that have a single thread) fit regular mouth jars. It's standard. There are many jars lids that fit the wide mouth too. Off the top of my head, I can't think of any, I remember some of the pickle jars have lids that work. If you ever buy anything from Trader Joe's though, almost all of those lids fit regular mouth canning jars.

[BetsyS]

most of my plastic lids are mayo lids.