Freezer broken - can I jar homemade food?

[Shenzhennifer]

Our fridge is broken - it always goes on and off, therefore the freezer in unreliable. I still want to make my own baby food as it`s so easy and so much cheaper, but I don`t really want to spend every other day preparing small portions that can only be in the refrigerator for a couple of days.

Is it possible to jar my own? I have some jarred food that I occasionally give my baby - it seems like such a waste to throw them out and would love to just make the food and store it, if only for a week or two.
Is it possible to do this?

 

[nicolejoy]

I just replied to your other thread, but I'll reply to this one too...

These are the two sites I go to for most of my questions:
Make Homemade Baby Food Recipes, Homemade Baby Food Recipes, Solid Food Baby Tips, Baby Nutrition & more!
Homemade Baby Food Recipes To Help You Create A Healthy Menu For YOUR Baby

They both say that home made baby food should only be kept for up to 3 days max in a fridge. I think that jarred food places use things like vacuum sealing and even sometimes packing under nitrogen gas to make the food be able to be stored for longer without going bad - but these things aren't usually options in a regular kitchen!! So I'd stick to just making small batches and using that instead...

One option is to feed the baby bits of what you are having for dinner. Like if you're having a general "western" meat and three veggies kind of meal, at first, you could just pick a couple of the veggies and puree them together, just a single-serve. As the baby gets older, you can even just chop them into smaller sized pieces and feed them to the baby that way. It becomes easier as your baby gets older!!

 

[monte]

Like Nicolejoy, I just replied to the other thread but I will here too. I did very little of the whole steam/puree/freeze thing with my baby, and I made all his food. I basically used a foodmill and I would puree up a bit of whatever we were eating that was ok for him, then I'd mix some cereal, mash some banana or avacado and call it good. I do quite a bit of canning of jams and such and it's not difficult, but you have to be VERY careful about sterilization and so I wouldn't choose to do it on a regular basis. Much easier just to make what you need rather than worry about storing it properly, imo.

 

[babymommy2]

Do you mean to jar it as in canning? You absolutly can do this, but you have to know how to do it so the food doesn't spoil. My mom used to can food all the time as a kid, (fuit, jams, etc) if you can can applesause, there is no other reaon you can't can other purees as well. But again you need to know what you are doing and have proper canning jars. I can't imagine a lot of people in Hk are into canning, would you even be able to find the supplies, also alot of work.

An easier method may to be just feed your baby what you eat. That is what I did. I tired the puree route with my first, who hated them, so he didnt' reallys tart eating until about 7months, and just ate what I ate, assuming not to spicy. a baby food mill is so easy, dump in whatever you eat, and grindit, around 7 months you can give soft chunks mashed, like banana an potatoes, carrots, any soft fruit of veggie, grind the for awhile longer as that is harder to chew. stewed meats grind very easily.