Storing Baby Foods

What every choosy Mother needs to know…

Open jars of baby foods should be closed tightly and stored in the refrigerator. They may be kept only three days.

Storing baby foods properly helps to insure the good health of your baby. You can store unopened commercial baby foods on the pantry shelf at room temperature. Open jars of baby foods should be closed tightly and stored in the refrigerator. They may be kept only three days.

Don't feed from jar…

Don't feed your baby directly from the jar because the spoon with which you feed the baby will have saliva and germs on it. This can make the food spoil more quickly. Transfer the amount; you think your baby will eat into a small bowl, and feed the baby from this bowl.

Prepare and freeze…

You can keep home prepared, cooked baby fruits and vegetables for three days in the refrigerator, but don't keep raw fruits and cooked meats longer than two days. Put this food in glass or plastic jars and cover them tightly. You can also freeze home prepared baby foods. Fill an ice tray with food, cover it with waxed paper, and freeze it until food becomes solid. You can then remove the cubes of food and freeze them in a plastic bag. Label and date the bag. You can keep the frozen food cubes for one month.

Before serving…

To serve the frozen baby food, thaw the food in the refrigerator, then heat the cubes in a double boiler or in a dish surrounded by hot water on top of the stove or in the oven. Use your microwave oven for reheating baby food. Heat just until it's warm, don't overcook.

Throw away any food your baby doesn't eat. Don't refreeze it or save it for another meal.

For more information on storing baby foods, contact your local county Extension office.