Baby food. We all ate it out of jars. We all turned out just fine.
Fast forward 30 years...
Baby food is now served out of plastic containers, you can get the jars...but it will cost you. Speaking of cost, $1.13 for a set of two plastic containers. Said plastic containers will also last you until the world ends...okay 2017, but you get my gist.
My husband and I really enjoy cooking together.
I like to DIY.
He likes spreadsheets.
One night, after purchasing a plastic container of baby food, taste testing it, and calculations (done by him...not me), we decided we would give making homemade baby food a go!
Little did we know how easy, fun, and cost effective this process would be--not to mention the quality time we get to spend together!! You may throw up in your mouth now, but seriously we have such a fantastic time doing this as a couple!
We've made sweet potatoes, butternut squash, avocados, and now pears!
Bartlett Pears Homemade Baby Food:
To begin you need the following:
- A steamer
- Emersion blender, food processor, or blender
- 4 ounce Ball Mason Jars and/or ice cube trays
- Gallon plastic bag
Step 1: Peel pears.
Step 2: Core pears. **I would totally recommend purchasing an apple corer rather than using a knife. It will expedite the process**
Step 3: In a steamer that is boiling, add pears. Different directions I read had the pears steaming anywhere from 10-30 minutes. We checked every 5 minutes after the 10 minute mark until they were fork tender.
Step 5: Emersion blend.
Step 6: Check consistency. Add formula, breastmilk, or water to make the puree a bit more "soupy." We added 6 ounces of breastmilk.
Step 7: Make an assembly line of jars and/or ice cube trays. I make sure to have at least 12 jars (enough for three feedings X four days) and then load up ice cube trays with any leftovers.
Step 8: This is the scathingly brilliant idea my hubby came up with...and he will be happy to tell you it was his scathingly brilliant idea!
When we were making our first batch of food, we were attempting to fill up the jars with tablespoons, of sweet potatoes nonetheless--hello stains everywhere and complete hassle! That's when he asked how I frost cookies. Not wanting to waste a piping bag, I whipped out a gallon plastic bag, he scooped in the remainder of the food in, snipped off the corner...and started squeezing equal amounts in each jar.
Proceed filling jars.
Step 8: With any leftover food fill up ice cube trays.
Fun fact: each cube is approximately one ounce. This makes measuring out frozen supply incredibly easy!
Homemade baby food will stay fresh in the refrigerator for 48 hours and frozen for 3 months! Now, I may not be really fantastic at math, but see if you can follow:
I purchased 3.12 pounds of Bartlett Pears for $3.09. After peeling, coring, and steaming we have a yield of approximately 24 ounces!
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