People who make their own baby food - come in!

lilmgirl · May 2011

We're going to start making our own soon, but I'm torn on what to get to actually make it. We don't have a steamer or a food processor so we're starting from scratch.

I've look at the Beaba, the Baby Bullet, and Baby Brezza. All seem to have pros/cons to them all.

For those of you making your own, what do you find the most cumbersome? Is it the cleaning, the steaming in one contraption and moving to another? What do you wish was easier or wish you had to save you time?

nootie24 · May 2011

i have a Kalorik from sur la table. it steams, chops and purees and i can sterilize in it. i like iit

EMOmamma · May 2011

if you're not set on using a system we just use a steamer basket in a pan and the blender and it works great. We have a small kitchen so I'm not a fan of Uni-taskers (as Alton Brown calls them).

MamaPajama2010 · May 2011

We've only done avacado and sweet potatoes so far. For the avacado, I just sliced it and mashed it with a fork-- I didn't even need to thin it for her. For the sweet potatoes I actually just microwaved them and then mashed them with a hand held masher. I needed to thin the sweet potatoes, but only did the ones I gave her and not the ones I froze (I'll thin them after I thaw them).

In the future, I'll still hand mash the super soft foods. I'll use a potato ricer and my food processor for everything else. I'm using regular ice cube trays to freeze everything.

As far as steaming, we just use a really cheap metal steaming basket that fits into our cookware. I haven't done much, so I can't really review it for you... but it is all things we already have/use and like.

PGASTL · May 2011

I have a mini food processor & borrowed a steam basket from my mom. Super easy. I really don't see the need for a special baby food making item. babies are on purees for such a short time period, relatively speaking.

I have spent maybe an hour and a half over a few days total on food and have enough for a month or more (pears, apples, butternut squash & sweet potatoes so far).

One of LO's favorites is bananas and I just heat in microwave for a few seconds and mash. Easy peasy.

Recipes on wholesomebabyfood.com

babyonthebrain2010 · May 2011

I just mash stuff. as in with a fork. if something is too hard to mash I cook it til it's soft and then mash it lol. it works just fine.

missliz01 · May 2011

We have a steamer basket and a Vitamix blender (which I love!) and I just make big batches and freeze in cubes so I don't have to make it as often. It's been working out well so far.

OhSewCrafty · May 2011

We have a Kid Co. food processor. It was super cheap compared to the alternatives and its does a great job. Since all of the food you're pureeing is already super soft from baking, boiling, or steaming, you don't need a beast of a machine to mash it up.

As for a steamer, we just use the steamer basket that came with our cookware set for some veggies, we bake sweet potatoes, peaches, and sometimes apples, and boil pears, apples, carrots, and peas. I like baking and boiling more than steaming because baking creates a unique flavor and the boiling creates sweetened water that you can use to thin the food (except for carrots - you shouldn't keep carrot water after boiling/steaming).

I make huge batches every 2-3 weeks and then freeze them in Oxo Tot trays. I wouldn't spend a ton of money on a fancy processor/steamer because if you think about it, he'll only be on purees for a few months and really, you could mash them with a fork if you needed to.

OhSewCrafty · May 2011

babyonthebrain2010:
I just mash stuff. as in with a fork. if something is too hard to mash I cook it til it's soft and then mash it lol. it works just fine.

A girl after my own heart. If we didn't get the food processor we have as a shower gift, we'd be fork mashing too. lol

jenvalet · May 2011

I've just used a steamer basket in a pot and a food processor. Honestly, I wouldn't bother with a specific baby food contraption that can really only be used for a short time. I also roast stuff in the oven - sweet potatoes, squash, apples, etc.

watermellens · May 2011

I don't have a system and don't really think it's needed. We have a blender, steamer basket and pots and pans...that's all we've really needed. We've done beans, peaches, butternut squash, apples and peas. All have either been boiled on the stove top or steamed and then put in the blender. Then I pour it into ice cube trays to freeze and the next morning pop them out and store in a bag. So easy!

lrn327 · May 2011

I have a Beaba because I was able to snag it for 50% off. I figured I could use it for the 2nd kid, loan it to friends, and even resell it for at least what I paid for it so it was a good deal for me. That said, unless money was no object, I wouldn't have paid full price for it. I do really like it though. It's small and quick and really does work well. I have one Beaba freezing tray and I find though that I really can't fit enough food in the steamer basket to fill all seven compartments of the tray. To wash it completely too, you do have to pull the gasket off. It's a little difficult to get back on but I'm use to it now. As a side note, I don't have the black film problem with the tank that a few people mention. I just take the cap off the tank after I'm done steaming so it can dry out. It seemed like a no brainer to me but some people don't do that I guess and get a mildew issue.

thatgirl85 · May 2011

I don't really mind any part of the process. I steam veggies on a steamer insert in a big pot. Then I puree them in my KitchenAid food processor. I usually make a big batch of food every other Sunday while I'm cooking our dinner. It's quick and easy, so I don't feel the need to do an all in one thing like Beaba.

curlydoglover · May 2011

We were given the Baby Bullet as it's pretty sweet. You can mill your own grains in it! Buy organic rice in bulk and serve the whole family!

For steaming, we're totally ghetto and use a collander in a stock pot. Heh.

rainydayluck · May 2011

I don't use a steamer, I just put the food in a pot with a little water and cook it until it is soft. Then I just use a food processor.

LaurenandMack · May 2011

I asked this question before too- I was torn between a Magic Bullet and a Ninja. The girls said they steam and then use the hand held puree machine (can't for the life of me think of what its called- LONG DAY!) And they were right! I bought a steam basket for $4.99 at Target and the puree hand held thing for $20. The only thing I have to clean is the bottom of the puree thing (which you just rinse off) and the bowl. So much easier than using several items and having to clean them all! It takes 10 min to steam, and 2 min to puree, and i squeeze from a baggie into ice cube trays and Voila! 15 min total! SO EASy! GL!

bosha711 · May 2011

I only made applesauce so far, but I plan to do carrots this weekend. I'm steaming them in a pot, then using my immersion blender to puree, then doing the ice cube tray thing.

cupcakes710 · May 2011

curlydoglover:

For steaming, we're totally ghetto and use a collander in a stock pot. Heh.

This is really interesting to me... so you'd put a piece of food in the colander and then put the colander in a crock pot with... water? How long do you cook it and on what temp? And also can you put a plastic colander in a crock pot?

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