Batch cooking and freezing baby food

Why batch cook

Babies eat tiny amounts at first, and often only a few bites of something new. Cooking a batch and freezing it in small portions means you always have something ready, and you only thaw what you need. The AAP says preparing baby food ahead can make busy days easier, and the NHS lists ice cube trays and plastic containers as useful kit for freezing small portions.

For how to cook and blend the food itself, see making purées.

What freezes well

USDA FSIS says you can freeze almost any food, although some, like mayonnaise, cream sauces and lettuce, don’t freeze well. Cooked vegetable, fruit, bean and lentil purées, mashed potato and sweet potato, stews and meat sauces all freeze well.

Cook everything with no added salt or sugar, and no honey before 12 months (NHS). If you’re cooking for the whole family, take your baby’s portion out before you season the rest.

Step by step

1. Cook it safely. Cook meat, poultry and fish to a safe temperature, checked with a food thermometer: poultry 165°F (74°C), ground meat 160°F (71°C), whole cuts of beef, pork and lamb 145°F (63°C) with a 3-minute rest, and fish 145°F (63°C) or until it’s opaque and flakes easily (USDA FSIS, CDC). Wash your hands, boards and utensils in hot, soapy water after handling raw meat (CDC).

2. Cool it quickly.

• The NHS says to cool batch-cooked food, ideally within 1 to 2 hours, then freeze or refrigerate it. USDA FSIS says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking.
• Spread food into shallow containers: a big pot takes a long time to cool, which lets bacteria grow (USDA FSIS).
• To cool food fast, put it in an airtight container and run cold water over it, stirring so it cools all the way through (NHS).
• Rice: cool it within 1 hour, then put it straight in the fridge or freezer. Eat rice from the fridge within 1 day (24 hours), and never reheat it more than once (NHS). See rice.

3. Portion it.

• Spoon purée into an ice cube tray. Each cube is about 1 oz (30 ml) of food (AAP), a good first serving.
• Cover the tray (the FDA suggests heavy-duty plastic wrap) and freeze.
• Once the cubes are frozen solid, pop them into a freezer bag or airtight container (FDA, AAP). Airtight containers and well-wrapped bags help prevent freezer burn (FSA).
• Small jars work too. Leave about ½ inch (1.3 cm) of space at the top, because food expands as it freezes (FDA).

4. Label it. Write the food and the date on every bag or container (AAP, FSA).

5. Keep the freezer cold. CDC advice is 0°F (-18°C) or below. The FSA says around -18°C.

How long it keeps

Food kept frozen at 0°F (-18°C) stays safe, but its quality drops over time, so these are the times we use (USDA FSIS, AAP, FDA):

• Fruit, vegetable, bean and grain purées and mashes: use within 3 months (AAP, FDA).
• Meat, poultry, fish or egg purées, including meat and vegetable mixes: 1 to 2 months (FDA).
• Meatballs, patties and nuggets: up to 3 months (FoodSafety.gov gives 1 to 3 months for chicken nuggets or patties).
• Soups, stews, sauces, casseroles and other cooked meat dishes: 2 to 3 months (USDA FSIS).
• Egg dishes such as egg muffins: 2 to 3 months (FoodSafety.gov).
• Other cooked leftovers, such as cooked chicken pieces: 3 to 4 months (USDA FSIS).

If something smells off when it thaws, throw it out (USDA FSIS).

Thawing

• In the fridge is the safest way, the NHS and FSA say. Move tomorrow’s cubes from the freezer to a covered bowl in the fridge the night before.
• In the microwave on the defrost setting, then reheat straight away (NHS, USDA FSIS). Take the food out of the jar and put it in a dish first, so you can stir it (FDA).
• Never on the counter or at room temperature (CDC, NHS).

Once thawed, the NHS says to eat food within 24 hours. USDA FSIS gives up to 3 to 4 days for leftovers thawed in the fridge (see below).

Reheating

• Reheat only what you’ll use, until it’s steaming hot all the way through: 165°F (74°C) (NHS, USDA FSIS). USDA FSIS says to bring sauces and soups to a rolling boil.
• Microwaves heat unevenly. Stir well to get rid of hot spots, and check the food in more than one place (NHS, USDA FSIS).
• Warm meat and egg purées on the stove, not in the microwave. The FDA says baby-food meats and eggs are high in fat, which microwaves heat faster, so they can splatter and overheat.
• Let it cool, then test it before giving it to your baby (NHS).
• The NHS says cooked food should be reheated only once.

Leftovers in the bowl

Saliva from your baby’s spoon gets into the food. The FDA says to put a serving into a dish rather than feeding from the container, and to throw away anything left in the dish. The NHS says never to save, store or reheat half-eaten portions. Thaw one or two cubes at a time, and offer more if your baby is still hungry.

Refreezing

Our advice is not to refreeze baby food once it has thawed. Freezing in small portions means you rarely need to.

USDA FSIS says food thawed in the fridge can be refrozen safely, although it loses some quality. Never refreeze food that has been out of the fridge for more than 2 hours (1 hour if it’s hotter than 90°F / 32°C) (USDA FSIS), and never refreeze food from your baby’s bowl.

Throw away any food left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour if it’s hotter than 90°F / 32°C).

When something goes wrong

If your baby gets diarrhea or vomiting, carry on breast or bottle feeding and watch for signs of dehydration, such as fewer wet diapers (NHS): see food poisoning in babies. If your baby is not responding as usual, has severe difficulty breathing, or vomits blood or green fluid (NHS): call 911 or go to the emergency room.call 999 or go to A&E.call your local emergency number (such as 112 in Europe or 000 in Australia) or go to the emergency department.

Where US and UK advice differs

• Fridge time for cooked food. USDA FSIS says 3 to 4 days. The NHS says to use batch-cooked food kept in the fridge within 2 days, and the FSA says leftovers within 48 hours. Cooked rice is 1 day for everyone (NHS).
• After thawing. The NHS and FSA say to eat defrosted food within 24 hours. USDA FSIS says leftovers thawed in the fridge can be used within 3 to 4 days.
• Refreezing. USDA FSIS says fridge-thawed leftovers can be refrozen, and so can food left over after reheating to 165°F (74°C). The NHS says to reheat cooked food only once. Not refreezing baby food fits both.
• Freezer temperature. The same in practice: 0°F (US) and around -18°C (UK).