Baby Food Storage: Make baby food in minutes from freeze dried produce

I have often considered making my own baby food. There are many advantages to making your own vs. buying it at the store:

• No additives

There are thickeners, fluoride, and other additives in store bought baby food

• More Nutritious

Store bought baby food loses nutrients in the canning process

• Lower Price

At $0.40-$0.80 a jar, it is far less expensive to make your own

• Environmentally Friendly

What happens to all the jars of baby food you buy? They go in the garbage!

However, there is one huge disadvantage that has kept me from ever actually trying this project:

Time!

I have four kids 3 years old and under. I don't have a lot of spare time to make my own food. I've also enjoyed the peace of mind storing jars of baby food gave me: it was food storage for my baby. I couldn't provide that as easily when making my own food because it had to be stored in the fridge / freezer and I needed that space for other things. For those reasons, I've loved the convenience of store bought baby food too much to give it up. That is until I found freeze dried fruits and vegetables.


Freeze dried fruits and vegetables are amazing: completely different from dehydrated foods. They contain no added sugar, salt or other preservatives, they retain 90% (or more) of their original nutrients, they are often less expensive (per serving) than the fresh product and they have an extremely long shelf life. They will last for 25 years! In addition, they are very easy to use and take very little time to rehydrate.

I decided to try making baby food from these products. I'm so glad I did b/c it is going to save us so much money with our newest little addition (Hanna is just 5 weeks old). It will also be healthier and I will be able to add baby food storage to my home store!

It is so simple! All you do is:

• Add 1/2 c. water to 1 1/2 c. freeze dried produce.
• Let it sit for just a few minutes (6-7 in cold water or 2-3 in warm water)
  
• Mix in a blender or food processor
  
• Add water a few tablespoons at a time and continue blending until you reach your desired consistency.
• Makes 5-7 4 oz. servings (depending on how much water you add)
  

No need to boil large amounts of produce each week, blend it, and put it in Tupperware or jars. You can easily and quickly make just what your baby needs to eat each day! Healthy food with no additives that is affordable and doesn't hurt the environment! It doesn't get better than that!

These same products can also be given to older children in place of fruit snacks or used in easy casserole recipes, easy soup recipes, or breads and muffins. They can provide security and peace of mind because with a 25 year shelf life, they also work as long term storage or "food insurance" for your family!

Shelf Reliance has 11 varieties of freeze dried fruit and 10 varieties of freeze dried vegetables. Many cost less per serving than the same products fresh and you can get them all year long. One #10 can costs anywhere from $11.19 for cauliflower - $33.19 for pineapple and while it depends on the product, you should get 50-70 4oz serving out of each can so that comes to $0.16-$0.66 per 4 oz serving (1 jar).

You can buy each product in single #10 cans or in a 6 pack of cans (to save an additional 5% per serving). In addition, they are currently offering the following packages at an amazing price per serving:

Freeze Dried Tropical Fruit Package: $120**
Six #10 Cans: about $0.29 - $0.41 per 4 oz serving

• 1 Can Banana Slices
• 1 Can Mangoes
• 1 Can Pineapple
• 1 Can Apricots
• 1 Can Pears
• 1 Can Peaches

Ultimate Veggie Pack: $383.99**
Thirty #10 Cans: about $0.18-$0.26 per 4 oz serving for the freeze dried veggies

• 2 Cans Freeze Dried Green Peas
• 3 Cans Freeze Dried Sweet Corn
• 2 Cans Freeze Dried Green Beans
• 1 Can Freeze Dried Mushrooms
• 2 Cans Freeze Dried Broccoli
• 2 Cans Freeze Dried Spinach
• 2 Cans Freeze Dried Potato Dices
  
• 2 Cans Potato Chunks
• 1 Can Split Green Peas
• 2 Cans Bell Peppers
• 4 Cans Potato Pearls
• 3 Cans Sweet Potatoes
• 4 Cans Carrot Dices

Ultimate Fruit Pack: $483.99**
Thirty #10 Cans: about $0.30-$0.43 per 4 oz serving for the freeze dried fruits

• 1 Can Freeze Dried Apricots
• 2 Cans Freeze Dried Banana Slices
• 2 Cans Freeze Dried Blackberries
• 2 Cans Freeze Dried Blueberries
• 2 Cans Freeze Dried Mangoes
• 2 Cans Freeze Dried Peaches
• 2 Cans Freeze Dried Pears
• 1 Can Freeze Dried Pineapple
• 2 Cans Freeze Dried Raspberries
• 2 Cans Freeze Dried Strawberries
• 3 Apple Chips
• 3 Banana Chips
• 3 Pineapple
• 3 Apples Slices

If you are interested in buying these products in #10 cans or 6 pk cases at the above discounted prices, you may do so through my Shelf Reliance website. If you are interested in the packages, please contact me as they are not yet available on the main shelf reliance site.

If you have any questions about how I make baby food, leave me a comment!

**Prices based on the Winter 2011 price list which is valid until March 1st. Price after March 1st 2011 may be different.**