This article “Storing, Reheating and Cooking Foods for Baby” is written by Rebecca from What Mummy Makes who you can also find on Instagram @whatmummymakes.
Confused on what can and can’t be frozen and how to properly store cooked foods?
I often get asked question on my Instagram and on Joe’s wean in 15 page about storing, freezing, reheating foods! So much so, that I’ve decided to team up with cooking for babies PRO What Mummy Makes!
Hopefully the below will be a really comprehensive blog all about what to do with common foods that we give to babies and young children. I hope you find it helpful.
Big thanks to What Mummy Makes for writing it for me!
Storing, reheating and cooking foods for baby
First of all – fridge leftovers:
Storing leftovers safely is all down to how you package the food in the fridge. Ensure food is wrapped tightly or sealed in an air-tight container, this reduces the risk of bacteria growing leading to possible food poisoning if consumed.
Here are some points to remember:
• Cool down leftovers as quickly as possible (within 2 hours), store them in the fridge and generally eat within 2 days. Check out the table below for a detailed list of foods and how to store them.
• Never refreeze raw meat. Although you can defrost raw frozen meat and fish, cook it and then freeze again.
• When reheating food, make sure it is heated until it reaches a temperature of 70C for 2 minutes, so that it is steaming hot throughout.
• When defrosted, food should be reheated only once, because the more times you cool and reheat food, the higher the risk of food poisoning
• If defrosting at room temperature, be sure to keep an eye on when the item has defrosted and pop in fridge.
What food can’t be frozen?
Most foods can be frozen, however food which has a high water content such as soft cheese, milk and yogurt and fruits such as watermelon will change in texture once defrosted.
The following foods are best avoided from the freezer:
• Eggs in their shell, as the shell may crack once frozen due to the water content. This is a health risk.
• Fresh veg which has a high water content like celery, lettuce and cucumber. They will freeze with ice crystals which melt during thawing leaving you with soggy veg.
• Food emulsions such as mayonnaise will separate and curdle once defrosted.
• Soft cheese and dairy such as yoghurt with a high water content will also separate once defrosted.
However, here are some details on foods that CAN safely be frozen and how to store, and defrost these options: