{"id":34811,"date":"2019-08-17T01:19:09","date_gmt":"2019-08-17T07:19:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pressurecookingtoday.com\/?p=34811"},"modified":"2021-10-09T09:01:48","modified_gmt":"2021-10-09T15:01:48","slug":"how-to-make-baby-food-instant-pot-pressure-cooker","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pressurecookingtoday.com\/how-to-make-baby-food-instant-pot-pressure-cooker\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Make Baby Food in Your Instant Pot \/ Pressure Cooker"},"content":{"rendered":"

Wondering how to make baby food in your Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, or other brand of electric pressure cooker? Baby food is so easy to make at home<\/strong>\u2014plus your pressure cooker helps you whip up quick and healthy meals for your baby! PLUS, one lucky reader will receive a copy of the cookbook and a baby food accessories package.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Different<\/p>\n

Your pressure cooker is your secret weapon in making healthy baby food fast!<\/strong> Spend your time with your kid\u2014not in the kitchen!<\/p>\n

Whether you’re starting with baby’s first foods or wanting something more complex for older babies, you can make it in your electric pressure cooker!<\/p>\n

To celebrate the release of our new cookbook<\/a>, we are giving away a copy of the cookbook plus a full baby food accessories package to one lucky reader!\u00a0Scroll to the bottom of the post to enter by Sunday, August 25th, for your chance to win!<\/strong><\/p>\n

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With our first baby, we tried making a few batches of baby food at home, and we quickly got discouraged. I vividly remember stirring and stirring a batch of prunes on the stovetop\u2014they just wouldn’t soften and thinking there had to be a better way!<\/p>\n

Enter the Instant Pot!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Our pressure cooker has completely changed the way we make baby food.<\/em> The recipes are quick and easy enough that we can fit them in any night of the week.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Benefits of Making Baby Food from Scratch<\/h2>\n

Why make baby food from scratch?\u00a0Ultimately, it’s all about control!\u00a0<\/b>When you cook for your baby, you control everything from the ingredients to flavor combinations to the texture.\u00a0You can tailor the food to your baby based on their preferences.<\/u><\/u><\/p>\n

One thing that really surprised me while writing this book is that your baby’s food preferences start to solidify starting at NINE MONTHS OLD.<\/p>\n

SAVE MONEY!!! <\/b><\/h3>\n

Buying baby food from the store is EXPENSIVE! One pouch of baby food can cost\u00a0$1<\/span>\u00a0to\u00a0$2<\/span>\u00a0each. It really adds up fast! Making baby food in the pressure gives you dozens of servings for a few bucks a batch.<\/u><\/u><\/p>\n

(Don’t get me wrong, we’re not knocking baby food pouches! They’re amazing for easy eating when we’re on the go! They’re just budget-busters if we had to use one or two at every meal!)<\/p>\n

Fresh just tastes better. If you’ve ever tasted commercial baby food, you’ll know that home-cooked Instant Pot baby food just tastes better! (Seriously\u2014especially with the beans and meats, even a baby can tell the difference!)<\/p>\n

\"Instant<\/p>\n

Wide Variety<\/h3>\n

With commercial baby food, you’re limited to the flavor combinations and textures available at your local store. When you make your own, you can mix and match your flavors for blends based on your baby’s favorites.<\/p>\n

Eat Like Family<\/h3>\n

One of my favorite things about homemade baby food is using ingredients I’m already using in my kitchen to feed my big kids. For example, I’ll buy a big bag of carrots\u2014the big kids get carrot sticks for lunch, and I can peel up a few extra to make fresh baby food carrot puree.<\/p>\n

We often try to enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables that are in season in my family. When you make your own baby food, your baby can experience the same fresh and flavorful produce as the rest of your family.<\/u><\/p>\n

Easy Storage<\/strong><\/h3>\n

We like to cook a few batches of Instant Pot baby food each week so we have a variety of foods to rotate for each meal.<\/p>\n

We freeze it in baby food trays, but you could use large ice cube trays or those egg muffin trays. Once frozen, I like to transfer the cubes to a freezer storage bag (be sure to label so you don’t have to guess between carrots, peaches, and sweet potatoes!)<\/p>\n

Baby food keeps in the coldest part of the freezer for 1 to 2 months.<\/p>\n

\"Four<\/p>\n

Why Make Baby Food in the Instant Pot?<\/h2>\n

Maximize Nutrient Retention<\/h3>\n

Making baby food at home has traditionally been done by boiling fruits and vegetables in a pot. In the boiling process, some of the nutrients leech into the water.<\/p>\n

However, when you make baby food in the pressure cooker, you use much less water. Plus, you use the water to help blend the food. This maximizes the nutrients and flavor of your baby food.<\/u><\/p>\n

Quicker Cook Times<\/h3>\n

Since a pressure cooker cooks faster than on the stove top, you will be able to cook fresh food fast!<\/p>\n

Plus, if you choose to use frozen ingredients, you can save time peeling and chopping as well as a shorter cook time.<\/p>\n

Hands-off Cooking<\/h3>\n

Making baby food in the Instant Pot also allows you to walk away and get other things done while your food cooks. You can change diapers, play with your baby, or even sneak a minute for yourself!<\/p>\n

I also like to make my baby food in just one day a week, so I’ll start preparing the next batch while the first one is cooking<\/strong>. When the first food is done, empty it into a bowl and reserve the water in a glass. That way you don’t have to wait for the first batch to cool before pressure cooking the next one.<\/p>\n

\"Baby<\/p>\n

Common Questions about Making Your Own Baby Food<\/h2>\n

Is homemade Instant Pot baby food safe?<\/h3>\n

There’s so much more to food safety than simply dicing food into small pieces and introducing just one new ingredient at a time. The cookbook has several pages specifically dedicated to food safety.<\/p>\n

About dicing food: the official guideline is food should be less than half an inch around; however, you’ll want to start small and work your way up. You know your baby\u2014if they tend not to chew their food, you can always err on the side of smaller. (We recommend a good pair of kitchen shears<\/a>!)<\/p>\n

\"Instant<\/p>\n

Do I use the steam button or do I cook at high pressure?<\/h3>\n

Since we write our recipes to work in any brand of pressure cooker, all of our recipes cook at high pressure. However, if you prefer to steam them, that will work great too.<\/p>\n

Do I need a fancy blender to make baby food?<\/h3>\n

The good news here is that it’s baby food, not fine french cooking. Don’t be afraid to mix up the recipes\u2014add a minute or two of cook time if it helps you blend, or take a little time off if you want your puree to have a little more texture. Just make sure meats are cooked to safe internal temperatures.<\/p>\n

Steam the fruits and vegetables, transfer to a bowl to cool, then blend to desired consistency.<\/p>\n

\"Cover<\/p>\n

About the Instant Pot Baby Food Cookbook<\/h2>\n

The Instant Pot Baby Food and Toddler Food Cookbook<\/em><\/a> is full of trustworthy recipes that work in any brand<\/strong> of electric pressure cooker, including the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, Mealthy MultiPot, and the Power Pressure Cooker.<\/p>\n

Each of our recipes has been tested to take the guesswork out of cooking for you. The cookbook also includes detailed descriptions on<\/p>\n