Now that you're on the road to preparing all of your baby's meals, you'll want to make sure that you store future servings in a safe way. There are several options. Some families stock up on freezer-safe glass jars and lids, and freeze a container's worth at a time. This technique works well, as long as you remember to let the food cool before freezing. Also, don't fill the jars up to the rim because the food will expand as it freezes. Plastic freezer containers will also work, but look for smaller containers. You can recycle commercial baby food jars for freezing, but because they weren't designed to be frozen, they may explode in the freezer. Freezer-safe glass or plastic is the best for this storage.

Another popular technique is to freeze baby food in ice-cube trays. This allows for single-serving storage, which is a great idea for babies who don't consume very much at one sitting. Look for ice-cube trays with covers; if unavailable, wrap the ice-cube tray in plastic wrap before storing. Once the food is frozen, you can tip out the baby-food cubes into a plastic freezer bag, remove, and thaw one cube at a time.

Always label your baby food with the ingredients and date of storage. Most homemade baby foods will keep in the freezer for about three months, so be sure to rotate through your older stock as you add new meals to the freezer. Once you've thawed a container of baby food and are storing it in the refrigerator, use it within a day or two.

Generally, baby food is safe to serve if it has freezer burn. Freezer burn results when extra air gets into the food. It is different from the ice crystals that often appear on baby food. These crystals result from all the liquid in most baby foods. The icy or frozen part of the food will taste drier than the rest, but it can be removed before heating.

Frozen baby food can be thawed in any number of ways. Most foods will thaw in the refrigerator within about four hours, and this is one of the safer methods. Never leave baby food out on the counter to thaw, especially if it contains meat, because it may gather bacteria and become unsafe. Baby food can be thawed in a saucepan on the stove, or in the microwave, but stir frequently, and be sure to test the temperature before serving. Once you've thawed a container of baby food, don't refreeze it unless you've cooked it first.