Why don't I have to refrigerate store-bought baby food but have to refrigerate home-made purees?
If I make an apple (or fruit) puree at home, the internet says I have to refrigerate it and then only have a couple of days to feed it to my child. But I can go buy a jar of Gerber baby puree off the shelf at the store and have it sit in my pantry for ages (only refrigerating it if I open it)? Is there anything I can do to my homemade baby food to be able to store it in my pantry for weeks?
Best Answer
Shelf-stable wet foods in cans, jars, plastic pouches, and the like are generally sterilized by heating them under pressure, to the point where literally every microorganism that might be inside dies. The containers need to remain sealed to maintain the sterility -- verifying the seal is the purpose of the little "pops up" button on the top of jars which are processed this way (the processing leads to low pressure inside the jar, so a popped-up button indicates that the seal has been broken.)
If you have a pressure canner, it's entirely possible to make and can (well, jar) your own baby food. There's a variety of online resources describing how to do this. (I advise ignoring any which aren't on a domain ending in .edu or .gov; this is not something you want to follow amateur youtube advice on.) Note in particular that it is not possible to safely can baby food using just boiling water; you need special equipment.
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Why does baby food not need to be refrigerated?
Refrigerating. If there is any food left in your baby's bowl after a meal, throw it away. Food that has been in contact with saliva contains bacteria that will multiply if left.Do you need to refrigerate homemade baby food?
Unlike pre-packaged baby food you buy at the grocery store, homemade baby food can't be stored in the pantry. The rule of thumb is pureed homemade baby food can be stored up to 48 hours in the refrigerator. Many food safety authorities say that 72 hours is fine too.Does fruit puree need to be refrigerated?
Once the fruit puree has been packaged, it can be stored at 70\xb0 F. or below for at least 90 days. To maintain the microbial stability of this fruit puree, the frozen fruits and/or fruit juice concentrates used in this invention should be kept frozen in the original packaging until time of production.Does jarred baby food need to be refrigerated?
Store-bought baby food usually comes in a glass jar, plastic container, or pouch and usually does not require refrigeration or freezing before opening.Why Don't We - Fallin' (Adrenaline) [Official Music Video]
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