How to Naturally Thicken Homemade Baby Food Purees – Easily Make Thin Baby Food Purees Thick
Many parents find that sometimes, the fresh baby food purees they have made are a bit too runny and thin. There are also instances when thawed baby food cubes will be more thin and runny than when they went into the freezer.
You may even find your baby has decided it’s time for more texture and you want to use up the thinner “stage 1” baby food purees what you already have. Thickening up baby food purees is easy and simple and there are a variety of foods that you can use. Whether you do it before or after freezing is simply a personal decision.
There is no “correct” way to thicken up thin or runny baby food purees. I have found that thickening AFTER the baby food puree cubes have been thawed often works out best. 6 times out of 10, thawed baby food purees will be more runny than the foods was before it went into the freezer.
As noted on our page about thinning homemade baby food purees, it often happens that when you have put a nice puree of zucchini or pears into the freezer, the thawed food is more runny and thin than when it was freshly made and then frozen. Freezing changes the cellular structure of many foods and thus many foods that are frozen to perfection wind up a different texture when they are thawed.
Homemade Baby Foods that may become runny or thin
The most common fruits and veggies that may become too thin are as follows:
- Blueberries
- Mango
- Melons – Cantaloupe, Honey Dew etc.
- Papaya
- Pears
- Peaches
- Plums
- Summer (Yellow) squash
- Zucchini
- Eggplant
What to use to Thicken Up Thin, Runny or Watery Baby Food Purees
Try adding a few of these items to thicken up those baby food that you find are too runny:
- yogurt
- banana
- cottage cheese
- egg yolks (cooked – hard boiled or even scrambled)
- wheat germ
- tofu
- baby cereal – either homemade or commercial(keep a box of commercial baby cereal on hand for thickening purees or teething biscuits.)
- lentils or legumes such as split peas, or navy beans – cooked and pureedsweet potatowhite potato
Remember, always consult with your pediatrician regarding introducing solid foods to your baby and specifically discuss any foods that may pose allergy risks for your baby.
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