On this page you will learn how to use a food mill. Using a food mill is an inexpensive and easy way to make nutritious food for your baby. Long before there were commercial canned and bottled pureed baby foods available, parents were making their own brands of baby food using simple hand-powered food mills and baby food grinders.http://www.homemade-baby-food-recipes.com/baby-food-processors.html

Today, there are many types of food mills available for home use. These mills can cost anywhere from $15 for a simple manual unit to $100's of dollars for deluxe electrical units with a wide variety of features.

Preparing baby food using a food mill is an easy task, though it may take time to develop the skill necessary for multi-food milled recipes. It may also take time to develop the skills necessary to create different textures with your food mill such as pureed for a young infant to chopped or chunky textured food for an older baby that is transitioning to solid foods.

Before getting started with this task, you should consult with friends that you have that may have used a food mill in the past. Ask them about specific brands that they have used and the benefits and shortfalls of each.

Food mills can vary greatly in price and performance. Below is a basic listing of the different features found in commercially available food mills.

• Hand Cranked: Hand cranked food mills use usually the least expensive. They are also easy to travel with and carry to restaurants. They are usually easy to clean because there are no electrical units to rust or break when exposed to water or soap. The downsides of hand cranked units is that they take physical effort to operate and it takes longer to produce food than a typical electrical unit.

• Basic Electrical Units: Basic Electrical Units usually take the form of a small blender or food processing unit. In fact, you can easily use a blender or food processing unit to make your own baby food. However, Electrical Units that are specifically made for making baby food sometimes have extra easy-to-clean features such as a compartment that can be used as a serving bowl.

• Steamers: Some baby food mills can both steam and chop or puree your baby's meal, saving time and dishes.

• Defrosters/Cookers: Some baby food mills can heat the food in their compartment, acting as both a cooking unit and a chopping/pureeing unit.http://www.homemade-baby-food-recipes.com/baby-food-processors.html

The following foods are easily blended and are usually safe for babies under one year of age:

• Chicken: Chicken should be boiled fully before placing in a baby food mill. Remember to be especially careful about raw chicken juice left on the counter top after cutting, and make sure that you use chicken without any bones. You can also use turkey in your food mill recipes in a similar manner.

• Pumpkin: Pumpkin is especially easy to blend after fresh chunks have been baked skinless in a banking pan half-full of water. You can also mix store-bought pumpkin puree into any recipe in your food mill.

• Sweet Potato: Remember to cook or steam sweet potato bits until they are tender

• Avocado: Avocado is rich in vitamins and nutrients and is ready to blend immediately after cooking.

• Carrots: Over-steam your carrots slightly to make them tender enough to puree.

• Apples: Make your own apple sauce by pureeing fresh apples in your food mill. Remember to remove any seeds before serving the applesauce to your child.

• Bananas: Easy to blend right out of the skin, bananas go well blended in your food mill with apples.

• Rice: To add some carbohydrates to your baby's meal, you can use your food mill to blend rice into other foods such as chicken and turkey.

• Pears: Baby's typically love pureed pears. Combine pears, apples, and bananas in your food mill for a fruity snack.http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/

Please be advised that almost any food can be an allergen to a child. If your child shows signs of an allergic reaction such as abdominal discomfort, hives, itching, swollen lips or tongue, or difficulty breathing, you should contact your doctor or local hospital immediately.

For a manual food mill, you should first and foremost pay attention to the manufacturers instructions, especially any safety features that will keep you and your child safe. Generally, manual food mills work by filling a cylinder full of food, either of the same type or several different foods that compliment each other. After filling the cylinder with food, you should crank the handle on your food mill to blend and chop your baby's meal. Make sure that your child is not close enough to stick their fingers in the food mill, as manual units sometimes can have exposed blades. Some manual food mills will have an attached compartment in which to deposit the food. Otherwise, you may have to grind the food into a bowl. Feed the milled meal to your child, or pour into an ice cube tray or other container for later use.http://www.thebabydepartment.com/feeding/food-mill.aspx For a manual mill, the first run through with a particular batch of food may leave chunks or a varied texture. For a younger baby who is new to solid foods, you may have to run the food through the mill several times before reaching the desired pureed consistency.

When using an electric mill, follow manufacturers directions. Most electric mills work similarly to a blender, though some can also steam or defrost food as well. Make sure that your child's hands are far away from any heating unit. Place the desired foods in the food mill, blend, and use fresh or freeze for later use.