So… you’ve bought a lovely ripe avocado for your little one and mashed a slice for his dinner. You now have lots left over – and you know he’s NEVER going to finish eating it all before it goes bad (cut avocado should be used up within 1-2 days).
Can you freeze it?
The good news is that you CAN freeze avocado – and if you don’t like eating avocado yourself, then it’s the perfect solution.
The texture of avocado IS affected by freezing, but the taste remains good. The best option is to thoroughly mash or puree the avocado, then add a drop or two of lemon juice to help it keep its bright colour (you may prefer to skip this step if your baby is sensitive to citrus). Then transfer it to a covered container for freezing, (or use your Baby Food Freezer Tray as you usually would).
It will keep for a few months in the freezer, but we recommend using it within one month for baby food, before there has been any decline in its nutritional value.
As with all thawed fruits and veggies, the puree may seem watery – this is perfectly normal and the avocado is still safe to eat. Just stir the water back in or- if possible – drain it off.
Two points to note:
Don’t freeze avocado if you have mixed the puree with previously frozen breast milk.
And don’t try to freeze whole or sliced avocado if it is to be used in a recipe where a more ‘solid’ texture is required. Thawed ‘pieces’ of avocado can be very mushy in texture – there’s really no substitute for fresh in this case.
Like to learn more about using the amazing avocado in your baby food recipes?
Visit our avocado baby food page – packed with recipes, tips and nutritional information on this perfect food for your little one!