HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE BABY RICE CEREAL
Rinse Rice: Place the rice in a fine-mesh colander and rinse with cold water until the water runs clear. This will help remove any excess starch from the rice grains and make the rice fluffier and easier to blend.
PLEASE DO NOT skip this step, or your puree will be starchy.
Add to Saucepan: Add the water and the rice to a medium saucepan, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat.
Cook: Once at a boil, turn down the heat, and let simmer on low for 35-45 minutes or until the water is gone and the rice is tender. Rice cooking times vary, so taste test the rice after 35 minutes to see if it is tender.
Sit: Remove from heat and let it sit for 10 minutes.
Blend: Transfer the cooked rice to a blender or food processor and blend for 1-2 minutes, adding liquid to thin out the rice puree.
If you need additional liquid, use either whole milk or purified water. If you are making a fruit or vegetable flavored infant formula, use that flavor of unsweetened juice along with the fruit or vegetables themselves.
Soaking brown rice (or any grain) helps remove some of the naturally occurring phytic acids, which are some of the hard-to-digest components of the grain. Getting rid of these acids speeds up the cooking time and makes the rice easier to digest.
If you are introducing grains as your baby’s first food, soaking the grains would be helpful as your baby would have an easier time digesting the puree.
You can add any fruit or vegetable to the mixture if it is pureed, such as apples, apricots, peaches, strawberries, pears, carrots, peas or beans, etc., but it would be a good idea ahead of time to give your infant a taste sampling of any fruit or vegetable you might use to make sure they aren't allergic to any of it. ALWAYS make sure you are using fruits or vegetables that are not processed without sugar or sodium added. Certified Organic fruits and vegetables will be best for your baby's health.
Store: I would recommend storing a small quantity of the rice puree in the fridge for use that week and then freezing the rest for future meals.
