by Jessica Miller (Emery Street) | This column provides tips on reducing waste while saving money.

Here are a few recipes worth sharing. Making your own baby food is easier than people might think, and has many advantages: not only do you know exactly what you child is eating, you can also support your local growers by buying in-season produce, and save money by making big batches of food at once. Finally, you won’t contribute a single jar to your recycling bin.

The recipes follow a pattern. Cook, purée, pour into ice cube trays, freeze, transfer cubes into freezer bags, and you’re done. I probably made two batches of each ingredient before my daughter moved on to finger foods at 9 months. In the fruit category: apples, pears, peaches, mangoes and cherries. As for vegetables: peas, carrots, sweet potatoes, winter squash, zucchinis, green beans, cauliflowers. After each ingredient has been introduced individually, you can mix them for interesting combinations. And don’t forget bananas and avocados, which can be easily taken to go, and mashed with a fork when it’s time to eat. For more recipes, leave a comment with a specific request.