Can You Freeze Almond Milk?

Almond milk has turned out to be a popular alternative to regular milk, for all vegans, as they prefer only plant-based products. Plant-based milk (Almond milk) is a savior after all. You might also enjoy having it. But the question is can you freeze almond milk?

Well, this question arises, if you are looking to preserve almond milk for future use. So, the answer is definitely, yes! You can freeze almond milk. In this very post, I will walk you through all the ways and techniques of freezing almond milk.

What Is Almond Milk?

Almond milk can be understood as plant-based milk with a nutty flavor and texture, and a tenderness similar to cream. As the name suggests it is derived from almond seeds along with water and sweeteners. It is a fact that almonds consist of magnesium, antioxidants, Vitamin E, etc. Therefore, almond milk is highly beneficial for the human body.

Ingredients for homemade almond milk:

You can make almond milk very easily, even at home. You will only require the following ingredients:

Almonds
Sweeteners
Water
Any sort of flavoring (as per your need). Eg: vanilla extract etc.

Why have frozen almond milk?

The great thing about frozen almond milk is that they are amazing because it can be used in multiple ways to enhance the texture and taste of foods. Here are a couple of examples:

You can put them in smoothies.
They will easily go with curry and sauces.

While you are cooking almond milk, what you will find is that there is hardly any change in texture. Almond milk is available on the market, but why do you need to freeze milk?

Why Freeze Almond Milk?

There are many reasons but the best one is that almond milk gets fermented and spoilt within a couple of days. Even the almond milk products that are available in the market, get spoilt after a week or two. Therefore, it is best to freeze the milk to extend its shelf life.

Does The Milk Freeze Well?

No, almond milk is not one of those food items that freeze extremely well. If you keep it for very long in the freezer, proteins and lipids separate when it thaws, making it unpleasant to drink. While this will not occur in the initial freezing weeks, make sure to check the milk before using it.

You can eliminate the problem by blending the milk in a blender before actually defrosting the milk. However, if you are using almond milk to make curries, desserts, or sauces, do not worry about texture changes, as that will be blended into the cooking recipe itself.

Ways To Freeze Almond Milk:

There are mainly two ways of freezing almond milk.

You can:

Freeze almond milk in a cube tray
Freeze almond milk in a container

How Can You Freeze Almond Milk?

Method 1: Freeze almond milk in an ice cube tray

1^st Step: Get your hands on an ice cube tray and pour down all of the almond milk into the ice cube trays. Make sure you fill it with only ¾ of the cube and leave a headspace.

2^nd Step: Then you have to place those ice cube trays inside the freezer. Almond milk generally takes 5 to 6 hours to freeze entirely inside a freezer. It’s preferred that you keep them frozen at night, to avoid any kind of a mess.

3^rd Step: Once they have frozen, take out the ice cube trays from the freezer and pop the almond milk cubes out of them. And, place it in a tray.

4^th Step: Transfer all of your frozen almond milk cubes to a freezer-secure bag. (Any containers which are freezer friendly will also work.) Make sure the bag or container is airtight and you squeeze out as much air as possible.

5^th Step: Finally you have to label those bags or containers and let them freeze for nothing less than 2 months.

Method 2: Freeze almond milk in a container

The most effective and fastest way of freezing almond milk is to freeze them in a container.

1^st Step: You simply have to take your almond milk and pour it into a container that is freezer friendly. But make sure you don’t completely fill the container. Because almond milk mostly consists of water, and at very low temperatures water expands.

2^nd Step: Further you have to tightly close the container and make sure that the container is sealed properly. It’s preferred that you go with an airtight container only. It’s necessary because if not done properly almond milk can absorb odors from surrounding. Which can ultimately lead to the spoiling of the milk.

3^rd Step: Never forget to label your container and let it freeze for nothing less than 2 months or so.

Tips For Freezing Almond Milk!

Now that you know the alternatives to freezing almond milk, look at the following tips for the best freezing results.

Consider freezing almond milk in portions, so that you always have serving sizes ready when you defrost the milk.
Almond milk will separate upon defrosting, therefore blend the milk before you thaw it. And after the milk has thawed completely, stir it nicely.
You can directly use the frozen milk to make smoothies, or in other recipes, but never have the frozen milk directly from the freezer.

How Long Can You Freeze Almond Milk?

Well, there is no such time limit to store almond milk in the freezer. This is because the milk might sometimes show texture alterations sooner than expected, and sometimes it might not show any texture alterations at all.

Therefore, for the safer side, you can keep almond milk in the freezer for about 2-3 months for the best results. This way you will have less fear of the milk separating, and you will always get fresh frozen almond milk.

How To Thaw Almond Milk?

There are many ways to thaw or defrost almond milk, three effective ones are mentioned below:

In the fridge/refrigerator
In lukewarm water
On stovetop

Process 1: Inside The Fridge

This is the primary and most straightforward method. Almond milk can be left in the refrigerator to thaw for 6 to 8 hours without being touched. You can keep the milk in the refrigerator overnight and the next morning you will get thawed milk. This method is also easier and therefore, it is best to defrost the almond milk at night to prevent any disruptions during the process.

Process 2: In Lukewarm Water

The second method to thaw almond milk is using lukewarm water.

Step 1: Pour out some lukewarm water into a bowl.

Step 2: Now put the frozen almond milk inside the bowl. ( Frozen milk should be in a zip-lock bag).

Step 3: You will have to do the 2^nd step to speed up the thawing process. It generally takes around a couple of hours to thaw the frozen almond milk entirely.

Process 3: On Stovetop

The stovetop method to defrost or thaw frozen almond milk is considered to be the fastest among all.

Step 1: First pop out the frozen almond milk from the ice tray in a saucepan. (Don’t take out too many of the cubes at one go.)

Step 2: Now keep that saucepan on a gas stove and heat it on a medium flame until they defrost completely.

Important tip:

Choose the Stovetop procedure, if you want to thicken your almond milk or make it creamier.
For fixing the texture after the defrosting of frozen almond milk. Consider blending it in a food processor or blender. It is a suggestion that you should use a blender.

How Do You Fix Frozen Almond Milk?

You might notice texture alterations upon freezing almond milk. It does not degrade the quality of the milk but can affect the texture after being defrosted. So, how can you fix the frozen milk? What can you do?

The best way to maintain the texture is to give it a thorough whirl in a blender to re-integrate the lipids into the liquid. This will help to improve the texture of frozen almond milk effectively.

Can You Freeze Other Plant-Based Milk?

Yes, you can freeze any type of plant-based milk, be it coconut milk, cashew milk, or soy milk. All of them can be frozen. but their freezing capability and time in the freezer depends on the type of milk you are freezing.

Can You Refreeze The Frozen Almond Milk?

No, you cannot refreeze the frozen almond milk. Repeated freezing will only degrade milk quality. The separation will become significantly more apparent after defrosting the milk, therefore, it is best to avoid refreezing the almond milk.

So, your biggest question that, can I freeze almond milk? It happened to be answered in the best possible manner. Along with that you and I have gone through the entire process of freezing almond milk. You are now well-read about how to thaw almond milk, isn’t it? I have touched on all the needed aspects of freezing almond milk.

Still, if you feel like there are points that you want me to touch on or you want something to be added or improved you can leave them in the comments. I will be more than happy to listen to you.