Can You Freeze Milk? Tips to Freeze Milk
There’s no wonder why moms are obsessed with milk! Milk has sufficient nutrients to help regulate your bone and muscle development throughout your life. But, often there are chances that you might end up wasting liters of milk! Not, if you know the steps to freeze milk though.
Milk is made from a blend of 87% water and 13% of other substances like fats, proteins, and vitamins. Thus, milk is also regarded as a water-in-oil type of emulsion. Whole-fat milk contains extra quantities of fat content and produces extra creamy cheese.
When the fat content is reduced using some scientific techniques, then you get low-fat milk. However, if you are obsessed with the myth that low-fat milk aids in weight loss then you are wrong. Whole-fat milk helps to suppress uncanny cravings and is best for weight loss diets.
Keep reading to know more about the same!
How Can You Freeze Milk?
It is one of the worst nightmares for every cook to waste gallons of milk without using them. Often, you’ll end up buying milk in excess quantities than what is needed. This is where you would want to know about ways to freeze milk.
Freezing milk is a tough task, not because milk won’t freeze, but because there are high chances of spoilage. However, let’s first start with ways to freeze milk. First of all, if you have a plastic can of milk that is half filled, then freeze it directly in the freezer.
However, if the can is filled almost to the rim of the can or more than half of the can, then consider portioning it out. Store milk in separate plastic containers and leave enough space for milk to expand on freezing. Then freeze these cans directly in the freezer.
How to Freeze Milk using Ice Cube Trays?
If you have less amount of milk left then you can freeze it in the form of ice cubes. Take clean ice trays and fill them with milk. Leave some space for the ice cubes to expand. However, do not forget to wrap these ice trays in a minimum of four layers of cling film.
Then, store these milk ice cube trays in the freezer and freeze them till the ice cubes are solidified. After the formation of milk ice cubes, remove the cubes from the tray and freeze them in freezer-safe bags or containers.
Be sure to store milk ice cubes in clean, dry, and new ziplock bags. You don’t want to use bags or containers that have a strong pungent smell from some other ingredient. When freezing ice cubes, be sure to seal the container or the bag tightly.
How to Thaw Frozen Milk?
So, this is a process that demands patience, or else you’ll lose your efforts of freezing milk. If you have frozen the entire can, then thaw it overnight in the refrigerator. On the other hand, if you have milk ice cubes, then, take the requisite amount and place them in a bowl in the fridge overnight.
Do not use the frozen milk cubes for direct heating, it will end up spoiling your milk completely. If you are in a hurry, then take a large bowl of chilled water. Drop your milk cans into it and allow it to thaw. Similarly, take your ice cubes in another bowl and place this bowl in a large bowl. Change the water if it warms up and does not let your milk thaw in warm water.
How long can you freeze your milk?
Properly frozen milk can will keep for up to three months in the freezer. It’s perfectly fine to freeze milk for later use as milk can last for several months in the freezer.
Tips for Freezing Milk
Though the process of freezing milk seems easy, there are a few things you need to consider while freezing the same. Since milk is an emulsion, there is a range of problems you might face while freezing them.
- Milk is an emulsion and a homogenous mixture, therefore, we don’t see it in a crumbled state when it is fresh. However, when you freeze milk, the fat and water contents tend to separate, and thus, you might get a crumbled texture of milk on defrosting.
- There’s no need to panic over the crumbled texture of milk. You can use a whisk, electric beater, or other devices to give your milk a nice whisk and it will regain its original texture.
- Freeze milk in a clean environment with no aromatic food items around. Also, wrap the milk ice cubes in layers of cling film to avoid any chances of adsorption of other odors on the milk cubes. Milk quickly takes aromas of other substances, thus, avoid freezing it with pungent-smelling substances.
- Always freeze milk in plastic cans because any other container like that glass or cardboard will explode when milk freezes.
- Thaw milk in the refrigerator for more than 8 hours and do not thaw it at room temperature. Thawing milk at room temperature leads to an abrupt temperature change and this will impact the milk’s texture.
Which Type of Milk Freezes the Best?
When it comes to freezing, you must know that different types freeze differently. Some might remain at their best while others will get destroyed in the cold. So here’s a list of different types of milk that will freeze the best and the worst.
Milk that Performs Well in the Freezer
The freezing power of milk depends on its fat content. Therefore, high-fat milk tends to freeze much better than low-fat milk. Types of milk that freeze well are- dairy milk or full-fat milk, goat milk, skimmed milk, and carton milk.
Milk that Doesn’t Freeze Well
Now you know that skimmed or low-fat milk doesn’t freeze well. Here’s a list of low-fat substitutes that you shouldn’t freeze- soy milk, almond milk, coconut milk, condensed milk, oat milk, and flax milk.
Whether you use it as a pre-workout drink or an evening beverage, milk serves best. It is used in different dairy recipes like smoothies and shakes to attain the perfect consistency. Thus, you can use these tips for effective freezing.
Does Freezing Breast Milk degrade its quality?
No, there is no such evidence to claim that freezing breast milk will lower its quality. Instead, when you store breast milk in the freezer it will help you to retain it for longer hours. Also, breast milk freezing allows you to halt the chances of microbial contamination. Thus, storing breast milk is a great idea for later use.
Conclusion
Now you know how to freeze milk and remember that milk can stay fresh in the freezer for up to several months. Simply thaw it slowly later on and use it in your recipes. You might be wondering, if you can freeze milk then, can you freeze milk recipes as well? Yes, you can do that too. Do I need to give you a separate procedure for that? Of, course not! You can simply put your dish into a suitable container and freeze it. Frozen milk simply appears a little bit crystallized but you can thaw it slowly for later use.