If you’re not a heavy milk drinker, you will really need to find a way to store the remaining milk to prevent it from spoiling. You should know, though, that milk only lasts around four days to one week at the most after it is opened.
Table Of Contents
−- Can you freeze milk?
- How long does it take to freeze milk?
- Changes in milk after freezing.
- The best way to freeze milk
- Best containers to use for frozen milk
- Freezing milk in its own container
- Tips for preserving milk in the freezer
- How to thaw frozen milk
- Can you freeze non-dairy milk?
- Freezing different kinds of milk
- How freezing affects the types of milk
- How long can you freeze milk?
- Does freezing milk extend its shelf life and lifespan?
- How does frozen milk taste?
- How long does it take to freeze a gallon of milk?
- How to freeze a gallon of milk
- How to freeze small portions of milk
If you want to know more about expiration dates:
Food expiration dates, according to the United States Department of Agriculture, refer to food quality rather than food safety. Expiration dates on meat, poultry, eggs, dairy, cans, and boxed foods are not required by federal rules (the baby formula is the only product that requires an expiration date).
They are included as a resource for consumers and retailers. The three most prevalent labels are as follows:
- Best if Used By – This date indicates when a product will be at its best. After that date, it will still be safe to consume, but the flavor and texture quality will begin to deteriorate.
- Use By – This date is typically found on perishable commodities such as meat. It is still safe to consume the product after the expiration date, but don’t wait too long.
- Sell By – This date indicates when the goods should be removed from the shelves. Sales are one method that grocery retailers use to get older merchandise into customers’ baskets, and they are usually quite effective.
“Use by” dates are a terrific resource for folks like you and me, but they come at a cost. According to a USDA estimate, Americans throw approximately 30% of their food each year.
Part of the reason for this is that we obsess over expiration dates, resulting in the waste of perfectly good food. It’s such a pity. We can, thankfully, change.
Use your best judgment to decide whether or not to toss food. Instead of focusing on the date, consider the food. Is the color correct? Is the odor unusual? Is the texture different now?
Knowing what food should look, smell, and feel like is a life skill that everyone should have. It will keep you from eating spoiled food and will keep you from throwing stuff away too soon.
In this article, we will provide you with a tip on how to prolong the lifespan of your milk so you can store and consume it longer than usual – via freezing.
Can you freeze milk?
Storing milk in the freezer can preserve it for several months. But the quality deteriorates after the first month, so it’s best to consume it within that span of time. When a month passes, it can undergo separation and become grainy.
Freezing can alter the texture and consistency of milk, so the kind that is stored in the freezer is usually just used for cooking and not for drinking. Thawed milk can be used in making coffee, baking a hot milk cake, or preparing roast chicken.
How long does it take to freeze milk?
It takes between 12-24 hours for milk to freeze completely, and it varies on the volume of the milk you are freezing. After it is thawed, it is usable for the next 2-3 days.
Changes in milk after freezing.
There are different kinds of milk, and all these undergo freeing in different ways as well. Milk that is derived from plant sources like almond milk, soy milk, oat milk, and flax milk undergoes fat separation, which leads to a grainy texture.
For dairy-based types of milk, like the common cow’s milk and goat milk, can also go through the same process. The kinds of milk that have the best quality even when frozen are those that are low on fat content, like skim milk and low-fat milk.
The grainy texture is the end result of the loss of fat content from the milk. It still has all the natural nutrients, though. You can also undo this phenomenon by blending the thawed milk to mix the fat into the milk again.
Frozen milk is great for preparing baked goods and cooking some dishes, and making smoothies. It is not that great for drinking.
The best way to freeze milk
Preserving milk can really be a beneficial way to reduce waste and maximize that carton of milk that you can’t easily finish. One simple way of freezing milk is to put it in ice cube trays the same way you do with water to make ice cubes.
Once they are completely frozen, you can put the milk cubes in resealable plastic bags like zip lock bags or other plastic containers. When you need to use them, you can just take how much you need.
This method can also help in maximizing the space in your freezer and allow you to take only the amount of milk you need without waste. Two milk cubes are equivalent to ¼ cup of milk in an average-sized ice cube tray.
If you need a large amount, you can also use a 1-cup ice cube tray set which has a larger capacity, and it can also be used for preserving soups and meat stocks.
Best containers to use for frozen milk
Canning jars
There are canning jars that are specially made for freezing, and you can see it indicated on the box. Ball mason jars are a popular choice.
Make sure to use wide-mouthed glass jars and not the regular long-necked ones, as they are more prone to cracking when frozen. Do not fill it all the way to the top – leave an allowance of one inch from the rim for when the ice expands.
Ice cube trays
This is probably the most common and cheapest option. Just simply pour the milk into the ice cube tray and freeze it for 3-4 hours. Transfer the milk cubes into plastic bags.
Once you have frozen milk cubes, you can put them in a ziplock bag and keep using the same ice trays to make more cubes.
These are perfect for adding one frozen milk cube to your coffee, iced coffee, and smoothies.
Original container
If your freezer is spacious enough to fit the entire gallon, then there’s no need for you to transfer the milk into separate containers. But like what we said about the other containers, it should not be totally full.
There should be at least an inch of space from the lid because it will expand when it freezes.
Plastic containers
Durable plastic containers with airtight lids are inexpensive and are intended for freezing. These are great for storing frozen milk and are small in size to fit in an average-sized freezer.
Plastic freezer bags
These are the ones that are safe for freezing and not those usual plastic zip bags that you put sandwiches in. The freezer bags are much thicker and more moisture and oxygen resistant.
As much as possible, there should be no air inside the bags when you store the milk, and remember to always give space for expansion.
Freezing milk in its own container
You should buy the milk that comes in plastic gallons and not the paper cartons if you do not want to transfer it to another container. Paper does not react well when frozen and will lose its structure. It’s also not an airtight container.
When using a plastic gallon or jar, it should only be filled up to ¾ of the entire container at most. Make sure that the cap is tightly secured and it is free from cracks or holes before putting it in the freezer.
Tips for preserving milk in the freezer
Here are a few guidelines to help you preserve milk.
- Leave at least 1 inch of space between the surface of the milk and the cap of the container for expansion. When milk freezes, it will enlarge and take up more space. If you fill the container at its full capacity, it may break.
- Store it in an airtight container. The odors from other contents of the freezer can get in the milk and alter its smell and taste altogether.
- Skim milk has better quality when frozen compared to milk with full-fat content. The higher the amount of fat, the more separation can occur.
- When you freeze it in its original container, take a small amount of milk to increase the available space inside for expansion.
- You may notice the container also expands in size as it freezes. There are times when it can still return to its original shape, but sometimes it won’t.
- Plant-based milk can also be frozen, but it contains a high amount of fat so expect some separation when thawing. Just shake them well to reincorporate the fat and milk together before you use them for baking or cooking.
- If you’re going to be away for a while, you can freeze newly-bought milk or an already-opened one in a new container so you can still have readily available drinkable milk when you return.
- You can also use an ice cube tray with shapes that can fit in the usual container that you use.
- Put the milk ice cubes in another cup and keep it in the fridge overnight to allow for it to thaw. It may thaw completely or only partly, depending on the temperature.
- Half to a full gallon of milk may take a couple of days to thaw in the fridge but only overnight at room temperature. You can place the gallon in the sink so the condensation won’t make a mess.
- Single-serve milk can be thawed overnight in the fridge.
- When completely thawed, consume the milk within 5 days.
How to thaw frozen milk
The simplest way is to leave it in the fridge overnight.
But if you really need a fast way to thaw the milk, you can employ either one of these two methods. The first way is to submerge the frozen milk in a bowl of cold water and place it in the fridge for 1 hour. Change the water every half an hour.
The second and quickest way is to microwave the milk. You can transfer it to a container that is safe to use in the microwave and thaw it in 15-second intervals until completely thawed.
Note that you have to use it immediately when it has melted.
Avoid leaving the frozen milk on the counter at room temperature. Bacteria is most active at temperatures between 40 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, so when you defrost milk at that temperature, it is most susceptible to bacterial contamination and renders it unfit for consumption, as stated by the USDA.
After safe defrosting, you may notice the visible separation of the fat from the milk in the form of a grainy texture. You can agitate the container to mix the two liquids back together.
Can you freeze non-dairy milk?
Yes, and you can do so with similar methods that you would use to freeze dairy-based milk. But you should know that they also undergo separation upon thawing and can get a grainy consistency, so it’s not advisable for direct consumption. However, you can still use it for baking and cooking other dishes.
Freezing different kinds of milk
Any kind of milk can be preserved by freezing, but there are only a select few that can retain a decent quality. Regular dairy-based milk is the one that is great for freezing.
Dairy milk
1 and 2%, skim, and whole dairy milk has proven to be great for freezing. The quality did not diminish upon freezing and thawing. There was little to no curdling and color changes.
We can recommend it for direct consumption or as an addition to cereal aside from use in recipes and baked goods.
Nut-based milk
There was some noticeable curdling after we thawed almond milk and refrigerated coconut milk. Almond milk manufacturers actually discourage freezing the milk because it tends to separate, and there will be the development of a grainy texture afterward, which makes it unsafe for drinking.
But if you really want to preserve nut-based milk, you can freeze some in ice cube trays, but it can only be used as an additive for recipes or smoothies since the change in consistency will be less noticeable.
Soy milk
Soy milk also curdles like nut-based milk. We also observed a slight discoloration from white to a light coffee color upon thawing. Manufacturers do not advise freezing soy milk, so we won’t as well.
But you can still preserve a small amount in ice cube trays to add to soups or other beverages.
The majority of the common milk types can be subject to freezing. Regardless of the type or source, milk should always be stored in an airtight, freezer-safe container to protect it from contamination and to save space inside your freezer as well.
Always remember to leave an allowance of space inside the container to make room for expansion.
How freezing affects the types of milk
- Almond milk: Separate and become grainy when frozen.
- Human breast milk: Also undergoes the separation of fat and some changes in the same taste but does not pose any harm.
- Coconut milk: Also undergoes separation. Do not freeze canned coconut milk.
- Dairy milk: Cow’s milk is great for freezing with only minimal separation.
- Soy milk: Definite separation.
- Evaporated milk: Do not freeze while inside the can. Also prone to separation.
- Sweetened condensed milk: Also not advisable to freeze inside the can. It won’t completely freeze solid because of the high sugar content.
- Shelf-stable cartons of milk: From the name itself, this milk is made to last longer than most and does not need to be preserved by freezing even after it has been opened.
- Oat milk: This can become grainy and will separate when thawed.
- Goat milk: This one also freezes quite well, just like cow’s milk, but it may separate a little.
- Flax milk: It also separates after freezing like other plant-based milk.
How long can you freeze milk?
You do not have to smell the milk to see if it is already spoiled. As long as you store it in the freezer before its “best before” date in a suitable container, it will last longer, and you can extend its usability.
Does freezing milk extend its shelf life and lifespan?
Frozen milk can last for up to 3 months. Just submerge it in a bowl of cold water or microwave it at low or medium temperature for thawing.
How does frozen milk taste?
You can simply mix them back together by shaking the container.
How long does it take to freeze a gallon of milk?
How to freeze a gallon of milk
Take note that this may not be possible for most standard-sized freezers, so this is most advisable for deep freezers because it has a lot of space to accommodate milk gallons.
How to freeze small portions of milk
Simply fill the ice cube tray at ¾ of its total capacity, so there is still space for expansion.
For thawing, you can get a few milk cubes, put them in a cup and leave it in the fridge overnight, and it should be ready in the morning.
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Disclosure: No compensation or free products were received in exchange for writing this review.
Editorial Staff
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