Right now we know that going to the grocery store and finding milk isn’t guaranteed, or maybe you’re trying to limit your grocery store trips. Whatever your reason, you may find a need to freeze milk. Here are our tips on safely and effectively freezing your milk.
Freezing
- First, check the “sell-by” or expiration date on your carton — if the date hasn’t passed yet, you’re good to freeze. Milk expands when frozen. So storing in an easily breakable glass bottle or cardboard cartoon brings the possibility of a real mess in your freezer. Technically, you can freeze milk that comes in a plastic gallon bottle, but we recommend pouring your milk into two or three freezer-safe plastic containers to make the thawing process a bit easier and so you can avoid having to re-freeze.
Thawing
- Moving your milk from the freezer to the refrigerator overnight will typically do the trick. If time is of the essence, you can fill a large bowl with cold water and submerge the frozen container of milk inside — just be sure to replace the lukewarm water with the cold water as it warms up. Never thaw milk at room temperature (on your counter), it runs the risk of spoiling the milk. Frozen milk should be consumed within 2–3 days of thawing.
Tips
- Milk tends to absorb any odors in your fridge/freezer, so make sure your storage containers have a tight seal and are sealed properly.
- Don’t forget to label your new containers with the date that you froze your milk on. The FDA recommends that milk be consumed within 3 months of freezing.
- If your milk experiences separation during the freezing/thawing process, simply stir to recombine.
- Don’t forget about powdered milk as a great alternative to fresh milk or freezing your milk!
Milk Nutrition Facts:
- Whole Milk: 8 ounces contains 3.5% fat and has 150 calories
- Low-Fat Milk: 8 ounces contains 1% fat and has 110 calories
- Skim Milk: 8 ounces contains 0% fat and has 90 calories
- All milk provides 9 essential nutrients that are beneficial to your health:
- Calcium
- Vitamin D
- Protein
- Phosphorus
- Vitamin A
- Riboflavin
- Pantothenic Acid
- Vitamin B12
- Niacin
Reduced Fat Dairy Substitution Tips:
- Substitute reduced-fat sour cream, low-fat or nonfat plain yogurt, or cottage cheese for full-fat sour cream
- Reduced-fat milk can be substituted in most recipes
- Evaporated milk can be substituted for whipping cream in some recipes
Sources:
Good Housekeeping. Can you Freeze Milk? by Katie Bourque
Southwest Dairy Farmers
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Path to the Plate program
