Can you freeze milk? If you would like to know whether milk (cow’s milk) can be frozen or not, this article will give you the answers you need. Many people drink cow’s milk on a regular basis, some people drink even few glasses of milk a day. There are also some questions about milk that need answers. What should you do if you’ve got a half empty jug of milk and you can’t find a way to use the leftovers? Should you buy milk in bulk when there are some good deals available or you live a long drive from a good store?
Freezing milk seems to be the only solution to the given issues. A lot of people wonder whether they can freeze milk and the answer to that question is affirmative. You can freeze milk. There are, however, some facts regarding freezing this dairy beverage that you should be aware of.
When you should consider freezing milk?
The most important thing about freezing milk is that it’s not very beneficial to the drink. I’ll discuss this matter in more detail later. Because of that you should consider freezing milk only in some cases. If your milk is close to expiration date and you can’t use it within a couple of days, freezing it is probably the only option that allows you to preserve the beverage for future use. Another situation when freezing milk might be a good idea is when you buy milk in bulk because you need to drive an hour or so to the nearest store where milk is sold for a reasonable price. If that’s the case, you can also consider buying UHT (Ultra High Temperature) milk which is sold unrefrigerated and can be stored in the pantry for at least 6 months. If you don’t want to buy a UHT milk, you’d probably need to freeze most of your milk if you buy it in bulk.
Freezing and thawing milk – how it affects taste and texture
As I’ve mentioned earlier, freezing milk isn’t beneficial to this liquid. The thing is – milk tastes a little bit different after freezing and thawing it. Its consistency also changes. For some people the taste of this beverage after freezing and thawing might be not as appealing as fresh milk’s taste. It’s a matter of personal preference. Therefore, if you plan on using frozen and then thawed milk for drinking, you should run a little trial first. Freeze a half full container of milk, then unfreeze it and drink it. You will be sure whether freezing milk for drinking purposes works for you, or not. However, if you don’t like the flavor of thawed milk, nothing is lost yet. Frozen and thawed milk should be fine for any kind of baked goods like pancakes or french toast[1]. When it comes to freezing different kinds of milk, bear in mind that skim and low-fat milks should taste better than the full-fat ones because there is less separation.
Useful information about freezing milk
When it comes to freezing milk, there are some things that you should be aware of. Firstly, if you would like to freeze milk, you need a properly sized container. You need some head space in the container after pouring milk in there. That’s because it will likely expand while freezing. Otherwise the container might get damaged and milk spilled in your freezer. If you want to freeze milk in its cardboard container, it’s a good idea to pour out a bit of the liquid before putting it in the freezer. You can thaw milk in the refrigerator (that takes a day or two, depending on how much milk is in the container) or in a sink of cold water (that’s a lot quicker). Another thing that you should bear in mind is that you should shake or stir the milk after thawing.
You can repackage the milk and freeze it in smaller or larger containers. It depends entirely on your needs. When storing milk in the freezer, remember that the liquid should be in an airtight container. It prevents the milk from absorbing other odors. If you’ve decided to freeze milk only a few days before the expiration date, it’s a good idea to use a marker and write on the container the number of days that are left until the expiration date. That will be useful after thawing the drink.
Summary
Cow’s milk is one of the most popular beverages. Many people drink it often and worship its taste and health benefits. You can freeze milk, but you need to know that it changes taste and texture after thawing, so you should check whether you like the taste of thawed milk.