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Tired of milk spoiling before it's expiration date? This simple method gives a resounding YES to the question, “Can You Freeze Milk?”!
I've since wondered if freezing milk was an actual “thing” or if I had completely lost my mind in attempting to preserve it. One quick search on Pinterest and I found quite a few people who froze milk by the gallon {minus a little off the top for expansion}, but that didn't appeal to me at all.
I hated the thought of thawing an entire gallon of milk, then shaking it after the fats had completely separated, crossing my fingers that it was still good. Plus, how do you decide whether to refreeze it again after using what you need? Or does freezing the milk somehow give it an extra few days in the fridge when you finally take it out?
Too many questions and too much hassle. But I still hated wasting all that precious milk!
It finally occurred to me that I could try freezing the milk in pre-measured form, and only take out exactly what I needed to use, whenever I needed to use it. Here's the exact method I tried, and I love not having to worry about spoiled milk ever again!
How to Freeze Milk
Step 1: Grab your milk, a measuring cup, and a muffin pan. I like to use the normal size muffin pan because 1/4 cup of pre-measured milk fits perfectly inside.
Step 2: Pour milk into muffin pan filling about 3/4 full.
Step 3: Pop into freezer for about 2-3 hours until completely frozen.
Step 4: Pull pan out of freezer and run bottoms under warm water to help release the milk blocks. You may have to run a knife around the outside of the milk to help it come out. Then fill a freezer bag full of frozen milk blocks and label!
Now, I wouldn't drink the milk, or use it for cereal {that may just be me}, but we love using these blocks for smoothies, in soups, and even to thaw and use for baking. It's so easy now that they're all pre-measured, and I don't have to let any of my milk go to waste, no matter when it expires!
Have you ever frozen milk before?
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Sylvia says
Great idea. I’m going to use it today. I bet it would be ok in mashed potatoes also. I usually don’t have any leftover, but today I did, so very timely. Thanks.
Kalyn Brooke says
I think it would be perfect to use in mashed potatoes!
Amy @ DebtGal says
What a great idea! I remember my grandparents freezing whole half gallons of milk when I was a kid.
We buy organic milk, which lasts longer than regular (I think it has something to do with the ultra-pasteurization), so our milk never goes bad, thankfully.
Kalyn Brooke says
I had no idea organic milk lasts longer! I know my Silk Coconut Milk does, but then again, I’m pretty sure that’s not exactly milk. 😉
Jes says
I buy 3 or 4 gallons at a time and freeze all but 1. I’m a single man and hate to shop. When I run out of milk, it’s time to shop. It taste just fine thawed out if shaken. I don’t take any out. That’s why the circles are on the side of the jugs. Now I milk a goat and will probably never run out again or shop as often.
Jodi says
I was thinking that maybe an ice cube tray would be easier than a muffin tin, with the same idea. I use ice cube trays often for bits of leftover yogurt, pizza sauce, broth, etc.
Kalyn Brooke says
That’s a great idea, Jodi!
Tina Pittman says
I also use ice trays for things like cilantro with olive oil, gravy and sauces.
Jennifer says
I have been freezing milk for years. My local grocery store discounts milk 50% a few days before it’s date. I stock up when I find it and always have a stand-freezer shelf full. I never open the containers to remove any and have never had a problem with jugs or cardboard expanding open. I have frozen everything from fat free to half-and-half. We use it for cereal, drinking, and cooking. The only thing to note is visually noticeable fat molecules in the half-and-half, but the taste and texture is not altered, and sometimes fat free can be a little sweeter than usual. My kiddos fave from the freezer is 2%. Happy freezer savings!
Pat says
I freeze milk, orange juice and other juices in 1/2 or 1 cup jelly jars, as I live alone. Works really great for me. I can thaw juices in the jar in my microwave in case I forget to take one out the night before. Also, I freeze bread 2 or 4 slices or buns in ziplock bags or small plastic container with lid. No more moldy bread to throw away.
Lindsey says
I’ve never tried freezing milk before but this seems like a great idea! We never use that much milk around here somehow, but now that we’ve purchased a blender we buy almond milk for our smoothies. Have you ever tried freezing almond milk? I know it lasts FOREVER but still
Kalyn Brooke says
I haven’t tried freezing almond milk. It seems like it respond similarly to Dairy but I’m not really sure. You’ll have to try it and come back and let us know!
Lindsey says
I have one word of advice….. DON’T it did not go well at all
Kalyn Brooke says
Oh no! What happened? It sounds like you have a memorable story. 🙂
Cheryl Ann Natividad says
I live in Hawaii. Since most of our milk has to be shipped from the mainland, it comes frozen then thawed out to before it’s sold. I learned about this when I used to work at a popular coffee chain and received a shipment of milk that was frozen. It still tastes really good! Btw, we pay $6-7 for the shipped milk (local milk is $8-9 per gallon!).
Kalyn Brooke says
Oh my goodness!! I complained to my husband that milk is so much more expensive in Florida than it was in New York. But FL prices don’t hold a candle to $6-$9 per gallon. Wow!
Katie says
Just curious why you wouldn’t just buy powdered milk versus freezing? Freezer space is a bit of a commodity in our household. We’re only paying $1.99 a gallon for milk in CO, but I keep the powdered stuff or the shelf stable Almond In the pantry just in case.
Milk that is ultra pasteurized lasts 2-3 times longer than regular because it’s heat treated about 100 degrees F hotter (no less than 280F versus 175F) than your standard plastic gallons of milk.
Kalyn Brooke says
Hi Katie! Let me clarify, I’m not buying extra milk just to freeze it – this is just what I do when I have milk in my refrigerator that is about to go bad. This happens if we are going out of town for a few days, or if we didn’t drink as much milk in a particular week. When it comes to powdered milk in general, my husband and I just don’t like how it tastes.
Tamy says
I freeze my skim milk. It tastes the same after it thaws where as powdered milk tastes different. I keep powdered for cooking and frozen for drinking.
Rhoni Ann says
I have never been a milk fan, when my boys were home I never had left over milk. With just the two of us now days we buy Almond milk, mainly for smoothies. I keep powdered milk on hand for baking, gravy etc. On occasion I with buy a 1/2 gallon for a grandchild but always have left over. Freezing milk would be great to not have to pour out and waste it. Do you think it would work the same for buttermilk?? Always have extra of that when needing for baking.
Kalyn Brooke says
I think buttermilk should freeze fine! It might separate on you but that won’t make a difference when you are thawing it for baking purposes.
Rachael says
I have frozen milk in gallons. You don’t have to open the container to do this…the round places on the jug are there, on purpose, to allow for expansion. I only used whole milk after hearing other percentages of milk tasted funny. However, I love your concept and, like you, would not use it to drink or in cereal, but, yes, it should be fine in other methods of cooking. I would’ve never thought to use it in smoothies! Brilliant…thanks for sharing!
Kalyn Brooke says
You’re welcome, Rachael! It works so well just to have the frozen blocks handy so you don’t have to wait for a whole gallon to thaw. Sometimes the blocks freeze together but I can usually knock them apart.
Auburn Thai says
I freeze my milk in a silicone muffin tin, much easier to remove before putting into a bag for refreezing.
Kalyn Brooke says
Oooo great idea! I can see how silicone would be much easier for freezing.
Josh says
We freeze whole gallons all the time, and use them for cooking and drinking. A quick and easy way to thaw an entire gallon is to fill up your sink with tap water as hot as it will go, and then plop the gallon in. If the water cools and there’s still some ice, drain the water and start with fresh hot water again. Usually takes an hour or so, and you don’t have to worry about it going bad because it set out all day thawing.
Also, I do recommend pouring a little out for expansion. My in-laws swore you didn’t need to – they’d been freezing milk for years and never had a problem. I threw the milk on a shelf, and the next day I had milk stalactites all down the freezer. I put the milk in a big bowl to thaw, and was able to save most of it. Lesson learned.
Margy says
I’ve been freezing milk for years. We use 1% so don’t find any issues with milk fat separating so we drink it and use it like normal. I also freeze half and half. It does separate but I have learned to heat it after thawing and the milk fat redistributes. I also have found if you add a bit of milk to half and half before freezing it retards separation. – Margy
Bridgette says
Drinking milk after freezing is perfectly fine and there is no taste or texture difference if done properly. I have been doing this for many many years
Leann says
I always froze milk. We shopped once a month at the military commissary and I’d buy 6 gallons, I would freeze 4 or 5 when I got home. Never had a problem and always had milk☺
Julie says
I live alone so I have been freezing milk for years. I put it in wide mouth paint jars with plastic lids. They have to he wide mouth because the regular mouth ones have”shouldrrs”, this can make the hat break when the milk expands. Once thawed you have to shake it otherwise it can be a bit separated. It is the same as the day you bought it and is great for drinking as well cooking.
Kalyn Brooke says
That’s great, Julie. For some reason Joseph and I still have a hangup about drinking after thawing (we can’t seem to get it to be exactly the same) but we’ve never had a problem with using it in baking. 🙂
June Eckert says
I had a friend who used powdered milk all thetime. When she made it up by the gallon she would add about 2 drops of vanilla extract to it. That made a huge difference to the taste.
Kalyn Brooke says
I’ve never heard of putting vanilla in it before.
June Eckert says
Give it a try. For a gallon it only takes about 2 drops and it makes an amazing change in the taste.
Kalyn Brooke says
I will certainly keep it in mind if I use dry milk!
bdawg says
i buy 5 at a time and freeze 4 and keep 1 out. just pop the whole gallon in. only had 1 that cracked and had a slow leak when it thawed. other than that the milk actually lasts much longer once it is thawed out. And i find it has a very sweet taste to it. We use it just like regular milk . Cereal. Anything. Tasts the same and saves alot of time and money.
Kalyn Brooke says
I’m surprised it doesn’t separate on you! That’s great. 🙂