The Right Way to Freeze Milk, Halves and Heavy Cream
I am one of those patients who drink a tall cold glass of whole milk just for the taste. This is probably the most perverted side of my personality – and the competition is tough ! — and definitely the whitest trait in me. I come from one of those families that serve milk to kids for dinner, and that turned me into the dairy-eating freak that I am today. This means that there is always too much milk, halves and cream in my fridge, all with different expiration dates that I am terrible at keeping track of. Fortunately, all three of these things can be frozen.
Unfortunately, this will affect the mouthfeel. However, this is normal – you just need to adjust your expectations a little.
What to Expect When Freezing and Thawing Milk
Milk is perfectly safe to freeze as long as you do it before the expiration date. My mom bought several cans of 2% milk from Costco and tossed them into our freestanding freezer. The plastic jars swelled and bulged, and when thawed, the milk separated, requiring shaking before drinking.
The separation cannot be corrected, but the bulge can be softened. Water expands when it freezes, and this fact must be taken into account. If your milk is packaged in a carton, transfer it to an airtight plastic container or freezer bag, leaving a couple inches of room on top for expansion. (Leaving it in porous cardboard also means it’s more likely to absorb freezer odors and flavors, and no one wants to drink trash bag-flavored milk.)
If your milk was packaged in a plastic jug, create a breather by pouring (and enjoying!) a glass before putting the jug in the freezer. You can also freeze milk directly in the ice cube tray, which is especially handy if you plan to use it for smoothies. (After freezing, transfer the cubes to a freezer bag to keep them from absorbing the harsh freezer flavors.)
Once thawed, your milk will likely separate into two separate portions, and it may be a bit grainy on your tongue even after you shake it to re-emulsify. Passing it through a blender can help restore the creamy mouthfeel, but it’s an extra step you may or may not want to take. For this reason, frozen milk is best kept for cooking and smoothies, although it’s worth noting that I drank frozen and then thawed milk as a kid and don’t remember noticing a huge difference. (But then again, I’m a freak.) Milk can be stored in the freezer for up to two months, but should be used within a few days of thawing.
How to freeze half and half and cream
The higher the fat content, the better your dairy product will respond to freezing, as it will have fewer pesky ice crystals to mess things up. The procedure for freezing these higher fat dairy products is the same as freezing milk: make sure they are in a plastic container or freezer bag, leaving an inch of room for expansion.
Like milk, thawed halves need to be swirled to soften changes in texture, and while thawed heavy cream doesn’t separate as much, it won’t whip as well as unfrozen cream, so you may want to save both for cooking or perhaps cheese making . (However, you can whip the cream and then freeze it .)
Both convenience foods and heavy cream can be frozen for up to two months, but like milk, they should be thawed in the refrigerator and used within a few days of thawing, which shouldn’t be a problem if you like dairy. pervasoid, like me.