Exciting Thread! Freezing Milk?

I'm just off to the shops to get some milk for the freezer, we have a prediction of snow. I've got to buy pints to keep them upright as this is a drawer freezer here. I miss my huge freezer!

If you pour off and use a bit of the milk, before freezing, it leaves room for it to expand, prevents burst containers or an overflow when thawing.

Loads of answers! Thank you!
So it seems my milk isn’t doomed after all.
Next time I’ll remember to remove the foil bit and tip a bit out.
Also, mine are lying down. So I’ll have a little check on them later to see if they’re okay.
Thanks again

Shandy57

I'm just off to the shops to get some milk for the freezer, we have a prediction of snow. I've got to buy pints to keep them upright as this is a drawer freezer here. I miss my huge freezer!

Ours is a drawer freezer too, shandy. We find Co-op four pint plastic bottles are fine on their side. Morrisons seems to be weaker and have been known to split.

I froze milk during the first lock down so I had enough to see me through from one on line order to another and it was fine.

I've just remembered as well when my DGS was little and he visited his favourite trick was to turn the dial up on my fridge and I only noticed he'd done it when the milk froze
and it was fine.

I've frozen semi-skimmed milk, one did split once but we stood it in a plastic box to thaw and used it all, didn't seem to harm us!

We regularly freeze milk during the winter months, just in case we get snowed in. I've never known it to change in texture and we use it for drinks, cereals, puddings etc.

We always freeze semi-skimmed (organic, if that makes any difference, which I'm sure it doesn't) in 4-pint plastic bottles, straight from the shop, unopened and upright. We rotate them so that we don't find one lurking at the bottom of the freezer. A quick shake after defrosting and ready to go. Never noticed a change in taste and still here.

Mine is semi skimmed and organic too wheniwasyourage
I’ve heard that organic goes off quicker than non organic.
Not sure if this is true.
I don’t really know the difference, I just buy organic thinking that the cows might have had a ‘better life’.
Not sure if that’s true either!

Freeze away Fanny. We freeze organic skimmed milk, tip it into pint containers (washed in the dishwasher) so they stand up in the freezer drawers. Use it for hot drinks and cereal with no problem. I also take one away with us if we're expecting those pre packaged milk blobs in a hotel room with a fridge. Caught the organic habit many years ago from my ex farm worker Dad, fanny. He was adamant if organic could only be bought in a limited way then concentrate on dairy products because of the lack of added hormones. Not sure if that's the case now, it certainly was back then. I always buy organic carrots if we aren't growing them, swear they taste better, could well be wrong .

I started freezing milk in the first pandemic, as I needed to buy enough in my online shop to see me through to the next available delivery. As the slots were as rare as hens' teeth, that often meant buying enough milk to last us three weeks, so freezing was the only option.

To begin with, thawing the milk was no problem (though it's a bit 'weaker' after - we see the difference in the colour of tea and coffee drinks).

Then we had a couple of months when the plastic cartons were nearly all splitting when frozen. Tesco must have changed supplier, I think.
Luckily, that problem ended as suddenly as it had begun, but we always stand or lay the bottles in a larger container to thaw now, just in case.

I'm noticing that most mentions are of semi or skinny milk. We freeze and defrost full fat milk no bother. Butter also freezes well though one doesn't usually need to as it lasts ages in the fridge.

I think I need to do some experiments with plain yogurt and cream.

I think I need to do some experiments with plain yogurt and cream.

I've had some Greek Yogurt in the freezer for about three months but was wondering whether or not to throw it.

I'd be interested to know if anyone freezes double cream. I've got a big pot in the fridge left over from guests. Thoughts?

If you whip the double cream and add a little sugar, it ought not to separate when defrosted. Try it with a small amount, and freeze it overnight, keeping the rest safe in the fridge until you have tested the trial amount.

mumofmadboys Double cream can split when you freeze it, and will probably go a bit grainy. If you want to use it in small amounts for cooking try freezing in ice cube trays then you can just bung a few in whatever you are cooking without even defrosting.

Or freeze in larger amounts in sealed bags but leave room for expansion. Give it a good stir after defrosting (but it may still be grainy). Should only be frozen for a few weeks I think.

School milk - yuck! That's brought back some unpleasant memories..

Thanks folks. I'll try it

Calistemon

^I think I need to do some experiments with plain yogurt and cream.^

I've had some Greek Yogurt in the freezer for about three months but was wondering whether or not to throw it.

Ah, the freezer as a sort of holding unit for the bin. A bin limbo. Binbo.
That’s the worst case scenario for my milk…
Thanks everyone, especially cornergran for the organic information

Elegran

If you whip the double cream and add a little sugar, it ought not to separate when defrosted. Try it with a small amount, and freeze it overnight, keeping the rest safe in the fridge until you have tested the trial amount.

How much sugar would you recommend, elegran, for, say, a teacupful of whipped cream/

I've frozen plain yoghurt successfully, sometimes needs a bit of a stir when thawed but it's tastes absolutely fine. I tend to add a bit of honey or something to mine before enjoying, but I also use it to make flatbread & it's fine. I buy large tubs & decant into single portion silicon moulds, freeze then unmould, bag up and return to the freezer.

Baggs

Elegran

If you whip the double cream and add a little sugar, it ought not to separate when defrosted. Try it with a small amount, and freeze it overnight, keeping the rest safe in the fridge until you have tested the trial amount.

How much sugar would you recommend, elegran, for, say, a teacupful of whipped cream/

Not a great deal, Baggs, maybe a teaspoon? Maybe even less. I think it is trial and error. I've not done it for a long time - I don't use a lot of cream since Mr E died. That (I don't really believe it) was nearly ten years ago.

I think I froze it in piped swirls, like duchesse potatoes, on an open tray, then put it in bags or a plastic box, and defrosted it quite slowly so that there wasn't a sudden rush of melting ice-cream. However, I could be wrong, so don't shoot me if you have to use it up in scones.

Using cream up in scones will never be a problem in my house, elegran ?