Yahoo News Can you freeze milk, butter and cheese?
Freezing food is one of the easiest ways to make the most out of your weekly shop and prevent food wastage, but can you freeze milk and other dairy produce?
While you might be used to freezing chicken breasts or leftover lasagna, everyday items such as milk, butter and cheese work slightly differently.
We explain everything you need to know in the guide below.
Can you freeze milk?
The answer is yes, but it depends on what you plan to use it for afterwards as the freezing and thawing process can cause the milk to separate and turn grainy.
Our food expert Cher Loh says "If the milk separates, whizz the milk using a high-speed blender for about 30 seconds. This helps to re-emulsify the milk to a certain degree, so you will have a product that still works well in baking, cooking or to add to your morning cereal, but not so good if you were planning to drink it straight. Freezing milk does not affect the taste, but rather the texture."
If you are looking to freeze a small amount of milk, pour the milk into an ice-cube tray and freeze. Once the cubes are frozen (around 4hr), transfer them to a freezer bag so that you always have the right amount of milk to hand. You can only freeze and de-frost milk once (never re-freeze), so to avoid wastage, this is the best option if you live in a small household.
For larger amounts of milk, simply freeze in the bottle it came in. Cher recommends that you ensure that there is at least two inches of space left at the top of the container to prevent bursting as the milk will expand when it freezes.
Do not freeze milk in glass jars unless you know that they are freezer-safe, as non-tempered glass could shatter.
How long can you freeze milk for?
Milk can be frozen for one month, so make sure to label it with a date.
When you want to use your frozen milk, simply transfer from the freezer to the fridge and leave for at least eight hours or overnight to thaw fully. Always use your defrosted milk within 2-3 days of defrosting.
Can you freeze oat milk and other dairy-style products?
All the above advice applies to non-dairy milks like rice milk and oat milk, as well as dairy double cream.
Can you freeze butter?
“Butter is one of our favourite things to freeze” says Cher, “there is no need to take it out of the packaging, simply pop it into the freezer”. Salted butter will keep for six months, whilst unsalted butter will retain its best flavour for up to one month."
Can you freeze cheese?
Hard or semi-hard cheese like Parmesan and cheddar, can be frozen as solid blocks, but do bear in mind that they will dry out and crumble easily after thawing.
Cher recommends a great way to get around this is to grate the cheese before storing, spreading it out in a single layer onto a lined baking sheet and placing it into a freezer until frozen. Then transfer to a freezer bag and it will last up to six months in your freezer. This method of freezing also means you'll be able to easily grab handfuls of cheese, rather than defrosting an entire block as wasting the excess if it isn't used.
Freezer care advice
Last but not least, Cher recommends having a freezer thermometer so you can keep an eye on the temperature of your freezer.
The Food Standards Agency recommend that frozen food should ideally be kept at or below -18˚C.
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