Stock Up and Freeze Milk

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Stock Up and Freeze Milk

Submitted by: Mike the Shopper 01/04/2009 6:01 PM

If milk on sale buy several gallons. Remove about 10% of the milk from each gallon and freeze the rest. It keeps for 6 months and nobody can tell it was frozen. This also works for half and half, cream and buttermilk.

Editor's Note: For more on using your freezer to save on grocery costs, see this TipHero tip: Can You Really Freeze an Egg?

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Comments:

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i was told it tasted really weird when frozen

Posted by anonymous on January 05, 2009 1:57 AM

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Great tip Mike. We wrote about freezing milk at our blog paylessforfood.com. Many people forget to pour a little out of the jug before freezing.

Its best to thaw the milk in the fridge which means you'll have to do it a day or so before you'll need it. Some components of the milk may have separated during the freezing so you'll have to shake the milk after its thawed but it'll taste just find.

Another way to save money is to use powdered milk in your recipes. powered milk is much cheaper than regular milk.

Posted by paylessforfood.com on January 05, 2009 9:15 PM

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I already do this just differently. Because it takes so long to thaw out a full gallon in the fridge, I freeze it in smaller amounts leaving space of course for expansion. And I tastes just normal to me.

Posted by anonymous on January 09, 2009 7:20 PM

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great ideas. Anyone know if you can freeze cottage cheese?

Posted by turtlegirl on January 09, 2009 9:51 PM

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The milk jugs at Costco are made to be frozen - they have indentations in the jug that pop out as the frozen milk expands - no need to pour out 10%. Also have frozen Aldi milk containers with no problems.

Posted by Rob on January 14, 2009 9:05 AM

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Fat-free yogurt also can be frozen. It loses a little cohesiveness but tastes fine.

Posted by anonymous on January 16, 2009 12:26 PM

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Personally I've tried freezing buttermilk and when it thawed it had separated.

Posted by anon on January 16, 2009 2:24 PM

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All cheese, cottage cheese included will change texture but not taste.

When I freeze cottage cheese, I keep it for recipes (lasagna, mix with fried onions and add to mashed potatoes instead of milk, Refrigerator cheese cake the kind with jello etc.

Posted by Bea Helf on January 16, 2009 3:37 PM

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When the milk gets near the use-by date, I freeze the remainder. Use it later for pudding, pancake waffle & other recipes.

Posted by Eviesav on January 16, 2009 3:47 PM

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i didn't think it was good for you to freeze plastic (#2) because it can break down and get into your milk, it might be something you want to look into. They tell you not to freeze water bottles for that same reason.

Posted by dana on January 16, 2009 4:18 PM

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I have not had good results with freezing milk. It comes out watery and nasty-tasting. I tried it several times before giving up.

Now I buy the large Carnation Milk Mix powder at Sam's club and mix my own milk at home. It saves over $1 a gallon. I never run out of milk because I can mix my own anytime. Since I drank non-fat milk before, the Carnation Milk Mix did not taste any differently. If you are used to regular milk, you might have to get used to Milk Mix. My Carnation Milk Mix is delicious! Having milk on hand means fewer trips to the grocery store, which means less money spent on gasoline and impulsive buys. Not to mention the time and effort to go to the store.

Posted by Anon on January 17, 2009 12:02 PM

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I also drink fat free milk.Thanks Anon for the tip!
Kate

Posted by Kate on January 17, 2009 5:21 PM

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I always mix my powdered milk with a small amount of fairly hot tapwater then I fill the rest of the container with ice water it tastes more like the real thing to me (breaks down the graineness of the powder)

Posted by anonymous on January 18, 2009 12:16 AM

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I have never seen milk go on sale where I shop, plus wouldn't that take up a lot of room in your freezer? I think it's easier just to pick up a gallon when I need it. ;)

Posted by Nae Nae on January 20, 2009 1:07 PM

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Attn: Nae Nae, I don't think I have ever seen milk on sale either, but I occassionally find coupons for stonyfield farms milk for $0.50off/gallon, so I stock up then. We have a chest freezer that is usually 3/4 full, so can almost always fit in a few extra milks.

here is a coupon link, but you have to enter your email address:
http://www.stonyfield.com/coupons/signin.cfm

Posted by christyp on January 20, 2009 1:23 PM

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To prolong the life of milk in the refrigerator, I put a pinch of salt in the milk container. I don't taste the salt, and I get an extra week before it starts to go bad. I usually get 1/2 gallon rather than 1 quart containers. 1/2 gallon is just a bit too much and a quart is just a but less than I use. The salt helps.

Posted by Peg on January 20, 2009 3:47 PM

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I`ve used the salt idea for years and it really does keep the milk sweet for more than twice as long. It only takes a pinch of salt.

Posted by Ethel Richardson on January 22, 2009 10:32 AM

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Milk rarely goes on sale at grocery stores or supermarkets. However gas stations and local party stores will often sell milk at or below market as a loss leader to get you to visit their stores. Some stores will also put milk on sale nearing expiration. A full freezer is cheaper to run then a half full freezer so keep it full even if it is only milk.

Posted by Michael Coutts on January 26, 2009 11:19 PM

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Powdered milk is not always cheaper than fresh. You have to figure the cost per gal in order to compare the two.

Posted by anonymous on January 31, 2009 5:58 PM

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If you have milk that smells like it is about to go sour but not quite there yet, you can put it in the microwave in 2 cup batches for 3-5 minutes. This kills off the bacteria and keeps the milk usable for a few more days. You want it to get very hot but not to boil. Let it cool for a few minutes and then put it in a clean container and refrigerate.

Posted by anonymous on January 31, 2009 6:06 PM

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If you have an Aldi's in your area, the milk was $2.49 a gallon here in Florida last week...that was down from $2.79 a gallon a few weeks ago. Milk at Winn Dixie and Walmart is still around the $3.50 range.

If you do have milk that goes bad, give it to someone's cats! They LOVE sour milk...that's the beginning of cottage cheese you know.

Posted by anonymous on March 01, 2009 10:31 PM

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You can also thaw a half-gallon or gallon of milk by placing it in cold or room temp water (never hot water please) and let it sit for a while. Shake and drink.

Posted by theresa on March 02, 2009 2:14 PM

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I would not drink Milk that has been frozen for 6 months. The max on freezing milk is 3 months, but really after a month the milk really starts to break down and no matter how much you shake it doesn't help if you keep it frozen longer than this. Also, even though you freeze it in its original container milk will still absorb other food flavors and smells. So all in all if you want to freeze milk use it in a month.

Posted by Tina on March 11, 2009 1:41 PM

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Are you actually saving money when you factor in the cost of running and extra freezer? Energy is not free...

Posted by anonymous on June 28, 2009 3:52 AM

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You have to be kidding, I freeze milk all the time to get us through the winter without going to the store. 6-to 8 months is nothing and tastes fine.
I have a small herd of dairy goats. I find that freezing in canning glass jars works the best. Just remember to leave a space of a couple inches at the top of jar for expansion. I use plastic once in awhile but texture of milk seems to change, this doesn't happen in glass.

Posted by kate on July 16, 2009 3:50 PM

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Yes you are saving money when you factor in the extra freezer. I have TWO extra freezers and I fill it with all sorts of stuff that I got cheap or free, like Green Giant veggies, loaves of sandwich bread or meat. Lazy people come up with all sorts of reasons to not save money. The $20 extra a month it costs to run my one extra freezer is definately worth it when you factor in the free and cheap items I have in it-rather than paying full price when I need chicken breast I buy 30lbs of it when it was $1.49lb and I had a coupon making it even cheaper.

I have never freezed milk, but I do freeze cheese (shredded) and non dairy creamer-International Delight and Coffee Mate that I got for FREE with coupons.

I have been buying Milk at Walmart for $1 for half gallon. Over the Moon Milk had a $1 coupon on their site and it is only $2 at Walmart and it has a long shelflife. Rarely do I find milk on sale for less than $2 a gallon.

Posted by Valerie on January 01, 2010 8:28 AM

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I have tried powdered milk-to me it does not taste the same. I have tried to put it in recipes, like bread and macaroni and cheese (homeade) and I could taste the certain taste that powered milk has. What I do is I buy canned milk when it is on sale and I have a coupon sometimes making it free. I then keep those cans on hand and use those in recipes that call for milk rather than using fresh. Also it is nice to have on hand since it comes in Whole, 2% and Skim and certain recipes call for certain fat contents. I pour 1/2 of what I need in a measuring cup and add the same amount of water-then the remaining is put in a container in my frige and used for other recipes.
I worked out how much I have to buy the canned milk for it to we worth it, and as long as it is on sale and I have a coupon then it is usually cheaper-though I was able to get the small cans for free during triple coupons a few months ago.

Posted by Valerie on January 01, 2010 8:34 AM

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I don't recommend freezing cream as it turns into "butter." The fat separates and does not recombine. I guess it could be used in cooking but not for whipped cream.

Posted by Kat on January 01, 2010 10:23 AM

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