Freezing Milk

GardenMillie

I live alone too and don't eat cereal so it's just in tea and coffee for me. Recently I've started buying the 1 litre UHT skimmed milk from supermarket - seems to last well in the fridge, also always have a spare one in the cupboard.:j

astonsmummy

My nan has been freezing milk for years, i used to do it, but i find it waters it down a bit, i am fussy! but you can only notice if having it in cereals (and thats full fat)

thriftlady_2

astonsmummy wrote:

My nan has been freezing milk for years, i used to do it, but i find it waters it down a bit, i am fussy! but you can only notice if having it in cereals (and thats full fat)

You do have to give defrosted whole milk a really good shake as the fat does separate a bit.

Bossyboots

thriftlady wrote:

You do have to give defrosted whole milk a really good shake as the fat does separate a bit.

Good thinking. I should have made that point earlier as I know a few people who have been put off freezing milk because it "separated" when they tried it.

flea72

if transferring milk from one carton to another one, i would be inclined to steralise the bottles, rather than just normal washing of them, as milk can go off so easily, and you cant really get into the handle part of the bottle to give it a good scrub

i dont know about other supermarkets, but morrisons sell fresh milk in 200ml bottles, i think its 22p a bottle. i often buy these and freeze them, as i like to take cereal to work for my lunch, and these are just the right size, rather than having to decant milk into a flask.

also most supermarkets sell long life cartons of milk, again about 200ml a carton. they tend to be in the milkshake aisle, and are called 'Moo Milk', a pack of three costs about 80p, and they come in strawberry, chocolate, and bog standard milk flavour.

hth Flea

SusanCarter

I would second the comment about sterilising the container as the first time I had to decant my milk into other containers because I moved into a flat where you couldn't fit a 4pt bottle in the door, loads of it went off. I then changed my system so that in the summer I would pour half the milk into a two pint bottle which I would use first. The 4pt bottle would then lie down on the shelf without leaking. (In the winter I just kept iton the windowsill.) I personally didn't sterilise but I did use it first and I generally used a pint a day so it was hanging around as long as yours. If you freeze half, freeze the portion left in the original container and use the decanted stuff first. You could make bread and butter pudding or scones with milk which is turning. (if you like them that is.) Hope some of that is useful.

susank

Just buy the 1 pint cartons and throw them in the freezer - they defrost overnight or during the day on the drainer - I use semi skimmed so just shake when defrosted - I always have milk in my freezer and use it for work too as if you buy big one they leave it out of fridge and it goes off!!

badmad

flea72 wrote:

if transferring milk from one carton to another one, i would be inclined to steralise the bottles, rather than just normal washing of them, as milk can go off so easily, and you cant really get into the handle part of the bottle to give it a good scrub

Does anyone have any tips on steralising?
Is it just a matter of putting the carton in a pot of boiling water, or should I get a baby steralising thingy?

vivaladiva

badmad wrote:

Does anyone have any tips on steralising?
Is it just a matter of putting the carton in a pot of boiling water, or should I get a baby steralising thingy?

Try using Milton, or Tesco do their own brand of sterilising fluid. You can use it for all sorts of other things too - we use it to clean the wetsuits at the end of the summer.

BTW I haven't frozen milk in ages - last time I did once it was defrosted and opened it didn't seem to keep for as long as an unfrozen fresh one would have. Was I just unlucky?

SusanCarter

Bizzimum wrote:

BTW I haven't frozen milk in ages - last time I did once it was defrosted and opened it didn't seem to keep for as long as an unfrozen fresh one would have. Was I just unlucky?

Did you defrost in the fridge or at room temperature? If you defrost at room temperature then the milk on the outside can get warm and start to go off while the stuff in the middle is still frozen.