Freezing milk

picklednut

Ive noticed frozen milk before and wondered a) do it taste any different when defrosted? b) how long can you keep milk in the freezer? c) do you defrost milk in fridge or at room temperature d) how long does a 1 / 2 / 4 pint of milk take to defrost in fridge / at room temperature? Thanks in advance!

hilstep2000

You can freeze whole or semi-skimmed, but skimmed is awful! I freeze milk all the time. I do try and defrost it in a large jug, because sometimes the bottles split with expansion. Maybe keep a spare on to decant it into. Usually 1 or 2 pints take about half a day to a day to defrost, at room temperature. Four pintas I leave overnight, plus a bit more if necessary. Give it a shake before you use it. You can keep it for three months, but I find it doesn't last that long in my house!

surfsister

i always buy 2 plastic bottles and freeze one without problem so far! i defrost it in the sink, then when I need it just start using it. it takes most of a day to melt a 4 pinta. it may need shaking up if full fat as it can separate, it seems to depend on the brand of milk. tastes the same.

A._Badger

I always keep a couple of pints in the freezer - semi-skimmed. It keeps for at least three months and if you need to defrost it more quickly, putting the frozen bottle in cold water which you change every three quarters of an hour or so, will speed up the process - a bit!

geordie_joe

I buy 4 pint bottles and 3 pints into 3 x 1 pint bottles to freeze. I leave an inch gap at the top of the bottle then sqeeze the bottle until the milk reaches the top and then put the lid on tightly. This leaves room for the milk to expand when it freezes.

Stephen_Leak

Yes, same here. It freezes and defrosts just fine. For the record, I have to use skimmed milk. It tastes just as naff as the stuff I don't freeze!

It is very useful if you live on your own, and the cheapest option per pint is to buy 2 x 4pts for £2.00.

Allsloppy

I regularly freeze milk to avoid running out. My best advice is to thoroughly shake it when defrosted as it separates out and the stuff at the top is like water. Never noticed any difference in taste but then only really have it in tea and coffee

Clowance

Often freeze 4 pinters semi skimmed, no probs. Then use them in a coolbag if going away on (self catering) holiday instead of an ice pack to keep the rest of the food nice and cool, it defrosts enough on the way down to have a cuppa on arrival. Friend does the same on a 12 hour trip to France and its defrosted on arrival.Normally defrost at room temp, put in fridge soon as defrosted. Would take forever in fridge!

surfsister

Clowance wrote: »

Often freeze 4 pinters semi skimmed, no probs. Then use them in a coolbag if going away on (self catering) holiday instead of an ice pack to keep the rest of the food nice and cool, it defrosts enough on the way down to have a cuppa on arrival. Friend does the same on a 12 hour trip to France and its defrosted on arrival.Normally defrost at room temp, put in fridge soon as defrosted. Would take forever in fridge!

yes whenever we go camping i freeze some milk/cheese/marg and they defrost by the time we need them and they keep the coolbox ice cold too! then i ask the campsite owners to freeze my ice packs to keed them fresh a bit longer! a win win situation as campsite milk can be ridiculously expensive-

Lip_Stick

Might be a daft question, but how long does the milk last, after defrosting before going off? Would you have to use it in a quicker period than if not frozen?

A._Badger

Lip_Stick wrote: »

Might be a daft question, but how long does the milk last, after defrosting before going off? Would you have to use it in a quicker period than if not frozen?

I've read that frozen milk goes off more quickly, but can't say that has been my experience. Semi skimmed seems to last about the same length of time whether fresh or defrosted I find.