Friday, February 25, 2011

How to Freeze Dairy Products



**Always write the date on the item before freezing it.

**Make sure to allow for expansion when freezing liquids.

BUTTER: Freeze high-quality butter made from pasteurized cream. If butter is unsalted, it will lose it’s flavor over time, so try to only freeze for a short amount of time (around a month). Regular Butter can freeze for 6-12 months. Margarine can be frozen for up to 12 months.

CHEESE: Cheese gets crumbing after being frozen- so it’s best to shred before freezing it. Freeze it wrapped in foil or a freezer bag.

COTTAGE CHEESE: Cottage or Ricotta Cheese can be frozen for up to a month. Cream Style Cottage Cheese may separate when thawed.

CREAM CHEESE: Can be frozen. I have noticed a slight change in consistency and only freeze it if I will be using it to cook with.

CREAMER: Liquid Coffee Creamer can be frozen for up to 1 month. I have actually never done this, and so I am not sure about consistency.

HALF & HALF and LIGHTER CREAMS: These lighter creams do not freeze well

HEAVY CREAM: Freeze only heavy cream containing 40 % or more butter fat. After it’s been frozen it will not whip to full volume. You can keep in the freezer for 1-2 months and will freeze better if you transfer it to a different container, like a plastic or glass tupperware container.

MILK: Pasteurized homogenized milk can be frozen. Let thaw completely before you use it, and store in the refrigerator while it thaws. Shaking Milk ONCE THAWED will help restore a normal consistency. I open the cap before putting it in the freezer, to allow room for expansion- and then freeze for up to 1 month.

SOUR CREAM: Can be frozen, but will loose it’s smooth texture. I only freeze Sour Cream when I will be using it to cook with.

YOGURT: Yogurt is similar to Sour Cream and will get grainy after it’s thawed. I like to freeze yogurt, if I will be using to it make smoothies after it’s thawed.


WHOLE EGGS: Crack eggs into a bowl and stir gently to break up to yolk. These can be kept frozen for up to a year. I freeze into a mold, and then put them in a freezer bag with the date and number of eggs. I have heard that if you are freezing eggs to later cook with desserts, that you should add in 1 teaspoon sugar for 1 cup of eggs. If you will be using them for other uses, you can add 1 teaspoon salt for 1 cup of eggs. (I have never actually done that, I’ve just read it- anyone done this?). You can also scramble eggs and then freeze them.

Idea from: http://thekrazycouponlady.com/2010/06/24/krazy-in-the-kitchen-how-to-freezing-dairy-products/

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