EBM going all curdled and gross after freezing

[IAteRoseMaryConleyForBreakfast]

I've been expressing each evening for the following day for over 2 months now. I sometimes freeze extra for hungry days or if I have a night off. Mostly this is fine but a couple of times DP has defrosted it (at room temp) only to find it's all curdled and lumpy and bitty. I'm using Lansinoh bags, cooling it to room temp then freezing it. Any ideas?

[JackieNo]

It does look like that, but just shake it up, and it should mix again fine.

[IAteRoseMaryConleyForBreakfast]

I'm told by DP it won't mix up again, he did try. It looks sort of cheesy.

[WigWamBam]

It's best to scald EBM before you freeze it. Stops it tasting off as well - defrosted EMB can sometimes taste a bit sour.

[IAteRoseMaryConleyForBreakfast]

Oh, that's news to me! Sorry to sound thick but do you just scald the bag with hot water before you freeze it?

[LiegeAndLief]

You could try defrosting quickly in a bowl of hot water - my milk always looked much better when defrosted fast.

[WigWamBam]

No, don't scald the bag.

Put it in a saucepan and very quickly bring it to the boil - then remove it from the heat as soon as it does.

Doesn't take long.

[IAteRoseMaryConleyForBreakfast]

I thought that would knacker all the antibodies and stuff? but I'll try it if it means my lovely hard-expressed milk doesn't get wasted!

[IAteRoseMaryConleyForBreakfast]

I thought that would knacker all the antibodies and stuff? but I'll try it if it means my lovely hard-expressed milk doesn't get wasted!

[IAteRoseMaryConleyForBreakfast]

I thought that would knacker all the antibodies and stuff? but I'll try it if it means my lovely hard-expressed milk doesn't get wasted!

[IAteRoseMaryConleyForBreakfast]

Sorry, i'm online from my phone and evidently there are some technical issues!

[IAteRoseMaryConleyForBreakfast]

Sorry, i'm online from my phone and evidently there are some technical issues!

[WigWamBam]

From kellymom.com:

A few mothers find that their refrigerated or frozen milk begins to smell or taste soapy, sour, or even rancid soon after it's stored, even though all storage guidelines have been followed closely. Per Lawrence & Lawrence (p. 781), the speculation is that these mothers have an excess of the enzyme lipase in their milk, which begins to break down the milk fat soon after the milk is expressed. Most babies do not mind a mild change in taste, and the milk is not harmful, but the stronger the taste the more likely that baby will reject it.

Lipase is an enzyme that is normally present in human milk and has several known beneficial functions:

• Lipases help keep milk fat well-mixed (emulsified) with the "whey" portion of the milk, and also keep the fat globules small so that they are easily digestible (Lawrence & Lawrence, p. 156).
  
• Lipases also help to break down fats in the milk, so that fat soluble nutrients (vitamins A & D, for example) and free fatty acids (which help to protect baby from illness) are easily available to baby (Lawrence & Lawrence, p. 156).
  
• The primary lipase in human milk, bile salt-stimulated lipase (BSSL), "has been found to be the major factor inactivating protozoans" (Lawrence & Lawrence, p. 203).
  
  Per Lawrence & Lawrence (p. 158), the amount of BSSL in a particular mother's milk does not vary during a feed, and is not different at different times of day or different stages of lactation. There is evidence that there may be a decrease in lipase activity over time in mothers who are malnourished.
  
  What can I do if my storage problem is due to excess lipase? Once the milk becomes sour or rancid smelling/tasting, there is no known way to salvage it. However, newly expressed milk can be stored by heating the milk to a scald to inactivate the lipase and stop the process of fat digestion. Scald the milk as soon after expression as possible.
  
  To scald milk:
  
  
• Heat milk to about 180 F (82 C), or until you see little bubbles around the edge of the pan (not to a full, rolling boil).
  
• Quickly cool and store the milk.
  
  Scalding the milk will destroy some of the antiinfective properties of the milk and may lower some nutrient levels, but this is not likely to be an issue unless all of the milk that baby is receiving has been heat-treated.
  
  Per Lawrence & Lawrence, bile salt-stimulated lipase can also be destroyed by heating the milk at 144.5 F (62.5 C) for one minute (p. 205), or at 163 F (72 C) for up to 15 seconds (p. 771).
  
  There are several threads about it, if you search the archives. It's called saponification.

[MrsBadger]

nb however yucky it looks it doesn't matter so long as they drink it

dd is fine with lumps but doesn't like it if it;s been frozen more than 6wks...

[IAteRoseMaryConleyForBreakfast]

I'd never even thought to look on Kellymom. I'm alarming myself at how dim I get when I'm tired!

Thanks very much everyone, really helpful as always

[beansprout]

I had this too.

Does anyone know if it will be the case second time round? [hopeful emoticon]

[HeadFairy]

I can testify that scalding the milk before freezing works a treat. Mine used to smell and taste rank but now I scald it it's fine. Apparently the milk loses a teensy bit of it's nutritional properties but it's still better than formula and it won't matter if it's for the occasional bottle.