Freezing milk - can you?

[RatherBeOnThePiste]

Sorry, if my mum was still here, I'd ask her, but I shall ask the lovely mums here instead!

I cannot keep up with milk demand in our family. DC are 13&11, growing like weeds but we seem to run out or have a glut.

Could I freeze milk for emergencies? We usually have semi skimmed.

Thank you! I am off to work now but shall check at lunchtime. X

Milk freezes really well.

Yes. Takes quite a long time to defrost and needs a shake before you first use it.

I always freeze milk, buy enough for the week and it saves the expensive dash to the shops "just for milk" and coming home with bags full of other shopping.

Yes. Just bung it in the freezer.

It will expand a bit on freezing but I have never had it burst the plastic container or anything.

You just leave it on the counter overnight to defrost (or in fridge for longer). And gently shake/turn it round to reintegrate it.

How about some UHT for emergencies? I know my freezer couldn't cope with the 3 pints A DAY we get through. UHT is foul in tea but OK on cereal if you're hungry!

Thanks for the responses - so a green plastic bottle of milk can go in the freezer, then it could defrost overnight when I need it. Brill.

I was put off the UHT stuff because i thought it tasted weird, but thats def another option. I shall probably do both!

We have milk from the milkman and if I up the order on a regular basis, I'll just end up awash with the stuff!

Thank you!

just make sure its homogenised

(almost all supermarket milk is homogenised, but waitrose full fat ORGANIC milk is not)

I don't even know what that means!!

I've just checked and the one I have freezing is homogenised!
Thank you !

it means its sorted of been whizzed together so the fat molecules are evenly dispersed within the milk, and not just floating to the top (as traditional bottled 'milk man' milk used to be)

you dont get a layer of cream

Aah. I see, thanks!

But going off piste here a bit, when I used to express breast milk I think I have a memory of freezing that?! Would I have done that? That wasn't homogenised. My DC are healthy and happy at 13&11 so it doesn't really matter if I shouldn't have iyswim??!! Lol.

yes

you can freeze breast milk

phew!