Pro tip: frozen almond milk doesn’t keep quite like frozen diary milk. Sometimes, it can feel can i freeze rice a race against the clock to use all of your dairy products before they go bad. Though some sites claim that you can store frozen milk for up to six months, the FDA recommends consuming milk within 3 months of freezing. Unlike water, milk expands when frozen.
So storing in an easily breakable glass bottle or cardboard cartoon brings the possibility of a real mess in your freezer. Technically, you can freeze milk that comes in a plastic gallon bottle, but we recommend pouring your milk into two or three freezer-safe plastic containers to make the thawing process a bit easier. If time is of the essence, you can fill a large bowl with cold water and submerge the frozen container of milk inside — just be sure to replace the lukewarm water the cold water as it warms up. Never thaw milk at room temperature, it runs the risk of spoiling the milk you worked so hard to preserve.
Plant-based milks like almond milk, oat milk, soy milk, and flax milk are known to become grainy after freezing due to fat separation. Diary-based milk like cow’s milk and goat milk both freeze very well, but will also likely experience separation. Since they’re low on fat, skim and fat-free milk freeze the best. While frozen milk retains all of its original nutrients, fat separation can give the milk a “grainy” texture once thawed. Because of this, frozen milk is best used for baking, cooking and smoothie making, as opposed to drinking. To reverse the fat separation in your milk, simply put your thawed milk in a blender to mix the fat back in. As an Editorial Fellow for Good Housekeeping, Katie covers health, beauty, home, and pop culture.
