Easy Ways To Freeze Raw Milk

Can you freeze raw milk when there is an overabundance of fresh milk? Learn the best way to freeze raw milk.

The short answer is yes, you can freeze raw milk. This is a great way to preserve raw milk, whether it is cow milk or goat milk, when you have extra milk or are looking for a way to keep the shelf life of raw milk longer for drinking purposes. This might be because the dairy farm you get your milk from is farther away and you are looking to make fewer trips. Maybe it is the spring and there is so much milk that you want to save for future use. Whatever your reasoning, keep reading for the easiest ways for freezing milk.

How to Freeze Raw Milk

Freezing raw milk is actually very simple. There are a few different ways you can do this. I suggest removing most of the cream before freezing, as the cream doesn’t incorporate back into the milk the greatest. The good news is it’s fine if you don’t remove the cream. However, be aware that you will see cream when the milk is thawed.

• Freeze in a half gallon mason jar. Be aware that the milk will expand when freezing, so when using glass containers, make sure to leave room for the milk to expand. Fill the jar up to about 3/4 of the way full and freeze. Do NOT fill up to the top of the container. The glass jars will break. If you are feeling unsure about this, just freeze without a lid on first to make sure the milk won’t break the jar before it finishes expanding.

• Use a plastic freezer bag. This saves a ton of freezer space if you are freezing a lot of milk. Pour about a half gallon into a ziplock bag and freeze flat. (Remove cream if you don’t want to deal with that later)

• If you don’t need to freeze a lot of milk or you are just looking to have smaller amounts of frozen milk, pour into ice cube trays and freeze that way.

Will the nutritional value change when I freeze milk?

No, the nutritional value stays the same when the milk gets frozen. There was a study done in the 1980’s that said that the vitamin C level lowers in human milk after one month of freezing. However, the Weston A. Price Foundation tested frozen butter and even after one year there was no degregation.

Freezing milk works for all different types of milk. Cow’s milk, goat’s milk, breast milk, or even a conventional gallon of milk purchased from the grocery store in a plastic jug. However, I am unsure if a plant-based milk such as almond milk is freezable.

How do you defrost frozen milk?

Place the milk in the fridge and allow it to thaw naturally. If milk is frozen in plastic freezer bags, I suggest placing it into a large container of some sort, just in case the bag has a tear in it. Once the milk is thawed, give it a good shake to mix all the fat molecules back into the milk. Alternatively, using an immersion blender will really get the milk mixed back good.

If for some reason the fridge is not an option, place the container into a bowl of cold water and that will also thaw milk slowly.

How long can you keep raw milk frozen?

Raw milk can stay in the deep freeze for up to a year. If using a freezer on your fridge, one that is opened a lot, that time period drops down to about 6 months.

Other Ways To Preserve Raw Milk:

Making raw dairy products is a great way to preserve raw milk in a different form. Try these recipes the next time you have extra milk. All of these products can also be stored in the freezer.

• Homemade Butter
• Sour Cream
• Cream Cheese
• Ice Cream

Save This Post For Later: