St.

Clair County WIC Nutrition

Milk, Dairy, Eggs
August 20, 2020

Freezing & Storing Milk and Dairy

products

Freezing Techniques
Can you freeze milk? Yes! Milk can be stored up to 3 months in the freezer, but it is recommended to
be used within a month’s time for quality assurance.

Milk from your WIC package can be stored and saved for later use by using proper freezing techniques.

First, you want to make sure that you have an airtight container such as glass or hard plastic. Do not
use cardboard because it can pick up other odors from the freezer. Secondly, leave 1- 1 ½ in of space
in the air tight container to allow room for the milk to expand while freezing. Milk is approximately

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87% water, which can cause the container to be damaged if too full. Lastly, full fat milk will separate
more than skim milk. This creates a different texture when thawed. See below for ways to use thawed
milk.

A pro tip for portioning out milk is to use an ice cube tray. Pour the milk into the trays, freeze, and
transfer to a re-sealable freezer bag. When ready to use, simply take out the number of cubes you
need. Two cubes are approximately ¼ cup of milk.

How to Thaw Milk

You can thaw out your milk in three different ways.

1. Place frozen milk in the fridge overnight.

2. Submerge an airtight container of frozen milk in a bowl of cold water. Place the bowl in the
fridge to thaw for an hour. Change the bowl of water every 30 minutes to thaw faster.
3. To thaw small amounts of milk, place in the microwave for 30 second intervals. Cook milk
immediately after thawed.

How to Use Thawed Milk

Milk stored in the freezer can be grainy after being thawed due to natural separation of the
components. This does not change the nutrient content! Here are 3 ways to use thawed milk:

1. Smoothies- Use thawed milk in fruit/veggie smoothies. Blending will redistribute the contents
and create a smooth texture.
2. Baked Goods - Mix milk into breads, cakes, or casseroles.
3. Cooking - Use frozen milk in creamy sauces, stews, and dips!
4. Shaking before Use- Separation is natural, but shaking the milk container before enjoying can
improve the texture.

NOTE: Is it not recommended to thaw milk on the kitchen counter due to increasing bacteria growth.
Bacteria grow best between 40-140 degrees Fahrenheit. This zone is known as the Temperature
Danger Zone.

How to Freeze Cheeses

Freezing cheese is another way that you can extend your WIC package each month. Hard cheeses
such as parmesan, sharp cheddar, or swiss contain less water and are ideal for freezing. Keep these
cheeses for up to 6 months in an airtight container. Fresh cheeses like mozzarella, feta, or cottage
cheese should not be frozen due to their high water content.

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 1. Shredded cheeses- Separate shredded cheese into small freezer bags or air tight containers.
Remove excess air from the container before freezing. Label accordingly and store for up to 2
months before losing quality.

Use frozen cheeses directly in casseroles, omelets, or other cooked foods. Thaw frozen cheeses in the
refrigerator for use in ready to eat foods.

How to Freeze Yogurt

Freezing yogurt is an excellent way to preserve excess for later use. Frozen yogurt can be used in a
wide variety of baked goods, salad dressings, and desserts. When frozen and thawed, yogurt can
become watery and grainy due to ruptured water crystals. Yogurt contains many beneficial bacteria
that can be lost when frozen, but the nutrient content remains roughly the same.

There are many ways to freeze yogurt, but portioning out the yogurt before freezing will give the best
result. Use an ice cream scoop to portion out yogurt on a parchment lined baking sheet. Freeze for 1
hour and transfer to a freezer bag for later use. Ice cube trays would also work well for easy
portioning! Thaw yogurt in the fridge when you wish to use it.

Other ways to store and repurpose excess yogurt:

1. Yogurt bars- Use Popsicle molds to make fruit and yogurt bars. Add chunks of frozen/fresh
fruit and freeze overnight.
2. Yogurt covered fruit- Cover your favorite kind of fruit with plain or flavored yogurt and freeze
for a summertime snack! Blueberries, strawberries, bananas, or pineapple are great options!
3. Replace oils or butter with yogurt for a low fat and high protein substitution. Replace half of
the oil with ¾ of the amount of yogurt. For example: If a recipe calls for 1 cup of oil, use ½ cup
of oil with ¼ cup + 2 Tbsp of yogurt. Great for muffins, cookies, and breads!
4. Try replacing sour cream with a fat free or Greek Yogurt!

Freezing & Storing Eggs

Do you have a lot of unused eggs in your fridge? Did you know that you can freeze fresh eggs in the
freezer for up to 1 year?

Eggs can last in the fridge for 3-5 weeks before spoiling. Before throwing them out, consider freezing
the eggs for later use!

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How to Freeze Eggs

1. Pick clean fresh eggs to store in the freezer. Begin by breaking the shell and empty contents
into a hard plastic container with a lid. Eggs cannot be frozen in the shell because they will
expand and break.

2. Beat yolk and whites slightly to mix together. Try not to add extra air to mixture.
3. Add ¼ tsp. of salt per cup of whole eggs to ensure the integrity of the yolk when thawing.
4. Label container with the number of eggs and place in the freezer for up to 1 year.

How to Use Frozen Eggs

Thaw eggs in the refrigerator overnight or under cold running water. This will ensure that the eggs will
cook evenly when added to a recipe or dish.

Three Tbsp. of egg mixture is equivalent to 1 egg.

References

A. (2020, July 14). Can You Freeze Eggs?: Incredible Egg. Retrieved August 20, 2020, from
https://www.incredibleegg.org/recipes/cooking-lessons/can-i-freeze-eggs

Burry, M. H. (2019, November 15). Cooking With Yogurt: How to Substitute Yogurt for Oil and
Other Fats in Recipes. Retrieved August 20, 2020, from
https://www.livestrong.com/article/248548-how-to-substitute-yogurt-for-fat-in-baking/

Doster, N. (2020, April 08). Can You Freeze Milk? Yes, and Here's How. Retrieved August 20, 2020,
from https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/frozen-milk-cubes/

F. (2020, May 6). Can You Freeze Cheese? Retrieved August 20, 2020, from
https://www.foodnetwork.com/how-to/packages/food-network-essentials/can-you-
freeze-cheese

Winger, J. (2019, April 11). How to Freeze Eggs • The Prairie Homestead. Retrieved August 20,
2020, from https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2011/10/how-to-freeze-eggs.html