Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Once-A-Month Shopping: Freezing Milk

Whenever someone hears that I only shop once-a-month, they always ask the same question:

What do you do about milk?

For a while, my solution was to do a mid-month trip to pick up perishable items, specifically milk. But with every trip to the grocery store comes the inevitable thought of “I might as well get {insert unnecessary item here} as long as I am there.” Even when the item seems very important, it is something I could probably make do without but I wind up spending money on it since I am all ready at the store anyway.

To avoid these mid-month purchases and force myself to go without, I have started to freeze my milk.

There are many conflicting opinions on freezing milk, so I decided to share my experience:

Let me start by mentioning that I only buy 2% milk so I have no experience freezing higher fat or unpasteurized milk.

When I purchase the milk, I just write the date I am freezing the milk on the carton and pop it in the freezer. I then pull the milk out and put it in the refrigerator 2 or 3 days before I need it to allow for proper thawing time. Once thawed, I shake the milk slightly to remove any separation.

Unlike many horror stories I have heard before about needing a paint mixer to fully restore the milk to its original texture, I find that shaking it for less than a minute is sufficient. I then use the milk as normal.

The taste does not change. The texture does not change. The milk still tastes great.

If you are really interested in avoiding unnecessary trips to the grocery store or just like to have an emergency gallon on hand and you have the extra freezer space then I recommend giving freezing your milk a try. At the very least you waste a few dollars experimenting, but you may discover that freezing milk is that extra kick you need to save a few more bucks.

Also check out my Monthly Menu Planning tips!

For more homemaking tips, check out: Growing Home, Frugally Sustainable, Learning the Frugal Life, Life As Mom and Far Above Rubies

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