Krazy what you can freeze!

Krazy in the Kitchen: How to Freeze Dairy Products

Since June is National Dairy Month, I thought it would be a good time to talk about Freezing Dairy… Are you all freezing dairy products? I love getting a Krazy deal on Butter or even Milk and stocking up for a few extra weeks. Luckily I have an extra Freezer, so space is not a problem. Here are some guidelines for freezing your Dairy Products:

• Always write the date on the item before freezing it. This will help you keep an inventory of what’s in your freezer
• Make sure to allow for expansion when freezing liquids.
  

BUTTER: Freeze high-quality butter made from pasteurized cream. If butter is unsalted, it will lose it’s flavor over time, so try to only freeze for a short amount of time (around a month). Regular Butter can freeze for 6-12 months. Margarine can be frozen for up to 12 months.

CHEESE: Cheese gets crumbing after being frozen- so it’s best to shred before freezing it. Freeze it wrapped in foil or a freezer bag.

COTTAGE CHEESE: Cottage or Ricotta Cheese can be frozen for up to a month. Cream Style Cottage Cheese may separate when thawed.

CREAM CHEESE: Can be frozen. I have noticed a slight change in consistency and only freeze it if I will be using it to cook with.

CREAMER: Liquid Coffee Creamer can be frozen for up to 1 month. I have actually never done this, and so I am not sure about consistency.

HALF & HALF and LIGHTER CREAMS: These lighter creams do not freeze well.

HEAVY CREAM: Freeze only heavy cream containing 40 % or more butter fat. After it’s been frozen it will not whip to full volume. You can keep in the freezer for 1-2 months and will freeze better if you transfer it to a different container, like a plastic or glass tupperware container.

MILK: Pasteurized homogenized milk can be frozen. Let thaw completely before you use it, and store in the refrigerator while it thaws. Shaking Milk ONCE THAWED will help restore a normal consistency. I open the cap before putting it in the freezer, to allow room for expansion- and then freeze for up to 1 month.

SOUR CREAM: Can be frozen, but will loose it’s smooth texture. I only freeze Sour Cream when I will be using it to cook with.

YOGURT: Yogurt is similar to Sour Cream and will get grainy after it’s thawed. I like to freeze yogurt, if I will be using to it make smoothies after it’s thawed.

WHOLE EGGS: Crack eggs into a bowl and stir gently to break up to yolk. These can be kept frozen for up to a year. I freeze into a mold, and then put them in

a freezer bag with the date and number of eggs. I have heard that if you are freezing eggs to later cook with desserts, that you should add in 1 teaspoon sugar for 1 cup of eggs. If you will be using them for other uses, you can add 1 teaspoon salt for 1 cup of eggs. (I have never actually done