DAIRY PRODUCTS
Dairy products include the main ingredient: milk and anything made from it, such as cheese, butter, and cream. People have utilized milk since the start of time to give both new and storable nutritious food sources. It is, for the most part, considered the ideal food. It should shape a fundamental piece of everybody’s day-by-day diet. Since it has incredible supporting worth, the specialist recommends having a glass of milk each day. It is beneficial for developing kids, elderly individuals and for expecting mothers.
Regarding dairy items, getting your cash’s worth from them can appear to be an impossible task. Time and again, that gallon of milk winds up down the sink once the expiry date hits. In any case, there is a possibility, and it lies in your refrigerator. This article contains detailed notes on freeze milk, few milk types when we should consider freezing it, freeze it, thawing milk, and its after-effects.
USES OF MILK:
Milk has consistently been a staple, the better half bowl of cereal or a huge segment of our number one frozen pastries, or even only a solid, tall glass of newness to get going our days. Certainly, milk is a good beverage. However, we’re here to reveal to you that it has significantly more potential than you may suspect.
It tends to be utilized for purposes a long way past the kitchen and ordinary food. Milk can be a cream, a cleaning agent, a refresher, or even an ager. We, as a whole, realize it is helpful for our bones and our developing bodies, yet this delightful beverage has far additional to bring to the table.
Not only in cooking, milk is an essential product for personal and skincare also. It can be used as a soap, shaving creams and facial creams, and we can make all of these by primarily using almond and coconut milk.
TYPES OF MILK YOU CAN FIND IN YOUR GROCERY STORE.
There is more about the glass of milk alongside the standard ordinary milk that you discover when you become familiar with its wide range of types and different ways they were found and delivered.
Organic milk:
Organic milk comes from those cows that are not given supplemental chemicals and are processed by those dairy farmers who utilize just natural pesticides.
Raw milk:
Farmers do not produce raw milk; instead, they come from a wide range of animals, including cows, camels, goats and sheep.
Skimmed milk:
Skimmed milk contains zero sugar and fat level, making it ideal for weight control and diabetic patients.
Full cream milk:
When it comes to the heaviest and tastiest milk, cream milk wins the list. It has an extraordinary level of fats in contrast to another type of milk.
Condensed milk:
It is a sort of milk that, in reality, is different from standard assortments as far as taste, surface, and consistency are concerned. It is sweet and has a more thick and creamy texture and consistency.
Plant-based milk:
Various plant milk types are mainly extracted from seeds, including oat milk containing a high fibre level. Almond milk has a high level of vitamin E and magnesium, and its flavour is primarily nutty in taste, with a calorie count of 40. Flax milk can be with sugar or without sugar, and it can be a good choice for nut and dairy allergic people. Hemp milk is obtained from hemp seeds and is used in coffees and smoothies. Some of the other examples of milk cover, peanut, coconut, pea, rice, soy, and many others.
WHEN SHOULD WE CONSIDER FREEZING MILK?
It would be best if you considered freezing milk only in few cases as freezing milk lowers the nutritional value of fresh milk. When there is a chance that your milk is near the expiration date and you can not utilize it in few days, freezing it is likely the only alternative that permits you to protect and store it for some time later.
Another circumstance when freezing milk may be a smart thought is the point at which you purchase milk in mass quantities when you find it at a great price. Storing milk is becoming a common practice because of the on-going pandemic situations we are facing right now.
DURATION OF PLACING MILK IN YOUR FREEZER?
The question most people ask is, Does placing milk in the freezer truly help it last more? Yes! Frozen milk can be stored for around 3 months to 6 months, giving you a taste of fresh milk even after getting stored.
When freezing milk, do not forget to mark the calendar for the date you are placing the milk in the freezer, so it becomes easy to monitor the time you have until the milk becomes rancid.
HOW TO FREEZE MILK?
Milk can be costly, and this basic trick helps people to save cash. However, there are some important things one should know before popping a gallon in the freezer:
The person should find a container that allows the milk to expand while freezing. You may want to consider having a small glass out of the container to make sure there will be room for expansion.
Types of containers used to freeze milk:
- Original Container: On the off chance that you have space in the fridge freezer for the gallon or half-gallon container or carton you bought, you may place that whole thing in there. In any case, the compartment can’t be thoroughly full. Open the carton and discard about an inch of fluid to make space for expansion.
- Plastic Container and Bottles: Inflexible plastic containers with hermetically sealed covers intended for freezing are an incredible decision for freezing milk in smaller bottles. It saves space and fits easily in small places.
- Glass Jars: Select glass containers that are specifically freezer safe. Utilize just wide-mouth glass jars as the jars with necks break all the more effectively when the milk expands. Try not to fill the container to the top; leave about an inch of space for expansion.
- Vacuum zipped bags: These bags are made of thicker material and do not allow any moisture to enter. Remember to eliminate all the air when freezing the milk in these bags and leave space to expand.
- Ice cube trays: Fill an ice tray with milk and freeze for around 3 to 4 hours. When frozen, move frozen cubes to plastic zipper bags. There are various benefits of saving milk in ice cubes.
BEST AND WORST TYPE OF MILK TO FREEZE
As mentioned earlier, freezing can change the nutritional value of milk, but still, some types of milk can go well in your freezer, which are :
- Skim milk
- Goat’s milk
- Cow’s milk( low in fat)
- Whole milk
Although these are the best types of milk, still some graininess can occur. Now comes the type of milk that you do not want to freeze.
- Flax milk
- Soy milk
- Almond milk
- Cashew milk
Moreover, carton milk does not need freezing until it is sealed.
HOW TO THAW MILK?
Ever heard the word ‘thawing’? If not, then thawing is the process of taking a frozen state of a product to a temperature above zero degrees where there is no piece of ice left. Thawing, also known as defrosting, is the reverse process of freezing.
For safe utilization, defrosting milk either in the fridge or in cold water. Try not to thaw milk at room temperature since there is a possibility that it can change the nature of the milk if it gets hot. To securely thaw milk, place it in the fridge to defrost gradually. Likewise, you can fill a sink or a huge bowl with cold water and put the whole holder in the water to speed things up. Change the water as it heats up to room temperature. You may see the texture of the milk after it’s defrosted somewhat grainy. This is because of fat separation. However, do not panic! An incredible shake will help return the milk to its original state.
Milk should be kept at a protected temperature while defrosting when they start to defrost and get hotter than 40 °F, microorganisms like bacteria that may have been available before freezing can begin to increase, which can be harmful to your health and make you sick.
For how long can we use thawed milk?
Thawed or defrosted milk can be utilized or consumed for three to five days only. The best way to keep check is to check the expiration date before freezing milk.
AFTER EFFECTS OF FREEZING MILK:
Although milk will still hold its nutrient supplement after going through thawing, you might see a distinction in its appearance, and the fat present may isolate, leaving behind a grainy layer on the milk.
Dairy milk and goat milk top the list as they remain in the best form with slight separation after defrosting. In contrast, plant-based milk like flax, oat, almond and coconut shows unusual texture and yellowish colour after getting thawed.
Evaporated and sweetened condensed milk, canned milk can not get frozen in the can because of its high sugar content.
Another change you may see in your milk is the flavour, not because it has turned sour. Putting away milk in the fridge (even with a solid plastic compartment) can retain smells from especially sharp odour food varieties like fish. This is why you should attempt to utilize your frozen milk as soon as possible and try not to store it close to food varieties with solid odours.
USES OF FROZEN MILK:
Frozen milk can have thick and grainy consistency after getting thawed. There are few uses of it like we can use it to make our delicious recipe of soups and oatmeal much creamier. We can use it instead of water to make our morning smoothies and puddings.
Some of the main things we should never forget while placing our milk in the freezer are to check the expiration date before placing it, smell the milk to check if it is not sour, make sure that our container does not shatter or break and leave enough space for allowing milk to expand. When it comes to thawing milk, it should be done with great care about temperature, affecting the fats and proteins. Yes, you can freeze milk, but one should not make it a habit as it can indirectly cause you problems one way or another.