If you’re trying to minimize your dairy intake, or if you or someone in your family has any form of dairy intolerance, almond milk is a great alternative.
This is a great option for blending into protein shakes or for making homemade shakes in general, and it has some pretty handy uses around the kitchen.
Almond milk, as well as other varieties of milk, is notoriously hard to store. If you do not use it frequently or often, it won’t last very long.
Then, you have neither time nor money to figure out how to preserve it, so you simply discard it.
Can you freeze almond milk? Our recommendation is not to freeze almond milk to drink or to use in cereal since the texture will change dramatically. Although frozen almond milk is not used for making shakes, it can still be blended to make smoothies as the blending process tends to reincorporate the separated milk back together.
You will learn precisely how to freeze almond milk in this guide, and what to expect afterward.
Remember there will be certain steps for freezing almond milk properly, and you will need to be aware of how freezing almond milk might change the taste of your milk when you take it from the freezer.
Get more information about freezing almond milk with us.
The Complete Guide to Freezing Almond Milk
It’s always interesting to hear both sides of the story about freezing almond milk or milk in general.
People may insist that milk can’t be frozen. There are good reasons for their position.
Despite this, almond milk, and other milk, can be frozen. It is important to simply understand that it won’t be the same as when frozen.
It will be slightly different in consistency and composition.
It isn’t a waste of time to throw it out.
We have included the details of our guide to show you exactly how you can freeze milk, exactly what you can expect when freezing milk, and the best way to use frozen milk.
Despite its not the best recommendation, freezing almond milk is a viable option, and it can work just fine as long as you know what to expect once it has been frozen.
How to Freeze Almond Milk Properly
You have a couple of different options for freezing almond milk if you decide to do so.
Using little ice cube trays or bags is another option for freezing.
Throughout this article, we’ll cover a couple of different processes as well as the details of freezing almond milk.
You really don’t have to worry about almond milk’s nutritional value being impacted by freezing.
If you freeze the items, they will retain their properties and nutrition as if they were fresh. It gets a bit complex from there.
Milk tends to separate in the freezer and it also expands. These are where your changes will occur. This will lead to a change in texture in the milk when you defrost it to use.
There are ways to avoid the separation of milk when it thaws out, but the freezing is very noticeable when the milk comes out of the freezer.
It is unlikely that you will want to drink frozen milk.
There will never be another texture like it. Milk can, however, be mixed, shaken, or blended into numerous uses.
The flavor and texture of the milk might be slightly different, but your milk will still be of good quality and fresh.
Here are some methods of freezing almond milk that you can try.
Freezing Almond Milk in Ice Trays
Using this method, you separate the almond milk into small portions, and when you use them, you’re likely not to notice the differences in quality or consistency that you might notice when using a larger amount.
The separation is not as obvious when using small ice cubes or any other small portion that suits you.
The milk makes a great solution for simple things like shakes, and smoothies, or incorporating it into a recipe that you are creating.
Use an ice tray or similar device to store your almond milk in small portions and freeze it.
- Pour milk into ice trays- If you overfill them, they will stick together. Fill them up to the top but don’t overfill them.
- The almond milk should freeze for several hours or until it is completely solid. Place the ice trays in the freezer and allow to freeze. You should freeze them between 12 and 24 hours to make sure they are solidified.
- The cubes of frozen almond milk can be taken out of the ice trays after freezing.
- Place the cubes in either an airtight container or a freezer storage bag. If you need them occasionally, you’ll just have to grab a few cubes!
- Make sure your packaging is labeled, dated, and sealed.
- Until 6 months after purchase, store.
It’s not that hard to do! Before long-term freezing, make sure you freeze them into cubes or separate portions so that you can repackage them into long-term storage means for the best freezing results.
It is also possible to freeze everything together.
Freezing Almond Milk in Bulk
Additionally, if you don’t want to deal with separating your milk into ice trays or just prefer to freeze it in one piece, you have options for that as well.
When you are ready to use the milk again, you will need to treat it with some TLC. As long as you are prepared to stir and shake, it will work just fine.
Bulk milk can be frozen in two ways. A frozen almond milk container can be used if one is unopened. Do not open the container before using it.
It is important to get the almond milk into an airtight container if it has been opened and to allow for expansion. To prepare almond milk for freezing, follow these steps.
- Freeze the almond milk in its original packaging if it is unopened. Place it in the freezer, date it, and keep it for up to six months. After the first month, move onto the second year.
- It is necessary to pour the almond milk into another container if the almond milk has been opened. You should choose a storage method that works for you, but ensure it is airtight.
- Make sure the airtight containers have 1-2 inches free. You could end up with a sticky mess if you overfill the container with almond milk.
- The milk should be sealed up tight once you have prepared it, and any extra air should be released.
- Mark your packaging, date it and seal it.
- Frozen in this fashion, it can be kept for up to 6 months.
It’s a pretty simple process to freeze. Taking care of the frozen milk is more important after you’ve frozen it, so we’ll discuss those details here in this guide as well.
Can You Freeze Homemade Almond Milk?
Since you can fully control the ingredients of homemade almond milk, some prefer it over store-bought.
Unlike most almond milk varieties you buy at the store, homemade almond milk is rich and creamy without all the crazy additives.
How about making almond milk at home and freezing it? Definitely! Fresh almond milk can be frozen 100 percent, as long as it’s still fresh.
We discussed above how to freeze almond milk, and those steps will work just as well.
As long as your almond milk is fresh and not spoiled, it will maintain its freshness and keep you satisfied.
When you freeze milk, it won’t get any fresher or make spoiled milk good again. Take note when you freeze milk!
Depending on your needs at the time, you can freeze your mixture in ice trays or in bulk. Please refer to our previous post for instructions.
When is Freezing Almond Milk a Good Option?
Almond milk and other types of milk should normally only be frozen if they will be used during a larger recipe. In other words, maybe you’ll add it to a shake or cook with it.
Almond milk should not be frozen for drinking purposes alone.
I wouldn’t recommend drinking it straight after it has been frozen. The texture and flavor of almond milk may be altered when frozen, so use caution when freezing.
You should know that almond milk freezes best when combined with other ingredients in a recipe. This should be the case whether you make protein shakes or cook!
Whether you buy store-bought almond milk or make it at home, this is true. Certain brands work better at freezing or thawing than others.
If you want to find out which brand is the best, try different ones. Almond milk must be frozen regularly in order to be frozen.
Visit here to know Can You Freeze Mascarpone?
How to Properly Thaw Almond Milk
The freezing process in this case is relatively straightforward. You can freeze almond milk quickly and easily, but you have to know how to handle the milk when it’s thawed out.
You can thaw almond milk in several different ways. We will show you three of the most common methods.
- (Best for small amounts or cubes) Thaw in the oven or blender
- Using lukewarm water to thaw
- Refrigerate to thaw
Each of these methods is relatively straightforward. Here, we will discuss the process itself. Within the next section of this guide, we’ll cover the steps involved in handling milk that has thawed out.
When it comes to large quantities of almond milk, it is best to thaw in the fridge.
As long as you are willing to wait for the thawing process, this is your best bet if you have froze it in its original packaging.
To thaw out your frozen milk, simply place the container in your refrigerator for a few hours.
If possible, remove it from the freezer one day ahead of time since it will most likely take at least 48 hours to thaw out properly. Please do not rush this process!
The almond milk can be quickly thawed by using lukewarm water if you forgot to grab it earlier.
Put your container of frozen almond milk into a bowl of lukewarm water or in your sink if you have one.
You should use either cold or lukewarm water for this process. Do not use hot water. Using hot water will make it faster but it will require more time.
Once it is ready for use, you should defrost it. It is easy to just toss frozen food into a pan while you cook if it was frozen in ice trays.
You can mix it into your dish just fine after it melts. When making protein shakes or other items that involve blending, you can use frozen milk cubes with ease!
Using Thawed Almond Milk
The last thing we need to do is use that thawed almond milk. You probably don’t think it looks that appetizing at first glance, but don’t worry!
To make your almond milk like new again, you need to give it some TLC. This is a super simple process. However, you can use it without a lot of difficulties even if you don’t want to drink it.
The almond milk you thawed out needs to be shaken and stirred, or you can put it in a blender to blend it.
As long as you follow these instructions, your almond milk should be back in the same state as it was before separation, or as close as possible so that you can use it!
