Preserving Dairy

[Wifezilla]

Dairy is a class of food that is a bit trickier to preserve with good results. It is delicious and very nutritious, but tends to spoil quickly. Buying large amounts of milk or other dairy products when on sale can save you a bundle, but you can only use it so fast. So what do you do when you end up with 4 gallons of extra milk or 6 pounds of butter?

There are a few things I have figured out over the years, and I thought I would put them up so others can save themselves from making mistakes I did, or even pass along their their own ideas.

Milk: This is where dairy starts but it doesn't stay fresh long. Making cream into butter and milk into yogurt are two basic ways of preserving milk that also taste very good. If you want to keep it as milk, though, your options are a bit limited.

Back in the 70's, my mom used to buy extra milk when it was on sale and freeze it. The thawed milk was nasty and we wouldn't drink it. It was, however, just fine for cooking.

You can purchase powdered milk, but this isn't one of my favorites. It tastes funny when reconstituted . Also, most powdered milk is non-fat. That fat happens to be one of the most nutritious part of the milk. If I could find dried whole milk, I might reconsider.

You can also buy condensed milk and that comes in handy in a pinch. I had friends who used it as a coffee creamer when camping. I am not aware of ways a person could make their own condensed milk, but if you know of any, please post.

Cream: If you freeze cream, it will still work fine in cooking, just don't expect to be able to whip it like you can fresh cream. One thing I have successfully done is to freeze the cream AFTER I whipped it. You just allow it to partially thaw before using. It's kind of like making your own CoolWhip but without all the brain-melting chemicals.

Butter: Ok, so you made cream in to butter to make it last longer, but butter can go rancid. If you find yourself with more butter than you or the family can use in a week or two, butter can be frozen without a change in flavor or texture. If you think you will be using the frozen butter within a few weeks, the package it came in should be fine. For long term storage, wrap your sticks of butter in some freezer wrap or put in a freezer safe zip lock bag.

(more later)

 

[Beekissed]

Nice tips! I don't really use any dairy on a regular basis, so I don't have storage problems with it. We do use soy milk on occasion and will buy it ahead and freeze it in its own carton. It doesn't seem to affect the taste any at all.

 

[the simple life]

Ingredients1 cup (235 mL) boiling water
1/4 cup (55 g) margarine
2 cups (400 g) white sugar
4 cups (480 g) nonfat dry milk powder
StepsGet a blender and pour the water into it.
Add the stick of margarine and the 2 cups of sugar to the blender.
Turn the blender on and combine the ingredients well.
Take one cup of the dry milk powder and slowly add it to the blender. Combine and blend. Repeat for the three other cups, so that you're blending after you add each time.
Store in airtight container and place in refrigerator.



This recipe will create 1 1/3 cups of condensed milk, which equals to a 14 ounce can.
Here is another version of how to make homemade sweetened condensed milk. It is TNT and very easy to make.
MW Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/2 cup cold water
1 1/4 cups dry milk
3/4 cup sugar
Directions:
Measure water into 2-cup glass measuring cup. Gradually stir in dry milk until smooth.
Microwave on High, uncovered 1/2 to 1 minute, or until milk is steaming hot.
Stir in sugar (or Splenda) until dissolved. Allow to cool before using. Use as a substitute in recipes for 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk. You can also use Splenda instead of sugar for recipes calling for low sugar sweetened condensed milk. This recipe is very easy to make and makes enough for 1 can of sweetened condensed milk.

 

[Wifezilla]

Thanks Natalie

(of course, I don't do sugar and only use real butter, but I can make some substitutions)

 

[patandchickens]

actually milk freezes pretty well if you have space (or, like us right now, *climate* ), or you can make it into a freezer-compatible cheese like ricotta.

Good thread!

Pat

 

[Wifezilla]

Hard Cheese: Block cheese can be frozen, but if you leave it as a block, once it is thawed it will end up crumbly. For some reason, if you SHRED that same block of cheese and freeze it, you will not see much of a texture change.

 

[Wifezilla]

Cream Cheese: Cream cheese in the package you buy at the grocery store can be frozen. Unfortunately, it also undergoes the texture change you see in other dairy foods. Some people still use the cream cheese in recipes, but I have found that it can stay lumpy and ruin your recipes.

The best way I have found to preserve cream cheese for the long term is to FIRST bake it in to a delicious cheesecake. If you normally add toppings to your cheesecake, freeze it plain and add the topping before serving.

 

[2dream]

I freeze milk all the time and don't have a problem with it. Just have to make sure it is completely thawed before using any of it.

Powerded milk mixed with whole milk will stretch those milk dollars too. It does change the taste some but not drastically.

I have also kept stick butter in the freezer in its original cardboard container (Land of Lakes). For over 6 months with no ill effects either.

Can't wait to try all your tips. They sure will help me out since I am big on bulk buying.

 

[Wifezilla]

Making Yogurt: Making yogurt is a great way to preserve extra milk. I buy dairy on clearance quite often. If I can't use it fast enough, it goes in a batch of yogurt. My favorite batches include either half and half or heavy cream.

This site got me started on my yogurt making experience...
http://hubpages.com/hub/How_to_make_your_own_yogurt_-_An_illustrated_guide

Since then I have refined and simplified my yogurt making techniques. Instead of individual jars, I use one large casserole dish with a cover. I heat the milk in the microwave, allow it to cool to 110 and then place it in a cooler along with an old Hamilton Beach crock pot base on the lowest setting (the old ones with the dial that goes from 1-10). I cover the whole thing with a towel and let it sit overnight. It maintains a perfect 110 and every batch I have made this way turned out great. Plus I only have to clean 1 container.

What happens if you get carried away in your yogurt making adventures? Yogurt does keep for a while, but even that will go bad after a week or so. How do you make it last longer? That brings us to...

Preserving Yogurt: If you have too much yogurt, you do have a few options. Freezing does work, but, again, you can get a texture and flavor change. The best results for freezing are to put them in individual serving sizes and add some fruit and sweetener. This appears to minimize the freezer mutation. You can also use popsicle forms instead of boring old cups for fun frozen treats.

Another novel method to preserve yogurt is to preserve it in oil. This is the method used in Middle Eastern markets. Yogurt is drained (line a strainer with paper towels, add yogurt and let it drain overnight) until it is the consistency of cream cheese. This is then rolled in to balls and the yogurt cheese balls are covered in olive oil. According to this paper http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/119086686/abstract yogurt prepared by this method is good without refrigeration for 2 YEARS!

I have not yet tried this, but a method that will allow you to keep dairy edible without refrigeration for 2 years is very interesting!

 

[Home Maker]

Cool whip melts my brain? Uh-oh.

We freeze milk regularly and find no difference in it when it's thawed. We live almost ten miles from the nearest store, and it's just the two of us. I buy milk by the gallon at the best price I can find and freeze it in smaller bottles, so we always have it on hand and don't waste it. I do the same thing with buttermilk.

I've found that store-bought cream cheese will last for months if unopened in the fridge. I almost never pass it up when it's on sale.