[shygirl]

Our goats only give a pint a day so i was wondering if its ok to freeze it until we have enough to make a good batch of yoghurt and icecream etc or does it ruin it? i know cows milk never tastes the same after being drunk post freezing.
thanks

[happygolucky]

Well I always freeze milk, both cow and goat, although its always the bought stuff.....I  use goats milk when I ween pups or nursing bitches

[jaykay]

Yep, I freeze my goats' milk all summer and autumn , so I have some left when the supply reduces. Because it's naturally homogenised, it freezes and defrosts really well.

[shygirl]

thanks. its lovely milk too so looking forward to making something with it rather than coffee 

[jaykay]

I love the summer when I have enough to make cheese 

[Anke]

I love the summer when I have enough to make cheese 

In the summer I have too much milk but not enough time to make cheese, but once the kids are weaned in September I make cheese a couple of times a week.
 
We do a cream separation every other day, and I try to make icecream regularly though through summer.

[gerpsych]

It freezes well and doesn't separate on thawing. However, the advice is that it should only be stored for 3 months  in the freezer.

[fiestyredhead331]

we freeze our excess (when we're not cheese making or baking) in plastic 1 litre bottles, or ice cube bags for when I'm doing some soap 

[plumseverywhere]

All of our soap milk is frozen and it works very well. Some of it freezes for more than the recommended 3 months with no issues.

[gerpsych]

All of our soap milk is frozen and it works very well. Some of it freezes for more than the recommended 3 months with no issues.

Hi Plumseverywhere,

What is the longest you have kept milk for drinking ?  Have you found an upper limit ? I'd like to be able to go for a longer period so any experience would be gratefully received

Cheers

Alan

[plumseverywhere]

I haven't labelled my bottles up till now so it would be hard to say for sure, but I'm pretty certain we've pushed it to nearer 6 months. I will be labelling bottles with dates from now. I had to buy in some milk once when our milker died and that lasted well over 3 months    You can tell when its gone a little too long as it separates. 

[smudger]

I'm looking for a way to freeze milk but not in plastic bottles. American sites discuss using 'canning jars which can be frozen and boiled - anyone know where I can buy these in the UK?  Shape is also an issue to avoid cracking ie no narrow neck so ordinary glass bottles wont do.

[SallyintNorth]

You can buy the tetrapak-type cardboard cartons from Ascott or similar - would those suit?  Otherwise I freeze a lot of mine in repurposed and sterilised Chinese takeaway containers!

[plumseverywhere]

I use old butter/marg tubs so I can weigh out how much milk I'm freezing in ready to pop into the pan soap portions!

[smudger]

I have been reusing water bottles and juice bottles but a bit uncomfortable with hygeine / sterilisation which can do with glass plus also the possibility of chemical leach form plastic bottles.  I found tubs leak and freezer is jammed full so difficult to keep upright.  The ascott containers I think are expensive when you think what a bottle of milk costs to buy - 10/12p for the tetrapacks (plus cost of sealer) - 20p for the plastic bottles if I recall correctly. Plus still adding to the 'plastic mountain' which I'd rather avoid.


I found these:


http://www.philipmorrisdirect.co.uk/leifheit-preserving-jar-10l-deal/product/


but concerned about freezing milk and its shape.