Can evaporated milk be frozen?

Evaporated milk can be used in many ways. You can add some to your smoothies for some body, you can thicken and sweeten your coffee, add some creaminess to soups and sauces, and use it in place of condensed milk in desserts.

It is made by processing 60% of the water in the milk, which gives it an incredibly creamy texture, but only a quarter of the fat that regular cream contains.

It’s always handy to have evaporated milk in the kitchen so you know it’s nearby when you need it. However, if you open a can or package and don’t use all of it, can you keep the rest?

Can evaporated milk be frozen? Yes, you can freeze evaporated milk, but it is not recommended. It may separate or curdle when thawing. You can still use milk in a recipe once it’s thawed, but there’s little you can do to return evaporated milk to its original texture.

To make the most of your leftover evaporated milk at home, learn how to freeze it and whether or not to freeze it, keep reading!

How to freeze evaporated milk

You can extend the shelf life of the evaporated milk in your pantry by freezing it. However, first you have to make some preparations.

Freezing milk incorrectly can lead to milk crystallization, severe separation or curdling, and even spoilage.

You will want to make sure that the milk is ready to be frozen and that it will do just fine when frozen and thawed. Here are the steps to follow to freeze evaporated milk:

1. Choose a container

You have to transfer the evaporated milk to a freezer-safe container before putting it in it. Do not put a sealed can of evaporated milk in the freezer.

Tin cans definitely don’t work well as freezer containers and have a high chance of bursting when left at a cold temperature.

When you pour the evaporated milk into a freezer container, poke two holes in the lid of the can to allow the milk to flow freely.

Here are the best options for freezing evaporated milk:

• Plastic Container – Freezer-safe plastic containers are a good choice for freezing as they can be used over and over again. Luckily, you don’t need a very large container to hold a can of evaporated milk. Make sure the container closes tightly.
• Freezer Bag - Using freezer bags works well if you want to freeze a few servings of evaporated milk. After you pour the milk into the freezer bags, remove as much air as possible. Freeze the bags flat, placing one on top of the other, to save space in the freezer.
• Ice Tray - If you like to use evaporated milk for smoothies, oatmeal, or other individual foods, you should consider freezing the evaporated milk in a freezer tray.

If you don’t know how to use the freezer trays, it’s very simple! Pour the evaporated milk into the ice tray, in individual cubes. Put it in the freezer until the cubes are well frozen. Next, remove the cubes from the tray and place them in a plastic freezer bag.

Later you can easily take out one or two cubes at a time. This way, you don’t waste defrosting an entire can if you don’t need to use that much. You can’t refreeze evaporated milk once it’s thawed, so portioning it out is a better option.

2. Pour the milk

Once you have the container prepared, you must pour the evaporated milk. Make sure the containers are clean and there is no other food contact that could contaminate the evaporated milk.

When filling containers, such as plastic freezer containers or plastic freezer bags, you should not fill them to the top. Leave a little room for the liquid to expand. If you don’t leave room, you could have evaporated milk that explodes in your freezer!

3. Label the container

You should label the container with the date it was frozen and the name of the contents. This is very important so that you can easily identify the evaporated milk in the freezer and so that you know when to use it.

4. Freeze

Once the evaporated milk is in its freezer container and has been labeled and sealed, you can place it in the freezer for long-term storage.

Try to keep the milk in the back of the freezer. This helps protect it from temperature fluctuations that can occur from frequent opening and closing of the freezer door.

How long can evaporated milk be frozen?

If stored correctly, evaporated milk can keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. It can be used after this time.

However, the quality will start to decline and it will not have the same creaminess and richness that you expect.

Using it before 3 months will allow you to continue enjoying the good quality of evaporated milk.

When should you or should you not freeze evaporated milk?

Evaporated milk tends to separate when frozen and thawed. It will not be suitable for many different foods and drinks due to its texture after freezing.

Knowing what you can and cannot use frozen evaporated milk for will help you decide whether to freeze your evaporated milk, and how best to use it.

Frozen Evaporated Milk Uses

Evaporated milk separates when it thaws, so there are few uses for it once it has separated. Below we explain what you can use frozen evaporated milk for:

Whipping Cream - Thawed evaporated milk that separates can be whipped into cream. Evaporated milk needs to be thawed until it is barely fluid but still very cold. Beat the evaporated milk on high speed until stiff peaks form.

You can then add sugar to the evaporated milk, or whipped cream, to sweeten it, and use it immediately with a dessert.

High speed blending helps re-incorporate the ingredients, which have not separated too much because the evaporated milk has not been allowed to thaw completely.

Use in the kitchen - Evaporated milk is a perfect substitute for milk, media cream and heavy cream in recipes. It doesn’t curdle at high temperatures, making it a great substitute when used in cooking.

Since evaporated milk can separate when freezing and thawing, using it in cooked recipes helps hide the separation a bit, and ensures the milk doesn’t go to waste.

If you have leftover evaporated milk, you can add it to mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, soups, and casseroles.

Baking - You can use frozen and thawed evaporated milk when baking. It is fine as a milk substitute in bread recipes and can be used to bake cakes, cookies and even delicious tarts.

When you shouldn’t use frozen evaporated milk

When thawed evaporated milk separates, it is unusable for certain recipes, drinks, and foods. It can be difficult to put the milk solids and liquids back together once they have been separated. This can usually only be hidden when added to cooked dishes.

Here are some things you shouldn’t use frozen evaporated milk for:

Smoothies and drinks - You will not be able to thaw evaporated milk in smoothies, tea or coffee. Milk solids separated from liquids would not taste good and would give drinks an odd texture. Nobody likes coffee with chunks.

Oatmeal - Some like to add evaporated milk to their oatmeal, but again, it’s not recommended if the milk is separated from being thawed. It will only add an unpleasant texture to the oatmeal and will probably make you give up your favorite breakfast.

Related questions

We hope you find this quick and easy guide on freezing evaporated milk helpful. However, in case you need more information, we have added here other related questions for you:

How long does evaporated milk last in the fridge?

Once opened, evaporated milk can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 6 days. However, once opened, evaporated milk should be stored in an airtight container, or covered tightly with plastic or aluminum foil.

How should I thaw frozen evaporated milk?

You should leave the frozen evaporated milk to thaw in the fridge overnight or a few hours. This is the safest way to thaw evaporated milk. This will ensure that it is not exposed to temperatures that can cause the proliferation of bacteria.

How can you tell if evaporated milk has gone bad?

The best way to tell if evaporated milk has gone bad is to smell it and take a look at it. If it has an unpleasant odor, a strange taste, or has a change in appearance, it must be discarded.

Evaporated milk can sometimes form a film on top or a milk skin, but this doesn’t always mean it’s gone bad. You can simply whisk the evaporated milk to remove this skin.

Can you make homemade evaporated milk?

Yes, you can actually make your own homemade evaporated milk if you don’t have a recipe. We found this tutorial on how to make evaporated milk from the Bigger Bolder Baking YouTube channel for you to watch below.

Freeze Evaporated Milk - Overview

If you have leftover evaporated milk and are worried about spoiling, you can freeze it. Just remember that once evaporated milk is frozen and thawed, the solids and liquids in the milk will most likely separate.

This separation is fine if you plan to use the thawed evaporated milk in cooked or baked recipes. But it should not be used for smoothies and other foods that do not undergo any cooking, where the separation will be evident.

It’s also a great idea to freeze the evaporated milk in small portions or cubes, so you don’t have to thaw it all to reuse it and risk wasting a good chunk of the thawed milk.

Never refreeze evaporated milk again , as it will not only lose all its texture, but it can spoil and encourage the proliferation of bacteria.