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Can You Freeze Milk in the Carton? (Yes, It’s Easy!!)

Gretchen’s $128 Grocery Shopping Trip and Menu Plan (Stock Up Week)

Can You Freeze Milk in the Carton? (Yes, It’s Easy!!)

Ever wondered if you can freeze milk in the carton? I’ve been doing it for years, and these are my top tips!

{Freezing foods ahead of time is such an easy way to save money on groceries! Check out this list of 10 things you probably didn’t know you could freeze, plus don’t miss this list of 10 foods you should never freeze.}

how to freeze milk in a carton

Any tips on freezing milk in a paper carton? We buy organic milk in a half gallon paper carton. Can I freeze it in that carton or not? I’ve never done it before. Thanks! –Leisha

Can you freeze milk in the carton?

I freeze milk all the time. And honestly? I’ve never had a problem freezing it in a cardboard container. It will expand some when it freezes, so you might want to drink or use a half cup or so before freezing. But otherwise, just stick the milk in the freezer in the paper carton! It’s that simple.

How do you thaw it out?

When you’re ready to your frozen milk, you can thaw it in the refrigerator overnight. Or, you can stick the carton in a sink full of cold water for 15 or 20 minutes.

I’m often able to find organic milk on clearance that’s close to the expiration date. We use what we can until the expiration date and then I freeze the rest. By buying it on clearance, we’re able to buy higher quality milk without spending a fortune to do so.

Can you drink frozen and thawed milk?

I don’t recommended using frozen and thawed milk for drinking. The consistency changes some and it just isn’t very appealing for drinking–at least our family doesn’t think so. 🙂

However, milk that has been frozen and then thawed works beautifully in pancakes, waffles, french toast, or other baked goods!

Chocolate Chip Pancake Batter

If you typically bake big batches of these items, you can just freeze the milk in the paper or plastic carton, thaw, and use. However, if you only make smaller batches, you’ll want to go ahead and divvy the milk up in one-cup or two-cup portions before freezing so that you can just pull out the exact amount of milk you need. You could use ziptop freezer bags or airtight plastic containers with lids.

Want to stretch your milk even further? Replace a fourth or a half of the milk called for in your pancake, waffle, or baked good recipe with water. You probably won’t even notice a difference!

Do you freeze milk? If so, what’s your favorite way to use it?

Want to cut your grocery budget? Go here and sign up (it’s free!) I’ll send you my 10 Easy Ways to Cut Your Grocery Bill By $50.

Gretchen’s $128 Grocery Shopping Trip and Menu Plan (Stock Up Week)

We are planning to stay home the next several weeks and avoid grocery shopping so I spent a bit more this week stocking up. Our freezer and cabinets are full so hopefully I can stretch everything to last for 3-4 weeks.

Aldi

1 box Fruit & Grain Bars – $1.35

1 pkg Tortillas – $1.25

1 box Strawberry Toaster Tarts – $1.49

2 dozen Eggs – $0.94 each

2 cans Beans – $0.49 each

2 cans Diced Tomatoes – $0.45 each

2 cans Cream of Mushroom/Chicken Soup – $0.49 each

2 pkg Chunk Cheese – $1.69 each

1 can Organic Black Beans – $0.89

1 box Raisin Bran – $1.95

1 box Cheese Crackers – $1.49

2 boxes Cinnamon Crunch Cereal – $1.39 each

1 box Thin Wheat Crackers – $0.98

1.18 lbs Roma Tomatoes – $1.12

1 bag Tortilla Chips – $0.89

1 loaf Bread – $0.95

1 bag Cara Cara Oranges – $2.49

1 bag Chocolate Chips – $1.69

1 bag Cinnamon Bagels – $1.49

1 pkg Hot Dog Buns – $0.85

1 bag Spinach – $1.39

1 Garlic Salt – $0.95

1 bag Baby Carrots – $0.89

2 Italian Dressing – $0.89 each

1 bag Oyster Crackers – $0.79

1 Yellow Mustard – $0.55

1 Ketchup – $1.35

1 pkg Hot Dogs – $0.79

2 pkg Grapes – $3.60

1 pkg Corn Chips – $0.75

2 bag Apples – $2.69 each

3 Cucumbers – $0.55 each

1 bag Tilapia – $3.79

1 box Elbow Macaroni – $1.39

1 box Rotini – $0.79

1 box MooTubes – $1.55

1 bag Sweet Potatoes – $1.99

2 Cantaloupe – $1.19 each

Total: $61.54

Local Country Market

All of the grocery stores in our area are completely out of meat so I made a stop at our local country market and saw they still had some in stock. This is way more than I usually pay, but that’s what happens when every other store is completely sold out of ground beef for weeks.

5 lbs Ground Chuck – $29.38 (This will last for 10 meals as I usually only use half the amount of meat in any recipe.)

5 lbs Chicken Breast – $12.32

1 bag Romaine Lettuce – $1.49

1/2 Gallon Local Honey – $18.99 (I couldn’t pass this up as we go through honey really fast and this was a great price! I’m hoping to make up a big batch of homemade granola bars so this will be perfect!)

10 lbs All Purpose Flour – $4.49

Total: $66.67

Total for both stores: $128.21

Menu Plan for the Next Few Weeks

I plan to just rotate through these meals through the next few weeks.

Breakfasts

Cereal, Oatmeal, Eggs, Bagels, Toast, Homemade Granola, Fruit Smoothies

Lunches

Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches, Baked Potato/Sweet Potato Bar, Fruit/Veggies/Crackers, Cheese/Crackers/Fruit, Hot Dogs, Mac & Cheese, Cheese Quesadillas, Leftovers