Sweetened condensed milk is a popular ingredient in many baking recipes and is a feature of pies, puddings, and ice cream.
Although tinned condensed milk that you can buy from the supermarket has a relatively long shelf life, you can’t always use the given portion in one go. So, that bears the question, can you freeze it?
Can You Freeze Condensed Milk?
Yes, you can freeze condensed milk for up to 3 months. Although it doesn’t freeze solid due to its high sugar content, it can be preserved in the freezer. Just be mindful that you should never freeze condensed milk in a tin.
Do Does Condensed Milk freeze well? Yes
Can you refreeze Condensed Milk? Yes
How to Freeze Condensed Milk
Whether you have some condensed milk leftover from your signature pie, or if you’ve noticed that a tin in your cupboard is about to reach its expiry date, it’s handy to know that it’s perfectly safe to freeze it.
The process of freezing condensed milk is remarkably straightforward, too. Simply open the tin and pour your condensed milk into a suitable, freezer-safe container. Seal its lid and make a note of the date that it should be used.
Remember, you can freeze it for around three months.
Yes, desserts that have been made with condensed milk can be frozen. You may find that the texture changes during the freezing and thawing process. But, they can be frozen.
3 Tips for Freezing Condensed Milk
Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing condensed milk to have the best results:
It Won’t Freeze Solid
You will notice that it doesn’t freeze solid after you’ve put it in the freezer. This is nothing to worry about! It will take on a thick and gloopy texture as a result of its high sugar content. And while it might not look overly appetising, it’s perfectly fine and will be good to use again once defrosted.
Don’t Bother Portioning It
There’s no need to split your condensed milk into individual portion sizes before freezing. Because it doesn’t freeze solid, you can simply remove the required serving size of milk every time you need it for a particular recipe.
As such, freezing condensed milk is an excellent way of ensuring it doesn’t go bad.
NEVER Freeze in the Tin
Never freeze foods in the tin can that you bought it in. As the contents within will expand when frozen, it can cause the can to spill. Find an appropriate airtight, freezer-safe container in which to freeze your condensed milk.
How Long Can You Freeze Condensed Milk?
You can freeze condensed milk for around three months.
Given that tinned milk has a relatively long shelf-life as it is, you might be wondering why it’s necessary to freeze it.
The main reason for doing so is that you might not be able to use the contents of one tin at any given time, and freezing it saves you from throwing away any leftovers.
How Do You Defrost Condensed Milk?
Due to the fact that condensed milk doesn’t freeze solid, you don’t actually have to defrost it, providing you’re okay with the fact that it’s thick and super cold!
If you want to thaw it, however, take it out of the freezer and place it in the fridge for a few hours. You will probably have to give it a good stir for it to regain its original consistency before using it in your recipe.
Can You Refreeze Condensed Milk?
Providing you’ve defrosted condensed milk in the fridge, it’s perfectly fine to place it in the freezer again if you have the need to. But as we’ve already mentioned, you don’t necessarily have to thaw condensed milk in order to use it in certain recipes.
Because it doesn’t freeze solid, you can remove the required serving each time, leaving the remaining milk in the freezer.
Employing this method means you don’t have to worry about wastage or refreezing condensed milk that has already been frozen.
Does Condensed Milk Freeze Well?
Condensed milk freezes really well, and preserving it in the freezer is an excellent way to extend its shelf life by a few months.
Although its high sugar content means that it doesn’t freeze solid and its texture changes slightly, frozen condensed milk will serve your baking recipes perfectly.
So, if you find yourself with a surplus of condensed milk after adding a splash to your homemade pie, don’t hesitate to transfer the leftovers to the freezer for use at a later date.
Related FAQs
If you’ve still got questions about freezing condensed milk or condensed milk in general, then these may help:
Because of the super high sugar content of sweetened condensed milk, it will not become frozen completely. It will thicken up but it will not become a full solid.
Yes, sweetened condensed milk can be frozen. Be warned that it won’t freeze solid but it can be stored in the freezer for around 3 months regardless.
