Freezing Milk

[lijj]

Since I have started milking my goats less than a month ago, I have too much milk than what I need, since I am the only one in my family that has the guts to drink goats milk (even though I've stated time and time again the positives of drinking goats milk). I'm going to make soap, but I don't have all the ingrediants yet. So I just put all the milk in the freezer. Now I have 3+ plastic grocery bags full of little freezer baggies with 12 oz of milk in them.

My question is, does milk still taste as good after it's been thawed?

And, can sell or give away the milk to other people to drink? I heard that you can't do that.

Thanks

[homebirtha]

You are lucky! In Pennsylvania, you can sell raw milk off the farm. At least, you could two years ago. Double check with the ag folks and make sure, but at that time, as long as the people came to your farm to buy it, you could sell it. Unlike Maryland where I can't even give it to a friend's dog for goodness sake.

I'll let someone else answer the freezing question, because ours isn't as good after thawing, but maybe I'm not doing it right. It'd be ok for soap though.

[Al. Countryboy]

In some states like mine, it can only be sold for animal use. Don't know who drinks it after it leaves my place. As far as freezing, I freeze about 20 gallons or more each year. The longer it is frozen the less I care for its taste, but still drink it. After about 6 months in the freezer it will start to separate , but can be whipped up with a stick blender. When I start to use my frozen milk this fall and winter, I am planning to start using my oldest milk first, but of coarse it's in the bottom of the frezzer.

[Wendy]

Replace a small amount of store milk with the goat milk. Gradually keep adding more & more goat milk until you have your family drinking it. Then tell them after a month or so. Or never let them know!

[Laura Workman]

I've had very good luck freezing milk but only for two or three months. Any longer than that, and it starts to taste yucky. I put a half-gallon of pre-chilled milk into a gallon ziploc freezer bag, take out as much air as I can, and put the bag into a rubbermaid container. That way, when it's time to thaw, I can put the bag in the rubbermaid container again, and if it's got a little hole, I won't lose all my milk. They always seem to develop little holes from being knocked around in the freezer.

[TexCountryWoman]

I am freezing two 1 gallon plastic jugs a day. I am out of space so am making cheese and ice cream. The rest goes to our four big dogs who are getting fat. My family drinks it with gusto and we are essentially drowning in goat milk. I am milking 3 lamanchas twice a day.

Small amounts freeze nicely in small plastic water bottles....pour the water into a glass rather than emptying them by drinking the water out with your lips, it keeps the bottles more sterile and clean.

I freeze the milk immediately after milking. I mark the date on the jug and save it for if and when we are not milking goats. We try to rotate the milk in the freezer to use up the oldest first and not have any in there that is ever really that old. I have read that it is pretty good tasting for 6 months or so....ours has never been that old.

We have been drinking goat milk long enough that we strongly dislike store bought cow's milk now and do without rather than buy it if we have no goat milk. Perhaps you can get your family interested in goat milk by making it into chocolate milk or making jello Instant Pudding with Cool Whip on top. Sometimes, it is just the idea of the straight milk in the glass that is hard for people. I broke my husband in gently, now he is just crazy for goat milk and claims he can't live without it!

[Sondra Peterson]

I freeze 1/2 gal in 1 gal Glad ziplock freezer bags they don't take up the room that a jug does. Also unlaw in your refrigerator and then whip with a blender or stick blender this puts the fat molecules back into the milk. Otherwise tis a little grainy feel to it. If you have a non defrosting deep freeze the milk will keep 1 yr if you only have a self defrosting frig/freezer then 3 mo is tops.

[mary,tx]

You might also look for different ways to serve it to the family. I'm betting they'll eat it as icecream or pudding. Yummm. You can also use it in baking. I use it in bread, pies, and as a substitute for other liquid, even for oil, in cakes, brownies, etc.
mary

[lijj]

I used it in cinnamon rolls yesterday and my mom said they were really good, and I didn't tell her I used goats milk until the rolls were all gone

What are some ice cream recipes?

[TexCountryWoman]

We have an electric ice cream maker and just use goats milk and omit all the extra cream you are supposed to add....goats milk is so rich you don't need it...I just use the recipes that come with the ice cream maker.

[mary,tx]

My icecream recipe is very simple: 5 cups goat milk, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 tsp vanilla. After it starts to freeze, you can add fruit if you like.
mary