The Absolute Best Way To Freeze Coconut Milk
Gone are the days of ordering a steamy latte or spicy chai tea with no questions asked. The popularity of dairy milk alternatives has skyrocketed in recent years. These days, your fridge may be stocked with a combination of almond milk, oat milk, or coconut milk. So, learning how to store these milks properly, whether for cooking or drinking out of a glass, is important.
When it comes to coconut milk, it's a versatile ingredient that can elevate both savory and sweet dishes. You can purchase coconut milk sweetened or unsweetened and lite or full-fat, making it customizable for many diets and preferences, but we recommend full-fat coconut milk for most recipes.
You may be keeping your coconut milk in the fridge, and that is okay for up to a week. But, if you're not planning on using it frequently, you may want to start freezing your milk so that it lasts longer (via Cooks Illustrated).
Freeze and then blend your milk when needed
The easy way to freeze your milk is to simply transfer it to a clean, air-tight container and popping it in the freezer. However, using this method without proper steps will alter both the taste and texture of the milk (via Keeping the Peas). As they explain, simply pouring, freezing, and thawing before use will cause the separation of the solids and liquids in the milk. And when the milk is in this state, it doesn't taste as fresh or work as well for cooking.
To avoid this result, Cooks Illustrated recommends using an immersion blender after defrosting the milk. Blending the milk for about 30 seconds should re-emulsify it and allow it to be usable again.
Keeping the Peas also says you can freeze your milk in ice cube trays. Once frozen overnight in the trays, they can be popped out and put into air-tight freezer bags. When you're ready to defrost, you can submerge the bag in cold or lukewarm water. However, you should still blend your milk after using this method as well.
Using either of these storage methods will allow you to keep your coconut milk in the freezer for up to a month, according to Cooks Illustrated, and always blending your defrosted milk will allow you to perfect your next batch of whatever it is you're cooking up.