Nowadays the number of milky foods substitutions have grown significantly which is good since quite many people choose not to consume them due to various health issues or because of other reasons (for instance, diet, etc.)
One such variation is almond milk. It has been an exotic drink not so long ago, but today more and more people start incorporating it into their daily menus. Respectively, a question arose about how to preserve it and whether freezing almond milk is possible.
Well, let’s figure these things out.
Can You Freeze Almond Milk?
Shortly speaking, yes, it can be exposed to frost for preserving the drink. However, certain nuances exist that are good to be aware of. But let us start from the very beginning.
The consumers of almond drink often wonder how to prolong its lifespan and stock the faux milk longer. In terms of this, the opinions separated. The manufacturers of the almond drink state that their product must not (and can not) be exposed to frost for an extended period of time.
They say it will negatively affect the texture and the quality of the liquid changing its taste and aroma. According to the official version, it will happen because of the distinctions in the content: almond milk is said to have components that separate in a different way compared to its natural livestock counterpart.
Nevertheless, if we adhere to the consumers, we will learn that this drink can in fact be frozen, and it can be done quite successfully! However, people warn that certain quality fluctuations do take place leading to the color and taste changes, but it never influences the nutrition value of the goodie.
Taking all these specifics into account, we can say that almond milk can be kept in a frosting camera only if we are planning to utilize it for cooking or baking purposes. Freezing it to preserve for drinking in the future is not the best option.
The Pros And Cons Of Almond Milk
Being advertised as a universal product, the almond drink does have lots of beneficial qualities that make it a great alternative to the cow’s milk or any other kind of livestock milky foodstuff.
On the other hand, certain disadvantages of consuming it have also been revealed, so if you are interested in how good or not good this foodstuff is, we recommend everyone to take the following information into account.
Pros of drinking almond milk
Such faux milk has been especially appreciated by the people who suffer from lactose intolerance since almond and other vegetable drinks are completely safe to consume for them. Moreover, vegetarians and those who have to stick to a veggie diet because of the health issues also praise almond drink for being an excellent milk substitution. But except for these reasons, the almond drink has several more beneficial traits:
- This drink contains healthy saturated fats, calcium, and phosphorus that are beneficial for our teeth and bones.
- In addition, one can find fortified variations of this drink that are enriched with the additional vitamins and elements!
- Another reason why this drink is so beneficial is that it is filled with the natural nutrients which it inherited from the almond nuts.
- Almond drink is low in calories
- It is also a dairy-free, lactose-free, and gluten-free foodstuff which makes it a perfect milky substitution for those who suffer from lactose intolerance or celiac disease.
Cons of consuming almond milk
However, except for all the positive properties this drink has, certain nuances exist that are better to be taken into account before grabbing a packet of this foodstuff in a supermarket.
- First of all, those who have an allergy to nuts (or to almonds, in particular, it doesn’t matter) must avoid almond milk as well since there is a great risk of developing side effects common for this disease.
- Also, several cases were reported when people had problems with their gland state, gland enlargement, in particular, because of the frequent almond milk consumption. However, it was not proved that such a reaction is common for all the consumers of this product.
- Finally, if the drink contains sugar, drinking it excessively may not be that healthy so opt for sugar-free variations.
But in general, almond milk is a great and healthy alternative to animal milk, and if consumed reasonably, it can become an irreplaceable part of everyone’s diet.
How to Freeze Almond Milk
This is the inquiry that people are bothered with most of all when dealing with this goodie. Almond drink is quite pricey compared to the ordinary dairy drink which makes it somewhat more costly than its counterpart. For this reason, messing with the drink is not something that one would like to experience.
Of course, when it comes to preserving the drink, everyone wonders how to do this correctly to keep the liquid safe and sound. And in fact, it is not a big deal!
If the drink comes in carton boxes (and this is how it is usually sold), we don’t have to do anything except for tossing those into the frosting camera. It will be better if the boxes are kept unopened since when unsealing them, we let the air and microbes come in which increases the chances of spoilage.
Stock the almond drink this way and remember to use it at once after defrosting since the repeated exposure to frost is strictly prohibited for this product!
The Cons Of Freezing Almond Milk
Even though exposing almond milk to frost is the best and the only way of preserving it, some people might want to avoid that step, and honestly speaking, several reasons exist why they would be right:
- Frost will affect the consistency and texture of the drink. Since the drink is rather watery, those icy crystals that are formed during the freezing will break the structure of the liquid. As a result, the drink will separate which can be seen when defrosting it and pouring into a glass.
- Another nuance is that frost leads to certain changes in the taste and color of the drink. Due to the separation of the solid components, the liquid will not look much appealing compared to the fresh drink.
- Finally, the defrosted almond drink has a way shorter lifespan compared to the fresh refrigerated counterpart.
Because of these nuances, most consumers prefer drinking the almond milk fresh rather than stock it in a frosting camera unless they are planning to make use of it for culinary purposes.
Freezing Almond Milk in Ice Cubes
One of the approaches that can be successfully used for preserving the excessive almond drink is to stock the liquid in the icy state.
The less the amount of the liquid the more chances we can avoid massive damage if anything happens. To perform this, just fill the ice tray with almond milk and wait until it solidifies. When it is done, transfer the almond icy cubes into the frost-resistant packet and preserve it.
This approach allows defrosting the goodie in smaller portions that excludes the risk of spoilage because of the repeated temperature fluctuations. And anyway, repeated freezing of this liquid is forbidden since it will lead to the foodstuff decay.
Freezing Almond Milk in Containers
What if we ended up having some excessive almond drink that we are sure we won’t be able to finish before it all expires?
In case too much of the drink was purchased, and it is obvious that such a quantity of boxes will not come into the frosting camera, we can transfer the drink into the smaller and more fitting hermetic tanks to freeze.
This approach is less protective and secure since the liquid is oxidized while repouring it, but still, this method in our number two in terms of efficiency.
When transferring the drink into the smaller tanks, remember to leave some emptiness between the content and the cap. Like that, when the liquid expands under the impact of frost, the tank will not explode.
Can You Freeze Homemade Almond Milk?
If one doesn’t have much trust in commercially produced goodies and almond milk, in particular, we have a piece of good news for you guys: this drink can be successfully made at home!
Moreover, it is said to be way more predisposed to freezing than the commercially made counterpart.
The method of preservation will mostly hang upon what you are planning to use the drink for. Considering that, we can suggest you opt for either a hermetic tank or that ice tray.
With the hermetic container, it is all clear: fill it up with the homemade goodie, leave enough empty space between the cap and the liquid to let it safely expand (since it will expand no matter whether we want it or not), seal it and leave in a frosting camera until it is time to go for it.
As for the icy variation, it is more profitable for culinary purposes: portioned milky cubes will fit perfectly for any hot dish that needs a gently nutty flavor and some milky notes.
For this option, we would recommend using BPA-free glass or plastic tray since they are simpler to extract the iced cubes from.
How Long Does Homemade Almond Milk Last?
Naturally, those who never tried to manufacture this drink themselves might wonder whether the lifespan of the DIY almond milk and its commercial counterpart differ.
Well, generally speaking, the homemade stuff is way less long-living unlike its supermarket-bought “cousin”.
When being produced at home, almond milk will stay drinkable for a maximum of three days if refrigerated. For this reason, it is usually not recommended to stock such a drink longer or to produce it in large batches since it will most likely not be consumed in time, and it will have to be discarded.
Uses Of Frozen Almond Milk
The fresh almond drink is great stuff for drinking but also it tastes wonderful with the cornflakes and instead of ordinary milk with a freshly baked cake or cookies. But what are the uses of this foodstuff when it is frozen?
As we already know, the defrosted drink will look and taste somewhat different compared to the fresh variant. For this reason, people usually don’t use defrosted almond milk for drinking as it is.
But, if you are brave enough, feel free to try because the exposure to frost does no harm and damage to the drink’s beneficial qualities. Besides, the flavor will not suffer much as well.
- Drink it as it is when defrosted. To do that, we will have to defrost the drink according to the defrosting instructions, but if everything is done correctly, we will be able to enjoy the tasty almond goodie just as if it was directly from the packet.
- In case the unfrosted drink is not something you are ready to try out, opt for incorporating it into the culinary masterpieces of yours! The defrosted almond drink will fit any foodstuff which recipe calls for this component, so feel free to add it with no hesitation.
- Go for some smoothie! For doing this, the drink may not even be defrosted, of course, if your blender is strong enough to crush the ice. If it is, then you will get a delicious and a bit icy drink!
- Try it out for ice cream or sorbet. Again, for this use, the drink will not even have to be thawed! In addition, we will get a yummy lactose-free treat that is so wonderful to enjoy on a hot day.
How To Defrost Frozen Almond Milk
It is quite natural that, after learning so much about this miraculous drink, people start wondering how to defrost it correctly. Indeed, the procedure must be done according to the rules, otherwise, we put the goodie under a huge risk of quality degradation.
So how to thaw this drink safely?
- Remove the solidified drink from the frosting camera and transfer it to the fridge. It will allow the foodstuff to defrost slowly with minimal texture changes. Never do that at room temperature though since such a sudden change will make the separation of the solid and liquid parts worse.
- Leave the frosted drink in the refrigerator for several hours at least. Such a thawing can take quite a lot of time so be prepared to wait. The longest term of defrosting can be of twenty-four hours.
- When the drink is completely defrosted and no traces of ice can be seen inside of the liquid, shake it vigorously to combine the solid and liquid parts. Like that, the result will be an even drink with proper consistency and texture.
How to Fix Separated Almond Milk
Imagine we take the defrosted almond drink and see that it separated significantly! What shall we do? Is it spoiled? Must we toss it away?
Don’t hurry up, we can still save the situation! Such separation takes place when both the solid and liquid parts of the drink fall apart. To re-unite them, all that we need to do is to give the drink a good shake.
Feel free to do that manually if you are sure you are able to keep on shaking it vigorously for a minute non-stop. But we would suggest using a blender instead. Let it be blended for twenty to thirty seconds, and a foamy but even liquid will appear.
Of course, the texture of such a revived drink will be somewhat different from how it tasted and looked when being fresh, so consider that drinking it might not be very appealing. However, plenty of other ways of using this drink exists, don’t forget about that!
When To Freeze Almond Milk?
This is quite a reasonable inquiry, and the answer will be the following: think about exposing it to frost only if the plan is to make use of it for cooking.
Let’s be honest: drinking such a drink defrosted is far from a pleasant experience. On the other hand, being incorporated into a recipe, this drink will share its flavor with the dish, and we will not sense the changed texture, of course.
As an option, add it to smoothies or protein shakes, and of course, any dish that needs some nutty flavor can welcome this drink!
How To Use Defrosted Almond Milk
The unfrosted almond drink has surprisingly many areas of use, and it’s not only about drinks and meals.
- It can be drunk if you don’t mind the changed consistency
- Go for it when in need of some coffee whitener
- Add a delicious nutty flavor to the homemade cookies and cakes
- Almond drink will match hot savory foods like curry perfectly
- Opt for it to make desserts
This dairy-free and low-calorie yummy can become a real staple in your fridge, think of that!
Does Almond Milk Go Bad?
Just like any foodstuff, almond milk spoils even though it’s not dairy. Moreover, even frosted goodie can go bad after defrosting it, and it will happen even faster than when keeping it refrigerated.
And just like other foodstuffs, an almond drink is not safe to consume when it’s off: diarrhea, upset stomach, and food poisoning can take place if we drink such a thing.
Signs Of Spoiled Almond Milk
The only issue with the nut milk is that it’s hard to say when it’s bad. However, we can still spot the danger:
- The bad and off smell
- The sour taste
- Thick, slimy, and clumpy texture
- Bloated carton
These signs show that the drink is bad and must not be consumed!
Recommended Storage Options
To be sure we drink the safe goodies, it’s necessary to be careful:
- Always check the labels and buy the freshest drink
- Unopened and unchilled packets can be kept in a pantry whereas the unsealed ones must go to the fridge only
- Try to finish the carton in 7-10 days after opening for the best quality of the drink
Almond Milk Recipe
If you want to try real almond milk, we would recommend making that yourself since the instruction is super simple!
All we need to do is to soak our almond in water overnight, then drain it out and blend the nuts with some water, salt, and any additives like vanilla, cacao, etc.
After processing the mass for two minutes, pour the liquid through a nut milk bag, and squeeze to extract the liquid.
Done! Your DIY almond drink is ready!
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