Can You Freeze Evaporated Milk? 

Last updated on September 5th, 2022 at 12:10 pm

Evaporated milk is an unsweetened condensed milk. It is a shelf-stable milk that has had sixty percent of the water evaporated from the milk. 

Nutritionally, evaporated milk is equal to normal milk that you purchase in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. Shelf milk, like evaporated milk, takes up less space than fresh milk and can last for months and sometimes even years before it will spoil. 

You can easily use evaporated milk in place of fresh milk in recipes. All you need to do to use evaporated milk in place of fresh milk is add equal parts water. 

So, if a recipe calls for one cup of milk you will use a half of a cup of evaporated milk and a half a cup of water. 

What do you do with evaporated milk after you have opened the can? Is it safe to freeze it? 

You can freeze evaporated milk but it will slightly separate when it is being thawed. If you plan to use your evaporated milk for cooking or baking then you will be able to still use it after it has been frozen. 

For the best quality, evaporated milk can last for three months in the freezer, if stored properly it can last even longer. 

You will not be able to freeze evaporated milk in the tin can that it comes in. In order to freeze your evaporated milk, you will need a freezer safe container. It is best to use an opaque container with an airtight lid. 

You will want to make sure to leave a few inches of space at the top of the container for the milk to expand as it freezes. You will also want to make sure the lid is securely in place. 

You can also freeze evaporated milk in ice cube trays. This will give you single serving portions so you will not have to thaw out more than you need later on. 

Once your evaporated milk is completely frozen, remove it from the ice cube tray and place it in a freezer safe container, cover the container with cling wrap, and then shut the air tight lid to the container. 

You will want to make certain that you clearly label the container with it’s contents and the date that you placed it in the freezer.

How Do You Thaw Frozen Evaporated Milk? 

Evaporated milk will separate when it is freezing and when it is being defrosted. The particles in the milk will separate a little. 

Even if you stir the milk, it will not combine again as it was before you froze it. Even putting it in a blender or using an electric mixer will not fully combine the milk again. 

For this reason it is best to only use previously frozen evaporated milk in baking and cooking as this slight change in texture will not affect the outcome of your recipe. 

A few months ago, you froze some left-over evaporated milk and now you need to use it to make a soup. How do you thaw frozen evaporated milk? 

There are two methods to thawing frozen evaporated milk. You can thaw the milk in the fridge overnight or you can simply skip the thawing process and add the frozen milk directly to what you are making. 

If you are going to use the evaporated milk in a soup you can completely skip the thawing process and add it directly to the soup. The heat from the soup will thaw the evaporated milk for you.

What Can You Use Leftover Evaporated Milk For? 

Evaporated milk has a great many uses. So, what can you use it for if you have some left over after opening it for one recipe? Below I will give you a few different options on how to use your leftover evaporated milk.

You can use your evaporated milk in another recipe that also calls for it. If you have enough milk left over you can use it to make fudge or even throw it into a soup to give it a delightful creamy texture. 

A simple fudge recipe can probably be found on your can of evaporated milk. Carnation’s fudge recipe is easy to follow and uses a five ounce can of evaporated milk, that is equal to two thirds of a cup.

You can also reconstitute your evaporated milk. Evaporated milk is simply milk that has had sixty percent of the water content removed. It is perfectly safe to drink. 

In fact, before refrigerators were widely available evaporated milk was often used by those who could not have fresh milk delivered. The concept of evaporated milk is a lot like that of concentrated apple juice or orange juice. All you need to do is add an equal amount of water to the milk and stir.

Evaporated milk is a great addition to warm drinks. In Mexico and Asia evaporated milk is often added to hot chocolate, tea, and coffee. This will give your hot drink an extra creamy texture without adding the extra sugar or fat that you would get by reaching for a creamer. 

You can even heat evaporated milk and use it to make hot chocolate. You can either use all evaporated milk or mix it with a little water or fresh milk.

You can easily use evaporated milk as a substitute for other dairy products. It works well in mashed potatoes, creamy soups, and even macaroni and cheese. 

Evaporated milk contains less fat than half and half and heavy cream. It is also cheaper than heavy cream and half and half. It is a great option if you are wanting to cut some of your grocery costs. 

It might not be the best substitute if you are wanting to make homemade whipped cream as that needs a higher fat content than evaporated milk contains.

However, if you are in need of whipped cream and have nothing else to use except for evaporated milk you could use it.

You just need to know that because it does have a smaller fat content than heavy cream it will not whip as easily and will not hold it’s shape as long. 

The first thing you will need to do is place the bowl and the beaters that you plan to use in the freezer for thirty minutes beforehand. I do this even when I use heavy cream to make whipped cream. 

You will want to beat the milk on a high speed until it begins to stiffen. Then add your sugar and vanilla to taste. Make sure that you use this right away because it will not hold it’s shape for very long.

If you can’t find a use for your leftover evaporated milk right away, just remember that you can freeze it for up to three months.