Milk is an important part of our daily diet. It is even more essential for our kids because it helps facilitate proper growth and development. However, not everyone is allowed to enjoy regular cow milk.
Thankfully, there is a suitable alternative for those who are lactose intolerant in the form of soy milk. The same goes for those who are vegan. With it, everyone can enjoy the health benefits of regular cow milk without compromising their dietary restrictions.
Of course, as an alternative, soy milk does not come without a price. Relatively and typically, it is slightly more expensive than its regular counterpart. For this reason, it is important to store it correctly. You would not want any of it going to waste.
A lot of people are hesitant buying soy milk in bulk because of their fear that it will not be consumed within its shelf life. So, what if it goes on sale? What if you do not have time to run to the grocery store every now and then? Can you freeze soy milk and preserve it for months? How? Let us find out now!
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Health Benefits of Soy Milk
Before anything else, let us first get to know the milk of our topic for today. So, what really is soy milk? How is it different from regular cow milk?
From the name itself, soy milk is made up of soybeans, primarily. Together with filtered water and thickeners, it is a plant-based alternative to regular cow milk. The thickeners play an important role of enhancing its consistency. Without these, soy milk will also have a shorter shelf life.
The best thing about soy milk is that it contains a lot of essential nutrients. It has the same amount of protein as regular cow milk, with less calories and saturated fats; and more importantly, without the cholesterol and lactose. This means that almost everyone can drink it, unlike regular cow milk.
A typical cup of unsweetened soy milk only has about 80 to 100 calories. The key nutrients include carbohydrates and protein. Additionally, it has significant levels of potassium, and vitamins A and B12. When fortified, it also boasts with calcium and vitamin D.
For people with high blood pressure, a probiotic soy milk is available. However, people with thyroid disease are not likely to benefit from it. The same goes for those who are allergic to soy, which is a common allergen.
Can You Freeze Soy Milk?
It is a common notion that milk, in general, can be frozen, but it will no longer be of the same quality. The ingredients separate once frozen. Its form and texture changes, making it unpleasant once defrosted.
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Freezing it ruins its consistency. More importantly, frozen milk is no longer recommended for direct consumption.
Given this, it is important to note that soy milk is different from regular cow milk. Particularly, these two types of milk have different ingredients.
So, YES, YOU CAN FREEZE SOY MILK. However, there are steps you need to follow to do it successfully.
How Can You Freeze Soy Milk?
As I have mentioned earlier, freezing milk, in general, results to ingredient separation. In this case, how can you freeze soy milk without ruining its consistency?
To minimize this, you first need to shake the carton of soy milk vigorously. Then, transfer the soy milk into an airtight container. Transferring is not necessary; but it will help prolong the shelf life of the milk, especially when you have opened the carton already.
Do not use freezer bags as airtight containers. Soy milk tends to expand, which is why the bags might blow up in your freezer.
Use freezer-friendly containers. With the expansion tendency of soy milk, you would want to leave ample headspace on top. Simply speaking, do not fill the entire container up to the lid or cover.
Make sure that the container is fully airtight. Air penetrating the container can ruin the entire batch.
Of course, the final step would be labeling your soy milk with the date you first place it in the freezer. While you could skip this step, I highly recommend that you do not. This helps identify until when the soy milk is good for consumption.
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Even if you have a sharp memory, it is still a good practice to label dates on your frozen goods. Why? You should consider that other people might want to grab some frozen soy milk or any other frozen item from your freezer. So, it is important that they also know this information.
Just like that, your soy milk is now ready to be placed in the freezer!
When Can You Freeze It?
It is highly recommended that you freeze soy milk when it is nearing its expiration date.
If it is still unopened, you can leave it in room temperature storage for about a year. Of course, it all depends on its expiration date.
In the case of opened soy milk, it can last up to two weeks from the moment you opened it. Needless to say, you can extend this validity period once you freeze it.
However, its shelf life decreases when the container is not 100% sealed tightly.
Powdered soy milk has a longer shelf life. This is why it is more suitable for those who consume soy milk on an occasional basis.
To Sum it Up…
There are a lot of benefits you get when you drink soy milk. It is your best bet when you are lactose intolerant or a vegan. However, of course, it is usually more expensive than regular cow milk.
For this reason, you really need to make sure that none of your soy milk is spoiled. Thankfully, it is possible to freeze it, preserving it for prolonged consumption.
So, how can you freeze soy milk to make it last longer? You just need to shake it properly before transferring it into an airtight container. Transferring is not necessary but is highly encouraged, especially for opened cartons of soy milk.
If you transfer it into a different container, make sure that you label it with the date you first put it in the freezer. Again, this step is not necessary but is highly encouraged. This will help you keep track of the soy milk’s validity.
That is all about it! Do you have any other tips in mind? Feel free to share it with us!
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