Tip on Storing Milk in the Freezer

Anyone want to play poker with my card bricks? :-P

Storing milk the conventional way can be a space waster as it is bulky. Milk storing bags are designed to have the milk stand upright and when it freezes the bag expands. I have been freezing milk flat so that it saves space since you can stack them one on top of each other in the freezer. I place it in a larger zip loc bag (the medium size bags can hold about 15 milk bricks). Milk bricks take a lot less time to defrost. You need to make sure that the milk bag is sealed tightly and make sure to get all the bubbles out first.

Before I pour the milk into the bag, I write the date on the date tab first with a pen. Then with a marker, I indicate how much milk there is because when you defrost, sometimes you need to do some math to get the amount of milk you need for the feeding(s). Then I number the bags in order. That is so I don't have to rifle through the zip loc bag to find when the 'next date' is. If I used up number 5, I know that bag 6 is up next. The date is written for the purpose of expiration. If remembering the number is too much work, you can mark the next one with a post-it note or a coloured clip (see first photo, on the right with the green post-it).

When you defrost, place the frozen milk on a plate just in case it leaks so that it can catch the drips. If you notice the bag was ripped in the freezer, it's better to throw it out.

I label everything clearly and indicate the volume of the milk. You will be glad you did if you are in a rush or if you are instructing someone else to defrost milk in your absence.