The expiration date is getting closer and you’re left with quite a few cartons or quantity of soy milk. So it’s a wise decision to not let the milk go to waste. So can you freeze soy milk? Does freezing it increase the lifespan? It’s time to get to know the correct answers.
What You Should Know Before Reading On
The thing about soy milk is that it’s the best alternative to cow milk. It’s an excellent option even for the vegan and lactose intolerant crowd. So if your regular diet doesn’t include or cannot tolerate dairy, soy milk comes to the rescue.
The only drawback to this is the high cost. No wonder why so many people purchase soy milk in bulk so they can get it at a discounted price. In that case, too much quantity opens the door to freezing the batch you don’t require immediately for later.
So before I answer the question, can you freeze soy milk, let me discuss the health benefits.
Soy Milk: Health Benefits
Just like cow milk comes from cows, soy milk comes from soybeans. It’s a very healthy plant-based substitute for cow milk. What soy milk consists of is thickeners and filtered water. The former is what enhances the consistency of the milk. Without thickeners, soy milk has a comparatively shorter lifespan.
But here’s the most luring characteristic. Soy milk is packed with many essential nutrients. These include protein, as much as you get from cow milk. But with fewer saturated fats and calories. And without lactose and cholesterol. This means soy milk is something everybody can drink, which is not what can be said about cow milk.
Soy milk, the unsweetened kind, offers 80-100 calories. Protein and carbohydrates are essential nutrients. Additionally, there’s Vitamin B12, Vitamin A, and potassium. And when fortified, soy milk also nourishes your body with Vitamin D and calcium.
If you have high BP problems, there’s a probiotic version of soy milk also available. However, when dealing with thyroid or soy allergies, it’s best to stay away from it.
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Can You Freeze Soy Milk?
Can you consume all the soy milk you have right away? If not, then storage is a possibility. Storage without destroying the soy milk that too. The other option is throwing it all out, which sounds like a complete waste of money. But then again, why discard it when you can just as easily freeze it?
Even so, here’s the only reason why throwing out the leftover soy milk is an option in the first place. It’s because soy milk is nothing like cow milk. It’s full of ingredients, that only when fresh, keep the milk creamy and smooth.
When these several ingredients get frozen, they tend to separate. Let alone turn the milk flaky once defrosted. And such a texture is not suitable for drinking. But for smoothies and cooking, it’s great.
Soy Milk: How to Freeze
Buying in bulk is not uncommon any more. So you shouldn’t feel bad or guilty looking at the many unused cartons of soy milk you have left in your kitchen or pantry. Just makes sure you freeze the batch before its expiry date.
The first step is to stir or shake the ingredients in there vigorously. This reduces the separation that occurs during the freezing process.
For storage, opt for sealable containers, not freezer bags. Now you should know that soy milk has a tendency of expanding when frozen. So in the case of a freezer bag, when the soy milk expands, the bag is prone to breaking. But this doesn’t happen when you use a sealable container.
Speaking of which, leave some additional space at the top. So when the soy milk expands, it’ll have a bit of headroom to fit. This expansion is a result of water and other ingredients by the way.
After adding soy milk into the container, make sure the seal is tightly secured. Then note down the date of freezing. You can freeze as many batches as you like as long as the soy milk hasn’t expired.
At the time of opening those containers months later, be prepared to deal with expanded soy milk. But this doesn’t mean defrosting fails to deliver a favorable outcome. It certainly does with the help of the instructions discussed in this YouTube video.
Soy Milk: Effects of Freezing
To be honest, freezing has no effects on the nutrients present in soy milk. The milk remains just as healthy and safe to consume as it did prior to freezing.
Yes, indeed it’s true that the texture changes. That is the ingredients turn the milk into a separated, flaky mixture. One that isn’t smooth and creamy as it should be.
But the nutritional value stays untouched. Actually, the thing about frozen soy milk is that it’s an amazing alternative to dairy for smoothies, soups, and baked goods.
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Soy Milk: Shelf Life
An unopened carton of fresh soy milk can be stored for as long as 6 whole months from the production date. On the other hand, refrigerated open soy milk in a container has a very short shelf life. It’s only 7 days from when packaged or bottled.
As for the powdered form of soy milk, it can last for over a year. And about frozen soy milk, you can keep it in there for 6 months before the batch starts to go downhill.
The End
Can you freeze soy milk? Now you know the answer and a lot more.
So it’s time to reap all the health benefits of drinking soy milk. Even if you’re vegan or lactose intolerant! Unless you don’t have thyroid or any soy-related allergies, soy milk is the best cow milk substitute currently available.
Preserving the milk for long-term consumption is an option at your disposal. So there’s no need to throw away cartons of soy milk just because you went a little crazy at the supermarket.
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Sources:
1. https://www.healthline.com/health/milk-almond-cow-soy-rice
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