Bacteria proliferation: Defrosting and using frozen milk
You can safely store frozen milk in your freezer for up to 6 months, but it’s best if you can use it within 1 month of freezing.
Milk should be defrosted in the fridge as opposed to at room temperature to decrease the risk of bacterial growth.
This is because the longer milk sits at room temperature, the more likely it is that any existing traces of harmful bacteria proliferate, potentially causing the bacterial count to become high enough to cause illness from drinking the milk.
If you need it to thaw quicker, you can place it in cold water. However, this method poses a slightly higher risk of bacterial growth. You should never thaw frozen milk in warm or hot water.
Alternatively, if you are planning to cook with frozen milk, you can defrost it directly in the pot or pan as you are cooking.
Frozen and defrosted milk is best suited for cooking, baking, or making smoothies. It may undergo some changes in texture that make it unpleasant to use as a beverage. These include being slushy, grainy, or having some fat separation.
However, it’s safe to drink if it was stored and defrosted properly. To make it more appetizing, run it through a blender to help smooth it out and reverse the fat separation.
Frozen milk should be defrosted in the refrigerator. You can blend it to help remedy any graininess or fat separation that occurred during freezing