Stocking up on food essentials can help you save time and money, especially when things are cheap. Sales, closeout items, and manager’s specials will have you loading up your shopping cart when you’re at the store. But then what do you do with all that stuff?

Pack it up, pack it in. Not everything can go in the pantry or fridge, so how about freezing it? Hip2Save’s Collin shows us how to freeze foods found in the dairy aisle. Certain foods fare well after being put on ice without becoming a grainy mess. We’ll list a few of Hip2Save’s tricks here on freezing some staples normally kept in the refrigerator.

Milk

Milk can be frozen in its plastic jug with the lid on. First, pour about an inch or two of milk off the top to allow for expansion. Snap the lid back on and place it in the freezer. Collin suggests a freezer life of about 1 month, while others say 2 to 3 months is okay. Another idea is to divide the milk into smaller cup size containers with lids and then freeze it.

To thaw, place the milk in the fridge. Shake it before using.

Eggs

In case you didn’t know, eggs can be frozen too! You have to crack them out of their shell first before freezing. Collin decided to beat them and place them in ice cube trays to freeze. Your other options are to beat them or separate them into whites and yolks, and then store them.

Make sure to use freezer-friendly glass or plastic containers with tight lids for storage. Ice life expectancy is up to a year. Thaw in the refrigerator before using.

Butter

Who goes through a lot of butter? This is one of those items you like to keep on hand, especially around holiday baking time. Not to be confused with its cousin margarine, butter can be popped into the freezer without a problem. Original packaging is A-OK. As mentioned in the video, margarine does not freeze well.

Collin points out that unsalted butter will lose its flavor faster than salted, so you may want to use it within a month or so. The salted version lasts longer and will keep anywhere from 6 to 12 months. You can either thaw it out in the refrigerator or at room temp.

 

To see what else you can freeze safely, watch Hip2Save’s video below. You’ll also pick up tips on what NOT to freeze, otherwise you’ll be in for a big disappointment. For the sake of convenience, you may decide to repackage all of these things into smaller containers. This can help with measurements for cooking or baking.

Hauls from your grocery store trips won’t go to waste and neither will the partially used items you’ve opened. By extending the life of these foods, you can extend the life of your food budget too.

Have you ever kept any of these items stocked in your personal freezer section? What tricks do you use to freeze dairy aisle foods? Tell us in the comments!