If you take your coffee with cream you know that if you run out and can't get more before you have your morning coffee it can be devastating. Okay, maybe that's a bit dramatic, but it is pretty terrible. Fortunately, you can freeze half and half so that you always have some available.
Keep on reading to learn the exact method we use to make sure our half and half freezes well and stays fresh for a long time!
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Can you freeze half and half?
Yes, you can easily freeze half and half. Just pour a container into a freezer bag or measure out portions to fill ice cube tray pods. Stick them in the freezer and you're good to go. Once frozen, they'll last another 2 or 3 months.
If you need them for a recipe or your coffee, it's quick to thaw.
Freezing half and half is very similar to freezing over liquids like freezing milk, and softer foods like freezing apple sauce, freezing chili and freezing salsa.
Freezing Stats
| Blanch | no |
| Prep Style | bagged |
| Time To Freeze | a few hours |
| How to Thaw | overnight in the fridge under cold water in sink |
| Uses | coffee creamer, tea |
| Freezer Life | 3-4 months |
Why should you freeze it?
There are several reasons why you may decide to freeze half and half. Like when you are freezing any food, you may have found a good sale at the store and bought a ton. You stock up when you can because you don't want to be without your coffee creamer.
Half and half has many uses outside of your coffee. It makes many recipes fluffier (like eggs), desserts creamier (like ice cream), and makes cocktails richer.
Just like when freezing mozzarella cheese and other dairy items, you can use half and half to cook with after defrosting without any noticeable texture or quality issues.
Frozen Vs Non-frozen
| Freezer Life | Shelf Life/Fridge Life |
| 2 - 3 months | up to a week |
Supplies
- half and half
- cookie sheet (for freezer shelf)
- ice cube trays (for half and half pods)
- Freezer bags
- Sharpie or marker
- Freezer
Need to get all your food preserved easily? Check out the Ultimate Guide To Freezing Food so that you can fill your freezer without in minimal time.
How to freeze half and half
Freezing half and half is really easy. Yes go through the process.
Step One
First things first. Gather all of your freezing supplies together and make sure everything is accessible. This includes the half and half itself.
Step Two
Generally, when freezing things, whether solid or liquid, we decide on how much we want to freeze in a single container or freezer bag. Since half and half isn't something you really consume on it's own, this is a little trickier.
Half and half is generally used in things like coffee, tea, and a variety of recipes. So generally, you are looking at portion sizes in the teaspoon and tablespoon range of things. You don't want to waste good freezer bags on such a small portion.
We recommend considering half and half pod style freezing. Half and Half pods are when you freeze half and half in an ice cube tray in smaller, pre-measured portions. This is preferable because you won't have to thaw an entire bag when a recipe calls for a teaspoon or two or if you just want some coffee.
Step Three
Once you have decided if you are going to freeze large amounts at a time or if you want to go the pod route, you will want to decide on the measurements to use.
If you are freezing a container at a time, then that's all you need to know and you can move to the next step. If you are going to freeze half and half pods, you'll need to think about how much to freeze per pod.
Most ice cube trays can hold a little more than a tablespoon of liquid. Freezing a tablespoon per pod is a pretty good place to start. If you are using them for a recipe, you can just thaw out a single cube. You can even cut it into pieces when you don't need the whole thing.
Step Four
You are going to want to start labeling your freezer bags. You can use quart bags or gallon size bags depending on how much you are freezing.
When labeling it is important to include the contents of the bag, the freeze date, and the "use by" date. You don't want to freeze everything and then not be able to tell what's in the bag or worse, eat something that was lost in the back of the freezer for years.
Step Five
When you're ready to make your pods this is done the same as when you freeze honey, jam or cilantro in an ice cube tray.
Simply measure out a tablespoon (or whatever you decided) and pour it into one of the reservoirs in the ice cube tray. Do this until you run out of half and half or ice cube trays.
Next, put the trays in the freezer and leave them for a few hours. If you do this at night and leave them in until morning they will have plenty of time to freeze. Then, all you need to do is pop the pods out of the tray, bag them, and put them back in the freezer until you need them.
How do you defrost?
All you need to do to thaw your half and half is leave it in the fridge for a few hours or overnight in a bowl or mug. You can also run some cool water over it if you have it sealed in a bag. This is quicker but can still take a while and you waste a lot of water.
Once it's defrosted, you will want to take a whisk or fork to it and give it a good stirring. When half and half freezes, the cream will start to separate and can become grainy. Mixing it up should take some of that graininess away, especially if you are using it in coffee or a recipe.
Final word
As you can see, freezing half and half is not difficult at all. In fact, it can make life a little more convenient by always having some one hand!
If you need more help getting your foods frozen, check out the Ultimate Freezing Food Guide for a complete quick start reference so that you can have a well-stocked freezer.
