Yogurt is one of the most popular dairy items out there in the food market. In addition, it is also a very useful ingredient to add to different kinds of recipes. It also makes for a healthy snack and there are many different brands to choose from. However, what happens if you see a sale on your favorite kind of yogurt and want to purchase a package of it in bulk quantity? Sometimes, we buy or make more yogurt than our friends, family, and even us can eat. What happens with the leftovers? The question remains: Can you freeze yogurt? If so, how long will the yogurt last for after freezing?
What Happens When You Freeze Yogurt?
Yes, you can freeze yogurt and the process will usually result in a healthy and tasty outcome. The shelf life of the yogurt will be extended for multiple months if you correctly follow the freezing process. Eating the yogurt after its’ frozen and thawed is the same as eating it fresh from your local store. The only likely effect to happen to the yogurt will be changes to its’ consistency and texture after freezing. The yogurt may separate from its other ingredients after de-frosting. Do not worry about this because you can always re-stir and mix the yogurt together to re-create the consistent texture.
The Freezing Process
- Make sure to freeze the yogurt in multiple, airtight freezer bags. You want to close and seal these bags in order to avoid freezer burn and keep odors from the freezer from affecting the yogurt.
- After sealing the freezer bags with the different servings of yogurt, label the yogurt bags with the date of initial freezing using a permanent marker.
- Yogurt, which has been frozen, should only be in the freezer for a maximum of six months. The yogurt should be eaten within six to eight months of the date of initial freezing.
- You can also freeze unopened containers or bags of yogurt as well but the yogurt may end up expanding its contents in the freezer. This would cause the yogurt to lose its consistency of texture and cause a separation of its’ ingredients.
Overall, when you freeze your yogurt, you may lose a little bit of its smooth texture and flavor over time. Freezing your yogurt is much different than the popular frozen yogurts that are a common treat for dessert. The consistency and texture of frozen yogurt might not be the same as the commercially popular and well-known frozen yogurts.
The Thawing Process
The consistency of the yogurt after being immediately de-frozen isn’t actually edible or tasty. For the best tasting results, it is important to remember to thaw out the yogurt. By thawing the yogurt in the refrigerator for a few hours or up to a day, you will help to preserve both the taste and the texture of the yogurt. Please remember to not thaw out the yogurt on the kitchen counter or at a room temperature setting.
Uses of Yogurt
Yogurt which was been frozen and thawed out has a variety of great uses for you, your family, and your friends. The yogurt is perfect for adding on to soups, casseroles, and even cakes. It also is a great additive to smoothies and juice drinks.
In order to freeze your yogurt to be used in individual servings of smoothies, you can scoop the yogurt and place it in a number of ice cube trays. Placing the ice cube trays in the freezer will allow the yogurt to freeze all the way through and turn into cube form.
After popping the yogurt ice cubes out of the trays, you can then seal the yogurt cubes tightly in a number of freezer bags. Make sure that any excess air has been removed before placing these freezer bags into the freezer. Label and date the freezer bags of when these ice cubes first went through the freezing process. When preparing the smoothies, you can use one, two or more ice cubes at a time.
To add a little bit of flavor to your yogurt, it is also easy to do so. Before freezing the yogurt, you can add small parts of fruits to it before freezing begins. Using different types of fruits at one time by combining these different flavors with the yogurt in the ice cube trays will allow you to experiment with one batch rather than several batches. The frozen yogurt with different fruit flavors will undergo the same thawing process.
Remember to remove the freezer bags of the ice cube trays and thaw them out in the refrigerator for several hours. If separation of ingredients has occurred with the yogurt, remember to stir it together to improve the consistency of the texture. You can add the flavored yogurt ice cubes directly into the smoothies or thaw the cubes out in the refrigerator until the mixture becomes a liquid ingredient again.
Does Yogurt Go Bad?
Due to the wide popularity and availability of yogurt, you can find the product in almost any supermarket if you look carefully enough. If you are at the local market one day and you see a big sale on containers of yogurt, what should you do? Would it be worth the savings in both time and money to buy some extra yogurt for your friends and family? Would you be able to store the yogurt properly for the long-term without any major problems? The ultimate question remains; does yogurt go bad?
Unfortunately, the bad news is that Yogurt can indeed spoil and go bad like many other kinds of dairy products. This is partly due to the fact that it is created as a byproduct from the fermentation of milk. However, since it is such a healthy and fulfilling snack, it would be worth it to find out how to store the yogurt properly for the long-term to get the most out of this product. In addition, it would be useful to know how to extend its shelf life and to also look for the signs that indicate the yogurt going bad on you.
Storing The Yogurt
The most important thing to consider when storing the yogurt is that it must be refrigerated at all times regardless of whether it has been opened or remains unopened. A cold, dark, and dry place is the best area to store your yogurt. It should never be stored at room temperature because colder than average temperatures are preferable when it comes to dairy products. The yogurt contents must be tightly sealed and covered at all times. It would be unwise to expose the yogurt to any outside elements.
Yogurt should never be exposed to elements like heat, sunlight, water, oxygen, etc. especially for extended periods of time. If you choose to do this, you run the risk of ruining your yogurt and making it go bad prematurely. It would be wise to find a way for the yogurt to be kept securely in a container or bag that can be sealed tightly.
If you’re not content with keeping the yogurt in the refrigerator, you could always transfer it to the freezer where it is always extremely cold and dark. Just remember that you need to put the yogurt in a container or Ziploc bag that is freezer-safe. Make sure to read up on the necessary steps to defrost and thaw out the frozen yogurt and to mix together the contents again after the freezing process has concluded.
Shelf Life of Yogurt
The shelf life of Yogurt really depends upon the type of yogurt that you purchase. Each kind of yogurt whether it’s non-fat, probiotic, Greek, flavored, low fat, etc. will be different in terms of its’ overall shelf life. The worst result when it comes to shelf life would be to store your yogurt at room temperature, which would result in it staying good for about one to two days only.
The best way to measure the shelf life of yogurt is to check the “Best by” or “Use before” date on each container of yogurt. That date will give you some insight as to when the yogurt’s quality will begin to decline. After that date passes, the yogurt won’t go bad right away necessarily but after another week or two, it would be best to throw it out at that point. The one or two weeks after the “Use by” date would only happen as a result of refrigerating the yogurt and keeping it sealed tightly.
If you really want to get the most out of your yogurt, it would be best to freeze the yogurt. If you decide to do that, the yogurt can last for an almost indefinite amount of time especially if it is frozen properly. Some experts recommend that yogurt should only be frozen for up to two or three months before it will begin to lose its’ flavor and texture but you should check the yogurt itself to check on its’ status especially after freezing it for a long time.
Check out this video which explains why you shouldn’t be eating expired yogurt:
Signs of Bad Yogurt
It’s relatively easy to tell when your yogurt has gone sour on you. The first step that you can take is to check for signs of mold, clumps, and any kind of discoloration in the yogurt. If you do find these to be true, it may be best to send the yogurt to the trashcan.
However, if you’re still not convinced, it may be best to check the smell of the product. If you don’t recognize the usual pleasant smell of the yogurt and it has instead been replaced by an overly pungent and ugly odor, then it’s likely that the product has gone bad. While you are examining the yogurt, it’s also necessary to check the consistency of the texture. You may be able to mix the contents together after separating by stirring them. However, if you’re not able to do that successfully, then there’s a problem.
Lastly, if you were still not convinced that your yogurt has gone bad, it would be best to do a small taste test with a spoon. It won’t make you sick and it will be easy to tell the status of your yogurt afterwards. If the taste is terrible and unappetizing, then you will know for sure that the yogurt should be thrown away. If you taste that your yogurt has an unusual taste, don’t keep eating it. It’s not worth getting sick over if you can just pick up a new container of yogurt for a very fair price at the local supermarket. It’s a delicious and healthy product but it is also easily replaceable.
Conclusion
Yogurt is a delicious dairy product that is popular in many different countries around the world. There are dozens of types of yogurts with various kinds of flavors and tastes. However, the way in which yogurt is created despite what kind is it is always the same. Yogurt is made from the bacterial fermentation of milk whether it comes from a cow or from a goat or a camel. The protein of the milk helps give the yogurt its’ texture and the various kinds of bacteria help give yogurt its’ unique flavor. The combination of lactose and bacteria help to make yogurt what it is for its customers and consumers around the world. So if you want your yogurt last longer, it’s best to freeze it.
