Do you love greek yogurt?
Greek Yogurt is one of the incredibly popular dairy products which comes with tones of health benefits and delicious recipes to offer. A perfect substitute for high-calorie ice-creams, frozen Yogurt is looked up to as a healthy treat by many dessert lovers. Will freezing Greek Yogurt straight get you the frozen greek yogurt that you are looking for? Well, the answer is No!
| Freezing Yogurt and Frozen Yogurt are two different things. Frozen yogurt is more of a dessert treat that replaces a high-calorie ice cream while freezing yogurt is the way to use yogurts prolong to avoid turning bad any sooner. |
As we know that yogurt is a highly perishable product that comes with a shelf life of up to 14 days. But if your fridge is stocked up with so many yogurt containers that you bought from the last Friday sale, tossing them up to the trash is not a great idea. But, what to do when these yogurts as are about to cross their expiry date?
| The best way to prolong the shelf life of Greek Yogurt or Frozen yogurt is to freeze them. Remember, the process of thawing changes the texture and taste of yogurt. The longer you freeze, the more shall be the change in its texture. |
So, when it comes to Feezing Greek Yogurt or Regular Yogurt – Yes, You can Freeze Yogurt to use it for up to 2 months.
Why Does Greek Yogurt Say Do Not Freeze?
As the protein network collapses once the Greek yogurt is freezed, on thawing it releases water separating the milk solids. Hence the thawed yogurt loses its consistency completely and is not ideal for direct consumption.
What is Greek Yogurt?
Do you know that Greek yogurt is unknown in Greece! Amazed? Also known as the strained Yogurt, Turkish entrepreneurs first used this label to export to many US countries. It successfully captured one-third of the yogurt market with this brand name in US.
Due to its rich in protein, calcium, protein, Vitamin B6, and Vitamin B12, Greek Yogurt is incredibly popular.
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How Do you freeze Greek Yogurt?
Yes, you can freeze Greek Yogurt to extend its shelf life but not to get the frozen Greek Yogurt. The best part is that even when you freeze yogurt directly, the nutritional value of Fresh Greek yogurt does not change. It contains the nutrients equivalent to the Yogurt sitting in the fridge. So, next time dealing with your leftover greek yogurt is easy! Just freeze it and use it later.
But it certainly loses its probiotic qualities and texture. Hence you should use it in the recipes such as Yogurt smoothies where you can simply add some fruits and a small cup of freeze yogurt to get the creamy and frothy yogurt recipe.
You can also choose to make a frozen yogurt by using this yogurt but the recipe calls for adding some corn syrup or may some heavy cream to avoid the large ice crystals. A Frozen yogurt maker can help you with churning out a perfect frozen yogurt.
What happens when you put Greek Yogurt in the Freezer?
Once you put the Yogurt in the freezer, its texture changes completely. Storing a yogurt directly to the fridge will not get your frozen Greek Yogurt. Instead, you will end up in a brick-like hard and unpalatable yogurt which you will not wish to eat directly. Even the Yogurt separates from its whey forming the ice crystals. You indeed need an ice cream maker to get your favourite greek frozen yogurt.
But Freezing Yogurt is ideal for the recipes like baked breads, smoothies, and dips that does not pay attention of the yogurt consistency.
Why does Greek Yogurt say do not freeze?
On freezing Greek Yogurt, the culture start dyeing. The dormant bacteria starts reactivates in the defrosted yogurt in the refrigerator overnight. So, if you freeze Yogurt the yogurt might loses its texture but it does not lose its nutritional value completely.
| Depending on your consumption, the decision for freezing Greek Yogurt varies. If you want to eat Greek Yogurt for its probiotic values, freezing yogurt is not a great idea. |
With the virtue of extending the shelf life of Greek Yogurt, freezing yogurt is a good idea. As most of the nutritional contents remain the same, only the texture of freeze yogurt changes. Once you thaw the freezing Yogurt, the water separates, and you can notice the difference in its consistency.
You should stir it well before consuming or use it in any recipe. But you may notice the loss of flavor and smoothness once you thaw frozen yogurt. Marinates and smoothies are the best way to use defrosted Yogurt. If you are looking for frozen yogurt desserts, you need to add some additional ingredients.
If you choose to freeze Yogurt right away, it will result in an unpalatable hard brick of Yogurt, which you would not like to eat at all!
How to Freeze Greek Yogurt Safely?
It would help if you used the airtight container or freezer bags for preserving yogurt safely without catching the odors of other foods in the freezer. If you choose to freeze the unopened container, Yogurt may expand in the fridge. However, unopened Yogurt lasts longer than opened ones.
Here are the four best ways to freeze yogurt safely:
1. In Single-Serving Cups
The best way to freeze yogurt is they come in single-serving cups. All you need is to transfer these single serving cups from the refrigerator to freezing. With these portion-controlled cups, even the thawing of yogurt is super easy.
2. In a Large Yogurt Tub
Storing a large yogurt tub as it makes sense when you are sure of using it one go to prepare a recipe for your large family. These are convenient to store and take up less shelf space but the only caution is to use the entire yogurt in one go. The process of thawing and freezing repeatedly will not only affect the yogurt’s consistency adversely but also impacts its taste.
3. Using Ice Cube Tray
This is probably the best method as it gives you the maximum portion control. You can simply take out few yogurt cubes and add to your desired recipe. Especially, if you are freezing yogurt for a single person use or for a small family, this is the ideal deal to consider. Once freeze, transfer all the yogurt cubes to a freezer-safe bag.
4. Freezing in Scoops – Only For Greek Yogurt
As scooping out yogurt is only possible when it has a thick texture, you can try this out only with Greek Yogurt. Greek Yogurt is a strained yogurt that is thicker and creamier with consistency after why removal. Spread a baking sheet, take out a scoop each and then freeze it. Once set properly, transfer all the scoops to an air-tight freezer bag.
How long does Greek Yogurt last?
Depending on your storage condition, Greek Yogurt lasts. If you keep it tightly covered to avoid moisture entering it and refrigerate properly, it can last longer. Therefore, the unopened container lasts longer than the opened one.
Even after the expiration, refrigerated unopened yogurt containers can be used for up to 10 days and freeze Yogurt for up to 2 months.
For opened yogurt containers, 5-7 days after opening are safe to consume while in the freezer; opened container lasts up to 1 month.
Once you freeze it, it can safely last upto 2 months. But the sooner you use it, the better the texture you will get.
What is the sign of spoilage for Greek Yogurt?
Like regular Yogurt, the spoiled Greek Yogurt smells raunchy and foul. You can notice the running watery consistency. When the live cultures acting as preservatives starts to die, the mold begins appearing on the Yogurt. If you notice any such symptoms of spoilage, never consume or even taste such Greek Yogurt. Throw it away immediately.
How to freeze Greek Yogurt for smoothies?
The best way to freeze Greek Yogurt for smoothies is to freeze them in ice cube trays. Once these cubes are frozen, transfer them to freezer-safe containers. You can use the number of cubes that you require to make a fruit smoothie every time.
Can non-fat Greek Yogurt be frozen?
Yes, you can freeze non-fat Greek Yogurt to improve its shelf-life. To preserve it longer, freeze it unopened. Techincally, whether it is greek yogurt or regular yogurt, any variety of yogurt you can freeze safely.
What temperature kills yogurt culture?
To add the starter culture, you need to cool down the milk moderately. However, if you add these cultures to the temperature over 55 degrees C, the chances are high that these cultures could die. These bacterias are heat-loving and multiply only when they get the right warm temperature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Yogurt be frozen successfully?
If you freeze a yogurt, once you thaw, it turns watery and grainy. Due to dormant live cultures in frozen yogurt makes it acidic in taste. Thawed Yogurt can be healthy to eat, but it turns acidic as well. Hence you can freeze the yogurt successfully but using them in recipes is recommended over eating it raw.
How long can you freeze Greek Yogurt?
You can safely freeze the Greek Yogurt for two months, like regular Yogurt. But you should store it appropriately in the freezer. While the refrigeration gives you a shelf life of 10 days, freeze Greek Yogurt can easily last up to 60 days.
Can you freeze Greek Yogurt and eat it frozen?
To extend the shelf life of Greek yogurt, you can freeze it safely. Most of the health benefits remain the same if you eat the thawed Greek Yogurt after freezing it. Although the texture of the yogurt changes. But it is safe to eat the Freezed yogurt but you certainly have to compromise on its taste and texture.
Does freezing Greek Yogurt kill the probiotics?
During the process of freezing, most of the live cultures in Greek Yogurt become dormant. Once thawed and returned to their average temperature, these good bacteria activate and deliver all the benefits a regular yogurt gives.
