You can freeze milk. I buy a gallon when on sale, and divide it into 2 1/2 gallons. I freeze one and drink the other. I'm going to start buying more because I have plenty of freezer space.
Leslie

Leslie: Is there any difference in taste/texture after freezing milk? I've thought of doing it in the winter as there are times when I can't get out due to weather.

The only tip I can think of right now is to make sure you rotate your foods (putting most recently purchased to the back), and periodically check to make sure none are getting too close to the expiration date.

Shirley

I keep my freezer stocked with veggies that I grow. Yes it's work but they taste wonderful and I make and can salsa and tomatoes every year. I use the salsa like you would any salsa for dips but I also use it in chili, stew, soup, to make black beans etc etc

My number one tip is that I don't buy any meat unless it is on sale and it has to be a good sale. Right now I have chicken, pork, beef in the freezer. All prime cuts that I bought for cheap. I live in a small town and we have a big Wal-Mart so the other stores have really good loss leaders. When they have good meat on sale..I stock up. I buy pork chops/butts/loins for $1.00 per pound..beautiful chicken breasts..$1.68 and with bone for 99 cents per pound..I paid $1.48 for the beef but I only use a high quality, low fat beef and it was a terrific price..

So instead of going to the market every week for my meat...I just use my own freezer to decide what's for dinner..Saves lots of money.

Shirley, no, I've never noticed a difference in the taste or texture. Give it a try.
Leslie

I have been freezing milk for over 20 years. The thing to remember is to shake it good and you won't know the difference. Right now milk is on sale 2 gallons for $3 so I stocked up.

when you thaw your milk after freezing, make sure and shake it up well.

I save the 'juice' from roasts and baked chicken. I put it in the fridge overnight to let it cool off. The next day I scrape the layer of fat off the top and freeze the rest. It is tastier than purchased broths and free.

I love this tip that I got from someone on this forum. When you buy green onions from the store, you can plant the bulbs in a pot after you use the tops. Anytime you need fresh green onions, just clip the tops.

DS loves those "green bags" you see advertised on TV says they really work.

I always freeze flour for at least 24 hours, after purchasing, to make sure there are no livestock!

I freeze flour, Bisquick and also corn meal- They stay fresh and bug free!

Trish

Here is a thread that is at another forum that is very cost effective...

Here is a link that might be useful: Making stock

I place a papertowel in the produce bag of all my vegetables. It absorbs the extra moisture so the veggies stay fresher longer.

We have frozen milk also and like you say make sure you shake it up well, there is no difference. I also do the broth from meats etc. and when ever I have some homemade gravy left I freeze it too for other meals.
Never knew about the flour etc. good idea. We keep ours in those very large plastic ice cream containers with snap on lids.
Going to try the onion idea but in that thought did you know that you can plant various types of onions for some unique flowers in the summer?

Do you thaw frozen milk on the counter or in the refrigerator?
I also put paper towels in with my veggies..also in with any leftover salad to absorb moisture.
Great hint for thawing frozen breads....put a paper towel in the bag before thawing. It absorbs the moisture and gives you a fresher bread...none of those dry hard spots.

Leslie/KS

I wouldn't thaw milk on the counter. Heat makes milk spoil much faster. You really shouldn't leave the milk out during a meal if you can help it. Keep the jug refrigerated for it to last longer.

I've seen mixed reviews on freezing it. I know people who do and they say it definitely changes it while others don't mind. Guess all you can do is try it and see.

I tend to keep powdered milk on hand for cooking since I don't use that much, it doesn't keep long enough to buy quantities.

Never tried it, but I've read that using cereal bags, also the bags from crackers and even some chips will work much like those "green" bags and are reuseable. I have to try it sometime.

Here's a little tip that I thought was interesting: When freezing hamburger patties, use cupcake papers instead of wax paper. Perfect size.

I knew you could freeze onions and green peppers but never thought about freezing green onions. Why not? Chop them up, make sure they're dry, freeze them and put them into a freezer bag. Use what you want.

One I've been doing for years: Throw away those twist ties! On the bread bag, rub your hands up the side toward the opening to push out as much air as you can, then grab the open end, twist it around a couple times or more (depending on how much is in the bag), then fold the open part back over the bread. The bag stays sealed tightly, is easy to open, easy to close and those pesky twist ties are no longer needed. If you really need something on there, use a clothespin! They're not just for cracker and chip bags anymore!

I just saw on the forums last fall the tip about the end tabs on foil, plastic wrap, wax paper, etc, but it's so good it needs to be reminded. We've gone all these years without realizing they're on there. Punch those tabs in and quit yanking the roll of foil or plastic out of the box.

And while you're at it, keep your plastic wrap in the refrigerator and it's much more manageable. Won't tie up in knots as easily as when room temp so you can use it more easily.

another one for dairy products.

Sour cream,yogurt,cottage cheese place UPSIDE down when you put it in the fridge always..it'll keep waaay longer than normal(up to 5 months)Placing it upside down keeps any air out which would cause it to spoil.

I also tend to store any applesauce that is jarred,jams,etc. always upside down~~also helps to lengthen the use of it.

I know dozens of ideas,but am drawing a blank right now..will be back

To solve the hard brown sugar delima...just store in the freezer...in fact, check your cabinet now if you have hardened brown sugar, don't throw it out,,just pour it into a plastic container, seal with a lid and in a day or so...it will soften to spooning texture!

I thaw the milk on the counter overnight. It usually takes that long to thaw. Shake it up and then into the refrigerator. I haven't had any go bad in the 2 years I've been doing this.
Leslie

Banana peel or apple core in bottle/bag with brown sugar loosens it nicely - use a plastic sling to separate the two.

Moistens up dried out cookies, as well.

ole joyful

I am sold on the green bags for keeping all produce. It really does keep much longer. I use it for lettuce, celery, carrots, green peppers, cabbage, cauliflower, grapes, bananas. Also I have been buying my produce at Aldi's. I think it is the best in town and cheaper by far.

If you're using fresh oregano or basil etc. and you have left overs, chop them up and put them in sections of an ice cube tray, fill with water and freeze. Then, when you're making soup, throw a few of the ice cubes in for flavor. I've been doing it for years with chili's, fresh ginger, etc.

I also thaw my milk on the counter or in the dish drainer in the sink. It will take a long time to thaw it and will stay good for quite awhile in the fridge afterwards.

My mother always put a pinch of salt in the milk and in cottage cheese.She said it makes it stay fresh longer.I never do because neither one lasts long enough around here to spoil anyway!LOL
To keep lettuce from "rusting" never cut it with a metal knife.Tear it or use one of those newfangled acrylic/plastic knives.I always had a problem with lettuce spoiling before I used it all.I solved that by taking out the core (give it a hard bang on the cabinet and it will pop right out)run cold water inside then turn it upside down in the dish drainer and let it drain several hours.I put several layers of paper towels in the bottom of one of the Lock and Lock containers,turn the head of lettuce upside down and seal.I change the paper towel after a couple of days because it will collect some moisture and the lettuce will keep twice as long.Sometimes I break the leaves apart and store it that way.It stays fresh and crisp.

If you have cookies that are hard, seal them in a bag with a slice of bread. Softens them right up.

DH and I were tossing 1/4 to 1/2 of every loaf of bread because it didn't stay as soft as we like it. Sis got us a Bread Buddy for Christmas, and now it lasts waaaay longer! At less than $6.00, it is WONDERFUL!

Here is a link that might be useful: Bread Buddy

Bread will work in the brown sugar that's gotten hard too.

When celery, carrots, fresh spinich, onions, fresh herbs, (anything like that) get close to going bad, I chop them up, cook them about halfway and freeze right in the liquid they cooked in. Then I add them to home made soup later.

I garden, so if I have potatoes that start to sprout from the eyes toward spring, I cut the eyes out to use as seed potatoes.

I tend to cook in pretty large quantities. So if I have enough, I freeze enough extra for a full meal right away. That way we don't eat something long enough to be tired of leftovers and let it waste.

We also buy meat in larger quantities when it's on sale. Our local store had uncooked whole hams last week for .99 a pound. This ham was $3.99 at it's normal cost. We bought one first, to see how we liked it. We asked the butcher to cut it for us and had him leave a nice size ham on either end and cut several ham steaks out of the middle. They didn't charge any extra for doing this. When I got it home, I froze each ham steak separately. This is one of the best hams I've ever eaten! We liked it so well that we went back and bought two more, leaving a smaller one whole to cook in a pit at camp next summer and having the other one cut like the first.

We do have a large freezer, so I have the room to buy the meat (and other things when on sale) in quantity.