Earlier this week I had the privilege of hosting a party for some wonderful bloggers who live in my area. I had always wanted to meet the creators of some of the blogs that I loved reading so I decided to throw a party and invite them! We had such a fun time! I can’t wait to do it again. :-) As part of their “parting gift” at the end of the evening, each of the guests got a pint of Honey Butter Ambrosia and a mini loaf of my Mom’s English Muffin Bread. We had invited close to 70 bloggers, so my daughter Britta, daughter-in-law Kaitlyn and I made LOTS of honey butter & LOTS of english muffin bread!
We might have made a slight miscalculation of how much CREAM we needed for the honey butter however, because we ended up with A LOT leftover. Like a couple of QUARTS leftover. I just couldn’t bear the thought of it going to waste and I knew there was no way I would use up that much cream before it went bad….so….I decided to try something I’d never tried before. FREEZE it.
I don’t know why I’ve never tried freezing cream before, because it makes perfect sense! I even talk about freezing MILK in my post about “31 Things You Can Freeze To Save Time And Money.” But for some reason CREAM never occurred to me. Which is crazy because I never seem to use up all the cream I buy for a recipe before it goes bad. Then the spoiled cream goes right down the drain. What a waste!
I didn’t want to freeze the cream in one big chunk in the carton, because I knew that most of the time I would only need it in smaller quantities. So I utilized one of my silicone molds. I would guesstimate that each mold holds about 1/2 cup.
After I filled the molds I put them in the freezer until they were frozen solid.
I then stacked them in plastic storage bags so they took up less freezer space.
I wasn’t sure how it would hold up after being frozen and then thawed to use again, but I have used it several times now in different things and I haven’t been able to tell any difference!
When you are ready to use the cream, take it out and leave it in the refrigerator overnight.
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Make sure you shake it well before using because the butterfat will separate. Use it as is in all your recipes that call for cream or whip it for a dessert topping. If you think it is a bit grainy, just add some powdered sugar and it should take care of the problem.
In case you’re wondering, like I was, you can ALSO freeze cream that is already WHIPPED.
I haven’t personally tried it yet, but from what I’ve read, all you do is whip the cream until it forms peaks, then spoon or pipe dollops onto a plastic-lined baking sheet and freeze. When the dollops are frozen, peel them off the plastic, place in a freezer container or bag and return to the freezer. They’ll keep for a couple of weeks.
When it’s time to serve a dessert that you want to decorate with a cream topping, place dollops on top and let stand about 10 minutes at room temperature. The cream will thaw but will still hold its shape.
Now that we are all armed with this money and time-saving tip, from this day forward there should not be a DROP of cream going down the drain. :-)
What kinds of things do YOU freeze?
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What a nice tip! This is a real timesaver for parties and a great way to have cream on hand. Thanks
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Heck yeah, you can return opened expired food. I return food that is expired, or whose taste I didn’t like. (New brand/flavor Pickles) My BFF returns all the food she doesn’t use after her Thanksgiving feast. I think that is going too far, but hey! You do what you gotta do.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This is a great tip! I’ve frozen cream before but never tried to whip it after thawing. And the whip and freeze dallops? Genius!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Would this be possible to do with half and half as well? I am forever throwing away 1/2 a carton of half and half because I only use about 1 tablespoon a day in my coffee. Thanks!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Definitely!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Actually you shouldn’t freeze half & half or light whipping cream (due to the low fat content). It doesn’t emulsify together and leaves you with something really gross.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.That’s what I’ve always heard, but seems it’s been done….and it works fine…..bet I don’t waste anymore whipping cream….lol
You can return opened, expired food to the grocery store??
Please log in or create a free account to comment.If it was that close to the expiration date, I would have. I’ve returned milk, h&h, and cream that wasnt good even before the expiration date. If you buy something that isnt good, take it back.. get a refund or a replacement.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This is ok if you live close, but we shop at Meijer about an hr. away and you can’t do that….I do return to local stores when I make a purchase and it goes bad in a day or two….groceries are too expensive not to.
Yes, you can!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Grocery stores are supposed to pull all dairy items that expire in 3 days off the shelves. They shouldn’t be selling it that close to the expiration date.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Trust me they do….Kroger is bad for that, so is WalMart !! When I see it outdated I try to find Mgr. & tell them…..
Melinda Miller, why didn’t you just save until next time you were going to that store and return it for a replacement?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.That is what I would have done.
Love the fact that I can freeze my left over cream and not watch it go down the drain after it spoils. My favorite things to freeze are fresh herbs in olive oil. And pesto, I use and ice cube tray to freeze it in. Works perfectly every time. :)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I had to pour out almost an entire container of the exact cream you have posted in your picture today. I think it spoiled the day after I got it (expiration date was July 24th). The greatest dismay I had as I watched it swirl down the drain was the thought that I could have used it to make awesome sour cream and never thought of it until it was gone. Thanks for a great idea to freeze that last half of the container that always seems to go to waste!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You can make sour cream out of sour cream??? LMAO That sounded funny, but I really didn’t know you could and I have a quart of cream I was just about to throw out!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Please tell me how!!! :D
Thanks, Jillee! I am forever throwing away spoiled whipping cream — now I can keep from wasting it! Wonderful tip!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Great ideas. I always freeze milk now because we have to order via a delivery service, so to keep down delivery costs, we freeze 4 gallons at a time (using one a week). Frozen milk does good if under about 4 months, after that, when thawing it separates into lumpy things, though tastes ok but not a good consistency.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Tip, when freezing whipped heavy cream, be sure to add in your sugar, then freeze, no way to add it after it’s frozen. Tip, use small molds and then add it to your coffee.
Tip, I usually make flavored butter with any extra cream, put it in your mixer or blender and mix until it becomes soft butter, empty the liquids and if desired add garlic (I use powder), onion, herbs, etc, then refrigerate. Is great on bread, or as a hostess gift, and this butter freezes very well!
I also freeze breads, cakes, raw cookie dough, and bagels. Love my freezer.