Freezing Milk for Soap Making

[Patty Meyer]

I'm getting ready to freeze some milk for soap making.  Is it okay to weigh out the milk for soap making, then freeze each batch in ice cube trays and bag in freezer bags when it's frozen?  Would I then be able to use it straight from the bag knowing it is the right amount?

I'm thinking it might be easier to just let the cubes thaw slightly and use them that way than trying to break up a semi-frozen chunk of milk?

[Patty Meyer]

Hey Glenna,

I never did end up using ice cube trays.  I weighed the milk and put it into quart freezer bags, then laid them flat to freeze.  I barely let it thaw when making soap, but just enough to break it into a few pieces.  It's easy because the milk is frozen in such a thin shape.  So, I guess that all depends on the shape of the 4 oz. chunks.  Thinner is better.  Happy soap making! :)

[Glenna Rose]

The recipe I looked at said to use 20 oz. of milk.  Would it be a good idea to freeze the milk in 4-oz. quantities or would that be too large for the pieces (or not large enough)?

[Patty Meyer]

That's exactly what I'm doing.  I'm trying to wait out a dewormer withdrawal time.  Some of the milk has gone to the neighbor's pigs too.  I really don't want to do all the work caring for and milking to feed pigs that aren't mine though! :)

[Jess]

She also freezes what they don't drink. So when she isn't comfortable giving the
Milk to her children then she divides it up and freezes it instead of dumping it down the drain. She's very resourceful.

[Patty Meyer]

Great!  I'm so excited to try making soap for the first time!  I just have to get all my ingredients and supplies.  That may take a while, but I'm going to be ready with the milk for when the day finally comes.

[Jess]

That is exactly what a friend of mine does. She knows how much milk is needed per batch of soap and froze it in advance. She uses it strait out of the freezer and said the heat from the lye mixture melts it fast and the ice milk helps it cool off a bit faster.