How to Freeze Goat Milk for Soap: Your Guide to Freezing Goat Milk for Soap
So, you’ve decided to make goat milk soap - a luxurious, creamy delight for your skin. But before you unleash your inner alchemist, there's a little secret every soap-making aficionado knows: fresh goat milk needs a chill-out session in the freezer.
There are lots of tricks to making amazing goat milk soap (trust us), but freezing your goat milk before turning it into soap is one of the most important ones. It really helps to keep things smooth (literally) and avoid the dreaded "burnt milk" smell.
There’s actually a lot to learn about freezing goat milk for soap, which is why we’ve put together this whole article on how to freeze goat milk for soap. We’ll explain how and why to do it, and how to thaw your goat milk back out when you’re ready for soap day.
If you don’t have several spare years of your life you can dedicate to formulating the perfect goat milk soap, fear not! We’ve actually already done that for you. Oshun’s next-level goat milk soap is the smoothest, creamiest, most luxurious soap out there, handcrafted just for your skin!
So, read on if you want to impress all your friends with your knowledge of goat milk chemistry, or take a shortcut and get the perfect goat milk soap here at Oshun. Don’t worry, we won’t tell anyone.
Can You Freeze Goat Milk? The Appeal of Freezing Goat Milk for Soap
Let’s start with a very important question: Can you freeze goat milk? Thankfully, yes, or else we’d have a very short article on our hands. Here’s why freezing goat milk isn’t just possible, it’s essential to making the best goat milk soap at home.
Why Freeze Goat Milk for Soap Making?
When goat milk hits lye, a reaction occurs that can cause the milk to scorch, leaving you with a soap that smells less like a spa day and more like burnt cheese. Freezing goat milk for soap slows down this chemical process, allowing you to mix the lye without any nasty surprises.
By keeping the milk cold, you avoid discoloration and unpleasant odors, resulting in that creamy, perfectly smooth soap texture that dreams (and skincare routines) are made of.
Nutrient Retention in Frozen Goat Milk
One of the biggest benefits of goat milk soap is its bounty of skin-loving nutrients - think vitamins A and D, fatty acids, and minerals like selenium. The good news? Freezing goat milk for soap doesn’t mess with these.
In fact, learning how to freeze goat milk for soap properly helps preserve all of these goodies, so when it thaws and mixes into your soap batter, it still delivers the hydration and nourishment your skin craves.
Common Uses of Frozen Goat Milk Beyond Soap
Believe it or not, goats don’t just make milk so that we can make soap. There are so many different uses for goat milk, and freezing it is a great way to preserve both its impressive nutrient profile and its shelf life.
Many people freeze goat milk for later use in cooking, adding it to smoothies, or even making homemade ice cream. It’s versatile, nourishing, and amazing for your skin. Interested in how goat milk soap ranks compared to other options? We have all the answers in these guides:
- Goat milk soap vs coconut milk soap
- Donkey milk soap vs goat milk soap
- Sheep vs goat milk soap
- Goat milk soap vs regular soap
- Cow milk soap vs goat milk soap
- Tallow vs goat milk soap
- Shea butter vs goat milk soap
How to Freeze Goat Milk for Soap: Best Practices for Preserving Key Nutrients
So, let’s talk about how to freeze goat milk for soap. Whether you’re trying a new goat milk shaving soap recipe or making goat milk soap for laundry detergent (yep, it works!), freezing goat milk for soap is the first step.
Sourcing High-Quality, Fresh Goat Milk
Before you even think about freezing, start with the best goat milk you can find. Look for milk that’s fresh, clean, and ideally from goats that are pasture-raised and well-fed. The fresher the milk, the better it will freeze and the more nutrients it will retain.
If you don’t happen to have a backyard goat (we can dream), local farms, specialty stores, and farmers markets are generally the best places to source fresh, pure goat milk from happy, healthy goats.
Choosing the Right Containers
Choosing the right container can make or break (sometimes literally) your freezing success. Opt for freezer-safe, airtight containers like glass jars, plastic tubs, or silicone molds. Mason jars are quaint, practical, and don’t take up too much space.
Avoid thin plastic bags or containers that aren’t designed to withstand low temperatures, as they can lead to freezer burn or leaking. Make sure the containers are sturdy and sealed tightly to keep the milk fresh.
Portioning Goat Milk into Small, Manageable Amounts
Freezing in bulk sounds great, until you realize you don’t need a gallon of goat milk for one batch of soap. To avoid waste, portion the milk into small, manageable amounts based on your goat milk soap recipe.
You might want to freeze in half-cup or one-cup portions, which is generally the amount you’ll need This way, you only thaw what you need, which keeps the rest of your goat milk safely frozen for next time.
Placing Containers Flat in the Freezer to Ensure Even Freezing
Even freezing is crucial for preventing unwanted ice crystals and preserving the milk’s smooth texture. Place your containers flat in the freezer to promote an even, quick freeze, which helps maintain the milk’s nutrient profile and texture.
If you need to move them later, that’s fine. Once they’re frozen, you can rearrange them however you like, but starting flat is key to avoiding clumpy, unevenly frozen milk, which doesn’t exactly set your soap up for success.
Labeling Containers With the Date for Freshness Tracking
You’ll probably remember that it’s goat milk, but will you remember when you put it in the freezer? Or exactly how much you froze? Maybe you will, but just to be safe, label each container with the date it was frozen so you can track freshness.
Goat milk typically lasts around 6 months in the freezer before it starts losing quality, so having a date marked ensures you use it within the optimal time frame. And if you have multiple batches in the freezer at once, it makes it a lot easier to identify which ones need to be used first.
Tips for Avoiding Freezer Burn
Have you ever opened a forgotten pint of ice cream to see it covered in ice without much cream? Yeah, that’s what you don’t want with your goat milk, and the secret is to make sure there’s as little air as possible in the container before sealing it.
If you’re using bags, press out as much air as possible. If you’re using jars, leave a bit of room for the milk to expand but not enough to create an air pocket. Another tip is to store the milk toward the back of the freezer, where the temperature tends to be more stable.
Tips on Thawing Goat Milk for Soap
I know, I know, you’ve only just learned how to freeze goat milk for soap, are you really ready to move on to thawing right away?! Take a deep breath, you’ll be fine. Here’s what you need to know.
The Importance of Proper Thawing
Thawing goat milk may seem like a minor detail, but doing it right makes all the difference. Improper thawing, like using high heat or rushing the process, can lead to nutrient degradation, curdling, or separation, which can mess with the texture and quality of your soap.
Proper thawing helps retain the milk's creamy consistency and preserves those precious vitamins and fats that give goat milk soap its luxurious feel. In short, taking your time here is worth it!
Safe and Effective Thawing Techniques
The safest way to thaw goat milk is in the refrigerator. Simply transfer your frozen milk from the freezer to the fridge and let it defrost slowly over 24 hours. This gradual thawing prevents shocking the milk and helps maintain its texture.
If you’re in more of a hurry, you can place the container of frozen milk in a bowl of cold water, changing the water every 30 minutes until thawed. Just avoid using warm or hot water, as this can cause the milk to separate or lose some of its beneficial properties.
Preparing Thawed Goat Milk for Soap Making
Once your milk is fully thawed, give it a quick stir to ensure it’s well-mixed and smooth. Thawed goat milk may sometimes separate slightly, with fats rising to the top, but a gentle stir will bring it back to its creamy consistency.
At this point, it's ready for soap making! Wondering how to make goat milk soap with frozen milk? Use it just as you would fresh goat milk, measuring out the amount your recipe calls for. Keeping the milk cool during soap making is key to avoiding any bad smells or discoloration when combined with lye.
Using Partially Frozen Goat Milk With Lye
Here’s a nifty trick: if you want to take an extra precaution against scorching your milk when mixing it with lye, you can use partially frozen goat milk. This keeps the milk cold enough to prevent any chemical reactions from overheating or burning the milk.
Just let the milk thaw until it’s slushy, then slowly add your lye while stirring. The icy texture will help regulate the temperature, resulting in a smooth, creamy soap without the risk of scorching or nasty smells.
Spoil Your Skin With the Best Goat Milk Soap Online at Oshun!
Whether you’ve tried it before or you’re just diving in, making your own goat milk soap is a whole ordeal. Even if everything goes perfectly (it usually doesn’t), it takes hours, plus you have to wait weeks for your soap to cure. Not to mention the cost to make goat milk soap at home!
If you don’t have that kind of time, don’t worry - we do! The ingredients in goat milk soap from Oshun are as natural as the ones you’d use at home, because we’re not a fan of chemicals on our skin, or yours. Instead, we searched the planet for the most hydrating, gentle, nourishing ingredients, and they’re in every bar!
Our soap is made in small batches, because you just can’t mass-produce quality. It gently exfoliates, but it’s so gentle and forgiving, making it the best goat milk soap for eczema, goat milk soap for acne, goats milk soap for psoriasis, or goat milk soap for sensitive skin.
We’ve spent years coming up with the perfect formulation, resulting in bars with so many different goat milk soap uses. Can you wash your clothes with it? Absolutely. Can you use goat milk soap on your hair? Please do!
Each bar is rich in vitamins, minerals, and naturally hydrating fats from pure goat milk. Treat yourself to Oshun's goat milk soap and give yourself a luxurious spa day with every. single. shower.
Final Thoughts on How to Freeze Goat Milk for Soap
Can you freeze goat milk? Yes, and if you’re making goat milk soap, you absolutely should. Goat milk can scorch when it hits lye, but if the milk is very cold, this chemical reaction occurs much more slowly. In non-sciency terms, your soap won’t smell bad or look weird.
If you don’t have the time (or freezer space) to freeze goat milk, then thaw it, and THEN make soap with it, you might find yourself wondering where to buy goat milk soap instead. Hi! We’re Oshun, and we’ve done all the hard work for you.
Our premium, small-batch goat milk soap contains the world’s finest nourishing, hydrating, exfoliating ingredients (think Himalayan salt from India and shea butter from Ghana), responsibly sourced and safe for even the most sensitive skin.
Go on, treat yourself. See just how soft, hydrated, and glowing your skin can be when you ditch big-brand chemicals and switch to Oshun’s small batch, natural goat milk soap.
Graz-y about goat milk soap? Check out these other guides to learn more: how long does goat milk soap last, how to melt goat milk soap, and TFM in soap.