I read a cooking tip in my local newspaper, If you have leftover cream perilously close to its expiration date, just freeze it. Well, I haven’t been to impressed with freezing dairy, but I always seem to have leftover cream sitting in my fridge that will ultimately be thrown out. If it could actually freeze that would be such a time and money saver.

The tip also went on to say that you could whip the cream and freeze the dollops for several weeks; and the best part they only take about 10 minutes to thaw at room temperature. Now this was one tip I couldn’t overlook. How many times would having pre-whipped cream have been so nice? Too many to count at my house. Not only would this be great for the holiday, but anytime you have company over. It would be such an easy thing to prepare ahead of time.

I was skeptical that this would actually work. First, my cream carton said clearly on the side DO NOT FREEZE. So I had to put these freezer cream tips to the test.

To freeze liquid cream, you have to leave 1/2 inch at the top of the container, giving the cream plenty of room for expansion. I used containers designed for freezer products, but I think any freezer-safe jar or container with a lid would do; you could even reuse a cottage cheese or yogurt container. It will thaw overnight if placed in the refrigerator. It will most likely separate, so shake it before using. This really does work!

For the whipped cream, I placed small dollops on a parchment lined baking sheet and placed in my freezer until frozen. Then I placed them in an airtight container and returned them to the freezer. When I checked a couple weeks later, they still looked good. I pulled a few out, let them defrost on the counter. They still held their shape and tasted just like fresh whipped cream!

Freezing cream is one kitchen tip I am glad I discovered. I hope it saves you time and money in your kitchen as well.