Here’s how to freeze large and small amounts of heavy cream, to keep leftovers from going to waste, and stock up when you find a good deal.
How to Freeze Leftover Heavy Cream
If you bought heavy cream for a recipe and now you’re left with a partial container that you don’t know what to do with, freezing it is a good option.
Since most recipes only call for a small amount of heavy cream, it’s smart to freeze leftovers in small batches.
This makes it easy to pull out only what you need, leaving the rest frozen; and greatly reduces, or even eliminates, thawing time.
To do this, simply pour the cream into ice cube trays or muffin tins and place them in the freezer.
Most ice cube trays make two tablespoon cubes, and most muffin tins accommodate between 1/4-1/2 cups in each muffin cup.
Use water and a liquid measuring cup to find out how much yours contains.
Once the cream is frozen, transfer the cubes or cups to freezer bags and place them back in the freezer.
This will make it easier to know how many you need to get for the recipe you’re working on.
Leftover whipped cream can also be frozen for later use.
Here’s how I recommend freezing it.
How to Freeze Containers Filled with Heavy Cream
If you like to stock up on sour cream when it’s on sale or don’t shop often, you can also freeze full containers of sour cream until you need it.
Since liquids expand when they freeze, you only need to remove about an inch of heavy cream from each box before placing them in the freezer.
How to use frozen heavy cream
Once you defrost your cream, it will be able to do all the things it was able to do before.
If the butter appears to have separated during thawing, stir it again before using it.
Need to add a small amount of cream to a soup, sauce or hot dish?
So there is no need to defrost it first.
Just add it directly to the pot or skillet and it thaws while the recipe cooks.
If your ice cube tray produces two-tablespoon cubes, here’s how to convert your cubes to cup measurements:
Uses for heavy cream
If you don’t have a lot of freezer space right now, consider using the leftover heavy cream to make homemade ice cream, sour cream, or whipped cream.
How to Freeze Heavy Cream
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Here’s the best way to freeze sour cream so it’s easy to grab and use.
Milk cream
To Freeze Small Portions: Pour the cream into ice cube trays or muffin cups.
Freeze.
Then transfer the frozen cubes or cups to a freezer bag.
To Freeze Full Containers: Pour an inch of cream from the carton or bottle, to allow room for expansion.
Then place the container in the freezer.
How to use: If you only need a small amount for a soup, sauce or hot dish, go ahead and add the still frozen cream.
It will defrost while the dish cooks.
If you need a large amount for ice cream, etc., thaw the cream in the refrigerator before using.
Cream that has been frozen can still be whipped to stiff peaks.
Most ice cube trays yield 2 tablespoons of ice cubes.
Muffin tins vary in size, with each cup containing between 1/4-1/2 cup.
Measure yours before filling it with heavy cream.
If your ice cube tray yields 2 tablespoons of cubes, here are some helpful conversions: 2 cubes = 1/4 cup, 4 cubes = 1/2 cup, 6 cubes = 3/4 cup, 8 cubes = 1 cup