Milk can be frozen - ideally in 500 ml plastic bottles or cartons as it takes quite a time to thaw or in ice-cube trays for handy individual portions. Just because the container says “use by …”, don’t just throw milk away – use your nose or check whether the milk separates in hot water. Nowadays milk keeps a lot longer than it used to, as long as it has been kept cool.
Surplus milk that’s still fresh can be used to make pancakes or smoothies/milkshakes (add fruit and yoghurt to thicken). If you’re feeling a bit more adventurous, it can be used to make sauces, form the basis of a creamy soup or rice pudding.
If the milk is turning sour, it is ideal for making scones or can also be turned into soft cheese. To make cheese, heat the milk to boiling point, add a few drops of lemon juice and a little salt, then leave it to strain for an hour or so. To do this, line a sieve with muslin or other fine cloth, clean tea-towel, old (clean) tights, etc. and leave over a bowl. The milk will separate into curds and whey. Squeeze the curds to extract as much liquid as possible to make excellent scones. The whey can also be used to make excellent scones.