If you have too much yogurt, you might be tempted to freeze it so that it lasts longer. After all, the dairy product is nutrient-rich and so versatile, so tossing away the extras would be a shame. Frozen yogurt can be used in smoothies, as an ingredient in baking, and as a "froyo" style dessert.

But is it safe to freeze your yogurt? Experts at www.marthastewart.com say yes—but do it correctly. They elaborate: “Simply tossing a container of yogurt into the freezer isn't optimal. There are safer, more effective ways to prolong the life of the dairy product.”

They explain that yogurt is milk that has been transformed thanks to heat and active healthy bacteria cultures (Lactobacillus Acidophilus, for example). If you freeze natural yogurt that has no added ingredients, don’t look for a creamy result when it defrosts. Freezing destroys all hope of creaminess; the results are unpleasant graininess due to the forming and thawing of the ice crystals.

Most commercially available yogurts have added cornstarch, pectin, gelatin, or food starch to prevent separating and to maintain a smooth and creamy texture. Those added ingredients can help mitigate the effects of freezing. But still, even those are likely to show damage from the process.

But here’s the deal: Whether or not you choose to freeze your yogurt depends on how you plan to use it. If you are going to use it in baking (such as in the blueberry yogurt cake, below) or in a smoothie, for instance, the texture change from defrosting isn’t an issue.

And here’s a hot tip: Martha’s experts suggest that to make it easier to manage, freeze it in ice cube trays so you don't end up with a large, unwieldy block that takes a long time to defrost or mix in a blender.

If you want to make froyo style frozen yogurt for dessert, you'll need to adjust both the ingredients and the freezing technique. Nicole Weston, author of Perfectly Creamy Frozen Yogurt ($9.90, amazon.com) explains, "One reason why 'frozen yogurt' is different from 'yogurt that has been frozen' is that it contains more added ingredients.”

She explains that homemade frozen yogurts, including hers, add sweeteners that act as stabilizers to give the desserts a creamier texture when scooped, as well as to enhance the flavor of the finished frozen yogurt. Store-bought frozen yogurts typically add both sweeteners and extra stabilizers, both of which prevent the yogurt base from breaking and maintain their creamy texture after freezing. Weston continues, “A couple of the ways I stabilize yogurt for frozen desserts is by adding sugar and using a meringue mixture of beaten egg whites and sugar.” She also notes that higher fat yogurt and strained yogurt yield better results.

If you have any extra yogurt hanging around, and are interested in making your own frozen dessert with it, here’s a delicious recipe from a favorite site, www.chocolatecoveredkatie.com. Katie says that the best part about this healthy frozen treat is how easy it is to make. And it’s versatile, too. Turn it into chocolate frozen yogurt, or strawberry frozen yogurt, or peanut butter, coconut, coffee, blueberry, cake batter…the list can go on.

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