I paid $6 the other day because of shortages brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. 99 for a gallon of milk. Those seven dollars, people, I’d be much happier spending them on something else, to put it mildly.
Despite not being a big milk drinker myself and being powerless over milk prices, my husband loves it. Since we raise a lot of animals on our small farm, but dairy cows are not currently – and probably never will be – one of them, it follows that it is a staple on our weekly grocery shopping list.
Fortunately, there are a few techniques you can use to at least prolong the freshness of milk. You’ll be able to stretch your grocery budget and get slightly more for your money by doing this. No more spoiled milk!.
Although some people have done it without incident, it isn’t really advised; instead, keep reading to learn about other methods for long-term milk preservation.
However, sometimes we throw away milk just because it’s getting close to its use-by date and we assume that it can’t be used past that time. The majority of milk is thrown away because it’s not used in time.
That’s true, to some extent. However, what if you could “save” the milk that is on the verge of spoiling?
To make milk last longer, freeze it. Before the expiration date, you can store it in the freezer at any time (just don’t try to freeze milk that has gone bad).
Pour it into ice cube trays or an airtight container. If you don’t mind it leaking, you can also keep it in the original container. If you’re planning a trip, this is a great way to store milk and keep it fresher longer.
Now, I do have one piece of advice here. If you only intend to drink the milk in a glass, frozen and then thawed milk won’t taste the best.
Some of the fat separates as a result of the freezing and thawing process, which doesn’t have the best flavor in the world. However, this tip will work just fine if you only intend to use it in recipes or hot drinks.
The best way to defrost frozen milk is to put it in the fridge for a couple of days. If you need to do it quickly, you can also place it in a bowl of cold water.
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I would spend money on a tiny thermos bottle, about the size you would require for a day. They can also keep cold food cold, as they are not only made to keep hot food hot. Select a size that will be as full as possible when you start because it will maintain its shape better.
What the small B says is this If it’s good for morning tea, it’ll also be good for coffee in the afternoon:
If you really want to go all out, pre-chill the container and then fill it with thoroughly chilled milk from your refrigerator. If you discover that the milk doesn’t stay cold enough until the end of your workday or your final coffee break, you could even freeze some milk as ice cubes. Keep the thermos out of direct sunlight and away from other heat sources.
You should also keep in mind that you have a “two-hours in the danger zone” buffer and that “unsafe” doesn’t necessarily equal “spoiled.” The risk for a healthy adult should be minimal, particularly when the milk is still quite cold and only shortly after the two-hour window. No recommendation, just a thought.
Making the switch to substitute milk won’t have any impact on food safety.
Your best bet for longevity is UHT milk – in individual portions. Its the same stuff you get in hotel rooms.
Pic from Amazon, anonymised. Despite not tasting exactly like real milk, it is nearly indestructible and inert.
Large cartons wouldn’t work because once it’s opened, you have to treat it like real milk.
There are dozens of brands – this was just one that Google found near the top of the list – Amazon UK – UHT MILK PORTIONS 1 x 120 portions (10ML)
At a previous job, we successfully applied an age-old camping tip in a similar circumstance. We wrapped the bottle holding the day’s milk in a damp cloth and set it in a bowl of water in the draft from an open window. The evaporative cooling produced that way is really quite effective. Purchase a small bottle or transport it in an insulated container.
A cool bag with an ice pack is another camping-style solution; place your milk bottle in the insulated bag with the ice. Either purchase ice packs and freeze them, or fill a drink bottle with water to about two-thirds full and freeze that. In either case, it works well enough that you might need to keep the ice pack away from the milk container to prevent some milk from freezing.
As an alternative to the (very good) vacuum bottle suggestions, Insulated lunchboxes with an ice-pack are great. My kids use them for school and the ice-pack is often still partially frozen at the end of the day, even when kept outside in hot weather.
Additionally, you can place other snacks or lunch in there to keep cool.
You can use a mini fridge to keep your milk cool or cold. I don’t know if this is possible for you at work, but it hasn’t been mentioned as a possibility.
(I purposefully omitted the because I’m not trying to promote a particular product. ).
Although I’m not connected to the seller or manufacturer, I do own one of these refrigerators. It is convenient to carry if necessary and works well for small loads, in my experience.
First off, microbes that land in the milk and grow there instead of air cause the milk to spoil. So keeping it cool is one thing, and keeping microbes out is another.
I have milk in my office without issue up to about 20 °C throughout the working day (I do have a fridge, but where do I put it if I won’t finish the package on the same day) (I do have a fridge, though). Since the milk packages here have screw caps, I immediately close them after opening them, which extends the milk’s shelf life significantly compared to the cut-open packages we previously used. Ive also kept milk etc. when it is cooler outside, on the office’s outside window sill.
My experience with UHT milk is that it does taste somewhat different from microfiltrated/ESL/”fresh” milk, but there also seem to be differences. Until I once had a revolting-tasting UHT milk (French brand purchased in Italy), I never understood people talking about revolting taste. The takeaway is that it might be worthwhile to shop around a little and see if you can find UHT milk that you like for the coffee. A fun fact is that some people prefer UHT milk to “fresh” milk. g. Since their milk was spoiled or starting to spoil so frequently when he was a child, my father always associated fresh milk with being spoiled.
Although milk is sold in smaller packages (I’ve seen 500, 250, and 200 ml), the standard milk package size here is 1 l. There is also evaporated milk. The variety we have here doesn’t have added sugar, so when left out at room temperature, it only slightly outlasts regular milk. However, you might be able to find it in a small (e g. Even if you can’t find small milk packages, try 150 ml) packages.
Another option (with UHT in regular packages) would be to pool resources with coworkers and quickly consume each package one at a time rather than having multiple open milk packages spoil simultaneously. Even though we had a fridge in every location, this strategy was used by the majority of the groups I’ve been in thus far.
Would using one of those tiny refrigerator-like car cool boxes that are available as a solution?
Insulated Stainless steel double-walled vacuum bottles, like these. Make sure to pick one with a wide mouth so that you can use a bottle brush to clean it. Just keep it out of direct sun light. Keeps cold up to 24 hours, hot up to 12 hours. Many brands, colors, sizes, configurations. No waste, reusable, will last for years. It gets really hot here in Texas and these will still have ice at the end of the day. Of course, the milk needs to be cold when you fill the bottle.
Utilize powdered milk that is intended to be mixed right into coffee or tea. This will save you the trouble of making milk by first combining your dried milk and water.
I always have a can of Coffee Mate on hand for this. Whiteners are frequently used to describe these instead of powdered milk.
It is comparable to adding heavy milk or cream to coffee. To use, add a spoonful of the powder to your hot beverage and stir.
Tetrapacks of almond milk have been brought on week-long backcountry camping trips by me. Although it doesn’t taste like cow’s milk, it is sufficiently removed from the uncanny valley to not completely alter the flavor of the coffee. They are good for at least a few days after opening and last as long as UHT milk when they are still sealed.
I would say almond milk might be best. Although it doesn’t taste exactly like regular milk, it is also better for you.
Despite not being formally an answer to the question, a solution
Wean yourself off milk.
When I used too much cream in my coffee, I used to be unable to drink it without saying, “If there is no milk, there is no coffee.” “.
I became frustrated over spoiled cream and wasted money. I couldn’t finish the quart of creamer I bought before its expiration date. Usually, the smaller pint was gone before it went bad, but the cost was considerably higher. The fact that pints always seemed to have dates further in the future than quarts was more irritating (shouldn’t have let it bother me, but it did).
I started reducing the amount of cream I put in my coffee, and now I don’t mind drinking it black. It took a few months to become more cautious with the dosage.
The added benefit is that I now eat less fat (and don’t have to give up coffee before blood work when I visit the doctor for a checkup once a year)
I still occasionally treat myself to a little almond milk (or a latte at a coffee shop), but being able to drink black coffee is much more convenient, less messy, requires fewer dishes to clean, costs less money, and causes less bother when I’m hosting friends.
Most importantly, my diet contains slightly less fat each morning. Every little bit helps.
The cleverly named “Coffee and Milk” product from Nestle is a pre-mix of sweetened condensed milk and coffee. There is nothing like coffee available in tins or tubes.
There is no need for a refrigerator because there is nothing to chill. Downside is the drink is boiling hot. For me, this is also a taste of my hiking and tramping excursions.
There are possibly more readily available sweetened condensed milk products, but they typically come in cans for baking. If you like the taste then its a viable alternative. Check the label because some of them advise refrigeration after opening.
When I lived in China, milk was never refrigerated and was sold in what could be called a “juice box.” I thought milk always needed to be chilled before moving there, but this is simply not the case. It can remain at room temperature, as mentioned in some of the answers above. as long as it stays sealed for up to six months (there are some restrictions) However, depending on the container and the milk you are using (what % of M F) it can stay opened for up to 8. Even then, I would have no problem dropping it into a steaming cup of coffee.
Based on Stephen M. In a fresh glass container, I experimented with almond and oat milk at the advice of Webb and Cbele. The milk doesn’t appear to be at risk of spoiling during the day. Personally i like oat-milk better than almond-milk. I’ve been carrying around 120 ml of oat milk with me every day for the past few weeks without experiencing any negative health effects or amusing flavor changes.
The glass container is a 130 ml glass bottle, easy to clean and dishwasher safe. (It was originally bought for storing breast milk.) This has benefits over a vaccuum flask in that 1) it is smaller and therefore easier to fit in a laptop bag, 2) it is easy to keep clean even for a disorganised person like me who leaves it in the bag overnight sometimes and finally 3) luke warm milk does not cool my coffee too much.
Although it really does not seem necessary, I may decide to store the bottle in a can-cooler or an insulated lunchbox or bag.
I want to thank everyone for the overwhelming response to this first-world issue.
There is no problem. Most of supermarkets stores milk in the outside of fridge. Milk shouldnt contact sunlight. You have to store it without sunlight.
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# Keep it in the Fridge – and at the Right Temperature
We all know that milk should be kept in the refrigerator, but did you know that it must be kept there at a specific temperature?
Around 32 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit is the ideal range for milk storage in the refrigerator. Your milk will remain fresh for a while if you stay within this range, but not nearly as long as it could
Another suggestion is to be aware of the location of the milk in the refrigerator. Don’t put it in the door. Here, it will be subjected to temperature fluctuations, which will hasten its demise. Milk will lose its freshness more quickly the more it is exposed to warm air.
When it comes to keeping milk fresh for a longer period of time, the coldest areas of the refrigerator are ideal. Usually, those places are the back and bottom. Just be cautious not to let the refrigerator get too cold or you might get ice chips in the milk.
# Add a Pinch of Salt
Okay, maybe everybody knows this trick already. However, for those of you who may not be aware, adding a pinch of salt to a gallon of milk will extend its shelf life. Store bought or fresh, it doesn’t matter. Something about the salt keeps the milk from spoiling as quickly and preserves it. (Of course, milk doesn’t keep well enough here to spoil)
You can also freeze it. Just a little should be removed before freezing to accommodate expansion I try to use it within two months. When you’re ready to use it, simply defrost it for a few days in the refrigerator or in a sink filled with hot water.
If you don’t have any salt, immediately after opening it, you can substitute a teaspoon of baking soda. This will add another week to its shelf life.