How long does raw milk "keep"?

[Samiam]

Super excited...just found a dairy farm that delivers raw milk on bi-weekly schedule. Even better that the pick up location is only about one mile from my house!

 

I'm thinking I would get two gallons at each delivery...only 2 of my children really drink milk just for drinking. The rest would be cooking, hot chocolate, etc.

 

So would a gallon of raw milk stay fresh for that 2nd week if it wasn't even opened until the beginning of that 2nd week?

Edited November 21, 2011 by Samiam

[LittleIzumi]

I wouldn't try it the 2nd week, personally.

 

http://www.raw-milk-facts.com/Raw_Milk_FAQ.html

 

A: When kept at the optimal temperature of 36-38° F. (2.2-3.3°C.) you can expect fresh raw milk to last from 7-10 days. Higher temperatures allow the normally occurring lactobacilli to get busy making lactic acid, which gives soured milk its characteristically tangy taste and reduces its shelf life. Bring a cooler bag and ice or gel packs with you when buying milk on hot summer days or if you have a long drive home - it'll stay fresher tasting longer.

[Ellie]

Yes. At least, that was our experience when we were part of a raw-milk co-op.

[kfeusse]

yea ours too. We buy every other week as well, and we are doing good if our milk lasts 10-11 days. Sorry about that news. BUT the health benifits from the raw milk that you will be drinking is awesome!! Good find for you!!!

[redsquirrel]

I've been part of a raw milk collective for years and we find that at 8 days the milk is done. It might or it might not last a day or two more, but you can't count on that. The time it takes for it to turn is shorter in the summer and longer in the winter. If the bottle is unopened it will last a little longer. So, if I have an unopened bottle on the 7th day it should be ok for a day and a half longer.

 

But, others have a different experience so I don't know what to tell you.

 

We get delivery every Saturday, so if we have any milk left over we make kefir on Sunday.

[speedmom4]

I keep our raw milk very cold and it lasts over 2 weeks. It is VERY obvious when the milk is bad.

 

Elise in NC

[LND1218]

I haven't kept milk for 2 weeks. I keep my milk just 7or 8 days, but our pick up is once a week.

 

I'm thinking I would get two gallons at each delivery...only 2 of my children really drink milk just for drinking. The rest would be cooking, hot chocolate, etc.

 

Using raw milk for cooking defeats the purpose of having raw milk. You can use it, but by heating it to the point of boiling you are basically pasteurizing it. So you may as well use pasteurized milk for cooking. Since we generally only use raw milk and don't have pasteurized milk on hand, I do sometimes cook with it especially the cream for soups. But if I am doing a lot of cooking, I get regular milk.

[LaxMom]

I keep our raw milk very cold and it lasts over 2 weeks. It is VERY obvious when the milk is bad.

 

Elise in NC

 

That's our experience as well.

[celticmom]

I would plan on freezing half the milk when you get it.

[JMDRAD]

We used to do purchase raw milk until our provider got busted. It's against the law to sell it where I live. :confused: Anyways, yes, I've kept raw milk for two weeks. I keep it in the very back of my fridge and I don't ever let it just sit out when we are eating breakfast. It's perfectly fine and you can definitely tell when it's gone sour. I've used it to cook with when it's gone slightly sour and we've never gotten sick or anything.

 

I've tried freezing it before but the fat separates into little globs and it's just weird to drink (although the kids did not mind it).

[livingnlearning]

We usually drink ours before it gets a chance to go bad but when our cow is really putting it out there (or the kids are out of town) we have kept it for as long as 10 days or two weeks, as long as it's been in the coldest part of the fridge without having been shaken or taken out.

 

If I start noticing we're falling behind I'll make a quick batch of yogurt or sour cream and turn it into something else.

 

We couldn't freeze ours either b/c it was whole milk-if we separate we can freeze the skim milk but not the whole. Those cream globs just never go back to normal!

[Samiam]

I haven't kept milk for 2 weeks. I keep my milk just 7or 8 days, but our pick up is once a week.

 

 

 

Using raw milk for cooking defeats the purpose of having raw milk. You can use it, but by heating it to the point of boiling you are basically pasteurizing it. So you may as well use pasteurized milk for cooking. Since we generally only use raw milk and don't have pasteurized milk on hand, I do sometimes cook with it especially the cream for soups. But if I am doing a lot of cooking, I get regular milk.

 

Well, I guess it kind of defeats the purpose...but on the other hand, the raw organic milk is actually cheaper than purchasing the organic milk at the grocery store. I'm not going to go buy milk just for cooking purposes, on the other hand, I do often find milk called for in recipes, so it would make sense that I would just use the milk I have on hand, in this case, what I will have on hand is the raw milk. So it's not as if I am intending to purchase this JUST for cooking...it's more about the drinking, the 2 DS who would drink this, would drink it for every meal, if I let them.

 

On the other hand, even if I was just purchasing for cooking, the purpose is not totally defeated. It's still, fresh from the source milk, without having gone from a dirty farm, to a factory, to a milk truck, to the regional warehouse, to the back of the grocery store, then to my house. There's a whole thought process to buying local..and that purpose is not defeated no matter how I end up using the milk.

 

But anyhoo, good advice, thanks to all! I'll guess I'll just start with two gallons bi-weekly, and see how it goes...if we get to much waste, I'll cut back to the one gallon.

 

Woohoo..so excited to have found raw milk!!

[Captivated]

Hmmm - I buy 4 gallons every other week. I keep two for the 2nd week and have not once, in 3 years EVER had a gallon go bad.

[LND1218]

Well, I guess it kind of defeats the purpose...but on the other hand, the raw organic milk is actually cheaper than purchasing the organic milk at the grocery store. I'm not going to go buy milk just for cooking purposes, on the other hand, I do often find milk called for in recipes, so it would make sense that I would just use the milk I have on hand, in this case, what I will have on hand is the raw milk. So it's not as if I am intending to purchase this JUST for cooking...it's more about the drinking, the 2 DS who would drink this, would drink it for every meal, if I let them.

 

On the other hand, even if I was just purchasing for cooking, the purpose is not totally defeated. It's still, fresh from the source milk, without having gone from a dirty farm, to a factory, to a milk truck, to the regional warehouse, to the back of the grocery store, then to my house. There's a whole thought process to buying local..and that purpose is not defeated no matter how I end up using the milk.

 

But anyhoo, good advice, thanks to all! I'll guess I'll just start with two gallons bi-weekly, and see how it goes...if we get to much waste, I'll cut back to the one gallon.

 

Woohoo..so excited to have found raw milk!!

 

Wow, that's great it's cheap. Here raw is more expensive than organic pasteurized milk. So when I am doing something like hot chocolate where I use a 1/2 gallon at a time, I get the cheaper stuff. Here it's from a local farm too. But for small things - 1/2 a cup here or there I use the raw.