Question about milk and freshness

[elegantlion]

Because it's just ds and me, we rarely use milk. He'll have it on cereal and I use it cooking once in a great while. I buy a quart and it will go bad before it's out. Aside from getting a goat as ds suggested earlier this evening (he would eat the grass too), is there another way to have semi-fresh milk on such an irregular basis. I don't want to run to the store immediately on those days we do use milk. 

 

Are there other kinds of milk (we use 2% cow's milk) that stay fresher longer? Powdered milk was kind of gross the few times we had it. Ds is very picky about freshness and won't drink it if it's just a bit off.

[Scarlett]

I am picky about my milk too. I will only use it on cereal about 3 days after opening. I will cook with it way past that. Basically my solution is to only eat cereal the first three days. :)

[Catwoman]

Have you tried freezing it in smaller bottles?

 

Put one of the frozen bottles in the refrigerator the night before you want to use it.

[Melissa in Australia]

can you get UHT milk? it stores on the shelf for months and months until opened. You can buy it in single serves as well.

[Annie G]

We  use very little milk so I buy it in the little half pints like we used to get at school. I can get them for 42 cents at Walmart and I root around for the ones with the best use by date- usually I can find ones with 14-20 days of shelf life left.  I open it and use it within a week or so, but even if it starts smelling funky, I've only wasted a little bit.   I usually buy a couple of them when I shop, and yeah, the price per ounce is higher than buying it in half gallons but I'm throwing away very little of it so it's really costing me less. 

[elegantlion]

I am picky about my milk too. I will only use it on cereal about 3 days after opening. I will cook with it way past that. Basically my solution is to only eat cereal the first three days. :)

 

I wish I could convince ds to do that, but it's like Murphy's Law. I buy the milk and he's not in the mood for it for 4-5 days. 

 

Have you tried freezing it in smaller bottles?

 

Put one of the frozen bottles in the refrigerator the night before you want to use it.

 

I haven't tried that, does milk freeze well? 

 

 

can you get UHT milk? it stores on the shelf for months and months until opened. You can buy it in single serves as well.

 

I've never heard of that. I'll look for it though. Single servings would be great. 

[Ali in OR]

Our grocery stores usually have milk with a use by date that's almost 2 weeks later. I've noticed the milk is bad before that at times--I think it might be warmer at the front of the fridge than the back and it may go bad faster there. Also dd's whole milk seems to go bad faster than the skim milk--maybe higher milk fat makes a difference.

 

[elegantlion]

We  use very little milk so I buy it in the little half pints like we used to get at school. I can get them for 42 cents at Walmart and I root around for the ones with the best use by date- usually I can find ones with 14-20 days of shelf life left.  I open it and use it within a week or so, but even if it starts smelling funky, I've only wasted a little bit.   I usually buy a couple of them when I shop, and yeah, the price per ounce is higher than buying it in half gallons but I'm throwing away very little of it so it's really costing me less. 

 

Oh, I'll have to check for those. For that price I could do it, I thought they were higher, maybe they are here. 

[Jenrae]

We actually switched to Horizon Organic 2 % milk and found that it stays fresh twice the amount of time as regular 2 % milk.

 

For a half gallon of organic it usually cost the same we would spend for a gallon of reg. milk, but because it doesn't spoil as fast, we figure it is worth the cost to buy the organic. Works for us, plus we don't get the antibiotics that I wanted to stay away from.

[Catwoman]

I haven't tried that, does milk freeze well?

Skim, 1%, and 2% freeze well. Whole milk is fine, too, but once it thaws in the refrigerator, I find it tastes best if I shake the bottle before I use it. Also, if you open and drink the whole milk when there is still a chunk of ice in the bottle, it's kind of watery.

[KungFuPanda]

I've very rarely had milk go bad on me before the expiration date. Is your fridge cold enough? Or can you not use it before it expires? I only ever buy whole milk. In your position. I'd resort to the single serving shelf stable boxes of milk.

[shawthorne44]

Buy whole milk.  Since you use it rarely, it isn't like your fat consumption will go up.  The more fat in the milk, the longer it lasts,  We buy Horizon whole milk and it lasts for weeks.  

[Annie G]

Buy whole milk.  Since you use it rarely, it isn't like your fat consumption will go up.  The more fat in the milk, the longer it lasts,  We buy Horizon whole milk and it lasts for weeks.  

 

Is Horizon milk UHT? I had some several years ago at a friend's house and it tasted funny- and she told me it was UHT and that almost all organic milk was. I remember when the aseptic packages of milk came out my kids wouldn't drink it, claiming it had an off taste. 

 

But that was YEARS ago and they may have made improvements in the way UHT milk tastes. 

 

 

That's interesting about full fat milk lasting longer- I buy half and half and it has a LONG shelf life but at our store the whole milk is always dated days shorter than the 2% or skim.  It never occurred to me that the whole should last longer than skim since cream and half and half enjoy long shelf lives. 

[kiana]

ultrapasteurized will work. Freezing de-homogenizes it so you'll need to shake it before drinking, but other than that not really an issue.

[shawthorne44]

Is Horizon milk UHT? I had some several years ago at a friend's house and it tasted funny- and she told me it was UHT and that almost all organic milk was. I remember when the aseptic packages of milk came out my kids wouldn't drink it, claiming it had an off taste. 

 

But that was YEARS ago and they may have made improvements in the way UHT milk tastes. 

 

 

That's interesting about full fat milk lasting longer- I buy half and half and it has a LONG shelf life but at our store the whole milk is always dated days shorter than the 2% or skim.  It never occurred to me that the whole should last longer than skim since cream and half and half enjoy long shelf lives. 

 

 

I went and looked, and it said "Ultra pasteurized, Homogenized".  Although, I realized I was wrong.  We switched to the Central Market brand because Mondays is any 3 quarts for $6.  The date is Dec 30, and they were bought the Monday before Thanksgiving.  

 

I wonder if people don't drink much whole milk where you live, so it sits on the shelves longer?   You might look at the Organic Milk with DHA added.  At least where I live that is what people with toddlers get, and it flies off the shelf.  

[SparklyUnicorn]

UHT milk makes me want to gag.

 

Buy heavy cream.  A pint size or half pint size.  You can water down a bit.  Heavy cream lasts the longest.

 

 

[prairiewindmomma]

Walmart in our region sells parmalat. It is shelf stable. Costco carries individual servings, I think the Walmart ones are 1L boxes.

[KatieJ]

DH and I are in the same boat here. I disliked the flavor of UHT milk. I keep almond milk and cream in the fridge. If I need milk one of those will work.

[umsami]

Buy the UHT (ultra-pasteurized milk...on the shelf).  It comes in quarts and individual sizes.  Just put it in the fridge the night before or keep it in the fridge sealed.