How long can milk be stored and how to properly store it at home?

Milk can be called a unique food product because it has no analogues. Dairy products contain a set of vitamins and microelements necessary for a developing body. Therefore, every person becomes acquainted with it in childhood. For many years, debate has not subsided whether this product is useful for an adult, or can only a child’s body absorb it well? But until the exact answer is found, people of all ages enjoy drinking this drink and feel great about it. Today we will talk about how to store milk and give several original ways to preserve this product.

Kinds

Today you can purchase almost any of the existing dairy products. The milk itself is presented in a large assortment. On supermarket shelves you can see not only traditional cow meat, but also goat and sheep meat. This product is also distinguished by the type of processing.

Sterilized is a product that is heated above +100°C and boiled for several minutes. Many people do this treatment at home using regular boiling. This treatment destroys all beneficial and harmful bacteria, including lactic acid bacteria. Such a drink no longer contains useful elements, but does not change its taste, and remains suitable for consumption for quite a long time.
Pasteurized - with this treatment the product is heated to + 60°C once. Milk of this treatment should be stored at a temperature of +3°C - +5°C for 2 - 3 days. After this time, the product will begin to sour.
Ultra-pasteurized – a product quickly heated to +150°C and cooled just as quickly. The storage conditions for milk after such treatment are similar to those for pasteurized milk, but it will be stored longer, since all the bacteria that lead to sour milk when heated die. It must be said that the taste and beneficial qualities in such products are preserved almost completely.

GOSTs define the following types of milk:

Whole. A product that has been strained but cannot be changed in fat content. It fully preserves the natural ratio of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates.
Low fat. Cream is separated from such milk using a separation process. It has a taste similar to whole, but the content of fats, proteins and carbohydrates in it is reduced by 2 times. This product is used by people who watch their weight.
Normalized. First, the products are completely degreased and the cream is separated. Then, by adding cream to the low-fat product, the required fat content is achieved. The composition is normalized so that the fat content is not too high. Cottage cheese, sour cream and other products with the required fat content are made from this milk.
Refurbished. It is made from a powder product or milk concentrate with the addition of water.

Is it possible to freeze

Frozen milk will be stored for a long time. Fresh food that has not been processed thermally or chemically can be frozen for a long period of up to 3-4 months. At the same time, all beneficial properties will be preserved. Store-bought milk can also be frozen, but for no more than 6 weeks. It is worth choosing a temperature in the range of -15-22 °C. To ensure that there are no clots in the product after defrosting, the fat content of the drink should be low.

To ensure that a valuable product does not lose its beneficial properties and is always of high quality, it is necessary to ensure proper storage of milk. By preserving its beneficial qualities, a person can strengthen his immunity. And it’s impossible to count how many delicious dishes and products based on it are on sale and for self-cooking.

How do you like the article?

Types of packaging

Products sold in plastic bags or cardboard bags are most often pasteurized. Pasteurized milk can be stored for no more than 3 to 5 days.

Products that have undergone ultra-pasteurization and sterilization are bottled under completely sterile conditions. After such treatment, milk is stored only in special packaging made using Tetra-Pak technology. They provide storage conditions under which the product retains all its qualities for up to six months. Ultra-pasteurized products should not be purchased in containers made of polyethylene and cardboard.

What are the differences between homemade milk and store bought milk?

In industrial milk production, in order to maintain large milk yields, hormonal drugs are often used, which reduces the quality of the product. And in households, livestock grazes in nature, and the paddocks are equipped to suit natural conditions. The value of such a product is that it contains a lot of Omega-3 fatty acids, since livestock is fed fresh grass and other greens.

Homemade products have much more useful components, but their shelf life is much shorter. Therefore, homemade products are fresher and their taste is richer

Milk storage

The shelf life depends on:

the type of processing to which the products were subjected;
storage locations;
packaging material.

If we talk about fresh homemade milk, it can be stored in a place with a low temperature for up to 48 hours if it is in a clean container with a lid. And after boiling, the shelf life of milk will be extended to 3 days on the refrigerator shelf.

Fresh and boiled varieties at room temperature will remain usable for 10 and 18 hours, respectively.

The longest storage is provided by Tetra Pak packaging. They keep the product fresh for up to six months.

Opened packages have a shorter shelf life.

Pasteurized milk has a maximum shelf life of up to 2 days.
Sterilized – up to 4 days.
Ultra-pasteurized product has a shelf life specified by the manufacturer on the packaging.
Fermented milk products, as a rule, remain usable for up to 3 days.

Expiration date, what affects it

It is known that shelf life is affected not only by storage conditions, but also by how it was processed. You can learn how to properly store milk, there is nothing complicated about it, you just need to take into account some nuances:

Milk processing method;
Package;
Storage conditions.

It is worth considering each point in more detail.

Storage conditions for fresh milk

People who prefer homemade or farm products often do not know how to store fresh milk. According to all the rules, this product must be pasteurized, otherwise it will spoil very quickly. Milk begins to sour after just 2 hours if it is at room temperature, and will only be suitable for processing into cottage cheese or kefir. But for this you need to have special starters, relevant knowledge and experience.

The shelf life of raw milk is given below:

+8°С -+10°С – shelf life up to 12 hours;
+6°С -+8°С – up to 18 hours;
+4°С -+6°С – up to 1 day;
+3°С -+4°С – up to 36 hours;
+1°С -+2°С – up to 2 days.

Goat meat also doesn't last long. It is boiled, poured into a glass container, sealed tightly and placed in the refrigerator. Best on the top shelf. In this way, the shelf life of goat milk can be extended by 3 days.

What to do if it goes sour?

The onset of souring can be easily determined by the appearance of a sour taste. Drinking such a drink can cause indigestion, but there is no need to rush to throw it away.

Sour milk is used to prepare various dishes:

pancakes and pancakes;
omelette;
cupcake or semolina;
curdled milk (matsoni);
cottage cheese;
plain cheese.

Here are some simple recipes using sour fat milk.

Cottage cheese and cheese

The sour milk is left at room temperature, protected from direct sunlight and covered with a clean cloth, until a curd appears. This takes 2-4 days. To speed up the curdling, you can add a spoonful of country sour cream or whey to the container.

When the clot is clearly separated from the transparent whey, the dishes are placed in a water bath and heated for 15-20 minutes. The cottage cheese is drained into a colander lined with gauze until the whey has completely drained.

To prepare simple cheese, the resulting cottage cheese is mixed with eggs and butter (for 1 kg you will need 2 raw eggs, 100 g of butter and 1 teaspoon of salt). The resulting mass is melted with constant stirring at high speed, over low heat. The end of the melting time is indicated by the viscousness and homogeneity of the mass; this usually takes 15-20 minutes.

The finished cheese is placed in a mold, where it cools and becomes hard . If desired, at the end of melting, finely chopped herbs, nuts, and dried fruits are added to the mass. Ready homemade cheese is stored in the refrigerator for no more than 7 days.

Homemade sour milk cheese, video recipe:

Curdled milk

Useful for the gastrointestinal tract, a satisfying drink. The sour milk is additionally fermented with sour cream or yoghurt, using 2-3 tablespoons of sourdough per 3 liters of milk. After thorough mixing, the product ripens for 24-36 hours in a warm place.

Ready curdled milk is white, has a smooth and dense structure. It goes well with berries, fruits, and is suitable for dressing salads.

In cosmetology, yogurt is used to prepare nourishing masks for the face and body. It successfully relieves redness and pain from burns on the skin.

Pancakes

Without preliminary preparation, the “thoughtful” milk will become an excellent basis for pancake dough. For 0.5 liters of product you will need to take 2 raw chicken eggs, 0.5 cups of sugar, a pinch of salt and baking powder, and a full thin glass of premium flour.

All dough components are thoroughly mixed with a blender at low speed . Thin pancakes are baked in a hot frying pan, in melted or vegetable oil, or melted pork fat.

Pancakes with sour milk, video recipe:

Where to store milk

Milk can only be stored in a cool place for several days. This product is considered perishable and cannot remain fresh for a long time even in the refrigerator. But to maximize shelf life, you should keep the product in a glass container, tightly closed. Sheep and goat milk should also be kept in glass containers.

You cannot use plastic containers, even if they are food-grade. In such containers, products will deteriorate much faster.

Production technology

Today you can see several options for condensed milk on the market. This:

whole condensed, that is, traditional;
low-fat condensed with sugar;
with sugar and filler; coffee, cocoa or fruit additives can be used as fillers;
condensed cream with sugar.

All these products are prepared using generally the same technology. The milk is selected, condensed, the fat content and other indicators in the product are regulated. If necessary, sugar and fillers are added in appropriate proportions.

In this case, let’s take a closer look at the process of producing whole condensed milk with sugar:

The plant is accepting cow's milk and assessing its quality. The latter occurs in laboratory conditions.
Normalization of the product in terms of fat and dry matter. The product is brought to the required levels by adding cream or milk fat. If you need to reduce the fat content, skim milk is added.
Pasteurization. At a certain temperature, milk can be heat treated.
After pasteurization, a cooling process to 70-75 degrees follows.
Before condensation, intermediate storage occurs.
Sugar is added to the product. Most often this is a ready-made syrup containing 60-70% sugar. To prepare the syrup, the water is heated to 60 degrees, the sand is sifted and added to the heated liquid and dissolved. Then the workpiece is heated to 90 degrees and filtered. It is added to milk before condensation.
The product thickens. The process takes place in a vacuum evaporation unit. After the hot mixture enters the installation, it boils intensively. In this case, the particles are constantly mixed, as a result of which they evaporate evenly and quickly. The readiness of the product is determined by its dry matter content and density level.
After the mixture reaches the required consistency, it is cooled. The process takes place in catalysts, which provide a vacuum environment and continuous mechanical action. Cooling occurs within 20 minutes. to a temperature of 20-25 degrees. As a result of this process, crystallization of lactose during storage of condensed milk is prevented.
A seed is introduced into the product. Lactose ground to the smallest particles is used as a seed. Small particles form the maximum number of crystallization centers. As a result, the formation of large lactose crystals is prevented.

At this point, the preparation of condensed milk can be considered complete. After this, it is packaged in cans and sterilized. The shelf life of such a product in this package is 1 year. In plastic packaging or plastic cups, the product is stored for much less time.

Sometimes salts and stabilizers are added to the product after seeding. Not every manufacturer uses these components.

How long can frozen milk be stored?

Following certain rules, milk is frozen. Then it is stored for much longer.

Before freezing, a small portion of the product is poured out of the container so that there is room for expansion when freezing. To defrost, you need to keep it on the refrigerator shelf for 1 - 2 days, after which the milk will be ready for consumption.

When frozen, milk can be stored for up to 4 months, while maintaining its quality and nutritional value.

If you like to add cream to your coffee, try freezing the milk in ice cube trays. This is very convenient if the cream is used exclusively for these purposes.

Take ice cube trays, wash them well and pour boiling water over them.
Pour dairy products into them.
Place in the freezer for a few hours or overnight.
Place frozen cubes in a separate bag so they take up less space.

How to prolong the freshness of milk

Boiling

Raw homemade milk is the most defenseless.

The unprocessed product is stored for up to 24 hours at a temperature not lower than 1 °C and not higher than 20 °C.
At room temperature this period is reduced to 10 hours.

It is advisable to sterilize raw milk to get rid of microorganisms and increase its shelf life. And you must do this if you bought bottled milk for an occasion at the market.

For proper boiling:

Choose a pan. Glass, aluminum or steel are suitable.
Checking for freshness. Pour the milk into a tablespoon and bring it to the flame. If it is not fresh, it will curdle immediately.
We checked everything and made sure the product was fresh. Pour milk into the pan, put it on low heat and keep an eye on it - it will try to “escape”.
Bring to a boil and turn off. Every minute kills vitamins and “curdles” calcium. It is this that remains like scum at the bottom.
Then let it cool and pour into a container that has been prepared for storage. The container must be disinfected by dousing it with boiling water.

After boiling, milk will last at room temperature for a day, in the refrigerator - up to 7 days.

To prevent milk from running away, place an inverted saucer or a special milk “guard” - a ribbed circle with a spout - on the bottom of the saucepan.

Freezing

Some people ask: is it possible to freeze milk? Can. This increases shelf life, but loses enzymes and some vitamins. Therefore, it is better to drink what you have just bought, rather than defrosted.

The freezing process is simple:

Pour the milk into the container you have chosen for freezing. Do not fill to the brim because the product will expand as it freezes.
It is better to start the process with quick freezing at -22 °C.

That's all. It is better to defrost milk on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator; by evening it will be ready for use. But keep in mind that defrosted food cannot be re-frozen. So all the benefits and taste will be lost.

Frozen milk can be stored until defrosted. But we do not recommend keeping it in this form for more than 2 months.

Note to the hostess
It should be noted that after defrosting, organoleptically (taste, color, consistency) milk no longer resembles the original product.

Boiling

After boiling, milk can be stored for 3 to 4 days. And if you lower the temperature to 0 degrees - up to 7 days.

Raw, unheated milk contains many different bacteria that are killed when boiled. Therefore, it is recommended to give only processed food to children.

It is imperative to boil products purchased from strangers, even if they verbally guarantee its quality. There are cases where people, drinking raw milk, became infected with such a dangerous disease as brucellosis. This infection is transmitted from a sick animal and affects the organs and central nervous system of humans. Boiling completely kills pathogenic microorganisms, and such a product will be safe to consume.

But there is also a downside to this. Products that have been exposed to high temperatures are no longer as healthy as fresh ones. During the boiling process, protein remains in large quantities on the walls of the container. Changes concern calcium and phosphorus - it becomes more difficult for the body to absorb them. With prolonged heating above +100°C, vitamins C and D decompose, and a significant part of the protein is also lost.

Adviсe

To keep milk fresh for as long as possible, you just need to apply some basic principles. Here are some helpful tips and tricks to get the most from your milk:

In the supermarket

The time factor is the interval between when you took the milk from the refrigerator in the store and when you put it in your home. When shopping at the store, milk should be the last thing you add to your cart. This reduces the length of time the product stays in a warm environment and does not have time to warm up. After purchasing, refrigerate the milk as quickly as possible and store it at a temperature between 0°C and 4°C.
Check the expiration date on the package and select the product with the furthest date. On a long trip, before you arrive home, it is convenient to use a special container - a cooler bag for storing food in the car.

At home

Once opened, the milk is safe to consume for up to 3 days . It is better to buy more often in small packages and smaller quantities than to keep open large containers in the refrigerator for a long time;
Open the milk in the same order in which you bought them;
Keep milk covered and away from strong-smelling foods in the refrigerator—milk can absorb these odors;
Place the milk on the refrigerator shelves where it is colder;
If possible, leave milk in its original packaging to protect its flavor and nutritional value;
Avoid exposing milk to light as light destroys some vitamins such as vitamin D and riboflavin.
Avoid milk spoilage by pouring unused milk back into the original container from the jug.
If pasteurized milk or canned milk is opened, its shelf life will be shortened. Therefore, pre-cool foods. Place unused canned milk into clean, opaque, airtight containers. Such dairy products must be used within 3 days from the moment the package is opened.
Powdered milk (milk powder) can be stored for up to 6 months in a cool, dry place. After opening the package, the powder should be used within 1 month. From the moment you dilute the powder with water, store this milk in the refrigerator for 3 days.
Milk can be frozen for up to 6 weeks. This method will not have any effect on its taste and nutritional quality. After thawing, clumps may appear and the smooth texture may be lost. It is better to freeze partially or completely skimmed milk than whole milk (3.25%). Milk should be defrosted in the refrigerator. If the thawed milk separates, beat it in an electric mixer or blender.
Condensed milk can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 6 weeks without any side effects.

Note: If you are freezing foods such as soups or stews, add milk after the food has been completely defrosted and after it has been reheated.

Ghee

Baked milk is almost ordinary milk, having a high concentration. It contains fats and calcium in large quantities. When heating, the milk should not boil. It is kept at +85°C - +90°C for a long time, which is why vitamins are preserved in it.

Baked milk should be stored exclusively in the refrigerator, in a tightly sealed container at a temperature not exceeding +8°C. Then it will remain fresh for about a week.

Basic rules and nuances of storage

In order for the milk to be of high quality, it is necessary to follow certain hygiene rules when milking a cow. Souring occurs due to the ingress of bacteria from the air, animal hair, dishes, hands, and clothing. To avoid this it is necessary (Figure 5):

Keep the cow clean;
Before milking, ventilate the room, wash and dry the udder;
Milk the cow in a clean robe, tuck hair under a scarf, wash hands with soap and dry before the procedure with a clean towel;
Before milking, tie the cow's tail to the hind leg;
It is better to express the first streams into a separate container, as it may contain bacteria;
The milking bucket should always be kept clean and washed after each use;
Milk the cow completely;
After milking, wipe the teats and lubricate them with Vaseline.

Figure 5. Basic hygiene rules for milking cows
After milking is completed, the milk must be cooled for further storage.

Coconut

To get a natural drink, coconut pulp is crushed and then water is added to it. Its smell and taste are neutral, but coconut milk contains a large amount of useful substances. It can be purchased in stores in cans or paper packages. In a closed container it will keep for a long time, but after opening the package it should be consumed within 1 day.

The benefits and harms of homemade milk

The healthiest drink of natural origin, given to us by nature.

On the plus side

It helps to avoid diseases, such as osteoporosis and any failures of the cardiovascular system;
Perfectly calms and strengthens the nerves. Take a glass of homemade milk before bed - you will sleep soundly;
It contains useful substances, such as folic acid and vitamin A. Therefore, pregnant women should drink it. And with the help of vitamins, vision and skin condition improve;
It contains a lot of calcium; the body absorbs this element 100%. Calcium strengthens skeletal bones, hair, and nails;
The product is widely used in cosmetology at home;
With the help of the product, metabolism is regulated, the deficiency of proteins, fats and carbohydrates is compensated, and the body as a whole is strengthened. In this sense, milk is even more beneficial for men, since they need proteins and carbohydrates in larger quantities.

Of the minuses

Short shelf life;

Sometimes people have intolerance to such a product, often among those who constantly live in the city;
A person over the age of 50 should not drink a lot of milk, 1 glass a day is enough;
• If you have kidney disease or are overweight, you should not consume too much dairy products, as this may have a negative impact on your health.

If there is no refrigerator

At room temperature, milk quickly deteriorates, so it is boiled, cooled, bottled and sent to a cold place. People living in private houses use the cellar. A basin of ice water is lowered into it, bottles are placed there and the water is changed once a day.

If this method is not suitable, place it directly in a bowl of cold water and change the water more often. Long storage times without refrigeration require additional measures, which include adding a pinch of salt before boiling 1 liter

Repeated boiling with a pinch of soda will help prolong freshness, but you should be careful with factory-made milk, which contains unknown additives and may react unusually.

Is it possible to save the cleaned ones?

Potato

Let's look at how to store peeled potatoes step by step below. If you are going to use potatoes in the near future, then place the peeled product in a saucepan with water and place it in the refrigerator.

The temperature of the section should not be higher than 6 degrees. With this storage method, potatoes will not lose their taste.

Before cooking, it is recommended to rinse it well under water.

When wondering how to store peeled potatoes in a cool place, remember that when left in the refrigerator for a long time, the product becomes watery.

That is, it is better to use fresh product in the volume needed to prepare one serving.

Onion and garlic

Can onions be stored in a refrigeration unit? You should not keep onions in the refrigerator for a long time. It should be placed in a plastic container or wrapped in plastic. This will prevent the onion smell from permeating other foods. You can leave the product in a cool place for up to several weeks.

This is interesting: How to clean the oven from burnt fat

Onions are kept in the refrigerated section for up to one week. Otherwise it will spoil.

How to keep peeled onions in the refrigerator for as long as possible? Use salt. Pour salt into the bottom of the container and place the onion, cut side down. This will keep the product in the refrigerator for up to 8 days.

As for garlic, it is recommended to keep only healthy cloves, without rot, in the refrigerated section. Do not leave garlic in the bag as this will cause fungus to form. Place the product in a paper bag in the farthest section of the refrigerator. Garlic can be kept in this form for no more than a month.

Cut up pumpkin

Before putting it in the refrigerator, the fruit must be peeled, cut into slices and placed in a container.

It should not be kept open. The temperature should be 3-4 degrees.

You can store peeled pumpkin in a cool place for up to 10 days.

If the skin is damaged, it should be completely cut off to preserve the freshness of the fruit.

If the pieces are wrapped tightly, the skin does not need to be cut off. Vacuum film can be replaced with cling film.

It is recommended to store it wrapped for no more than 14 days. You can wrap the slices in foil, which will extend the shelf life of the product up to a month.

Information. If the pumpkin will be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days, then to prevent the slices from drying out, they are treated with vegetable oil.

Boiled egg

The shelf life of boiled eggs in the refrigerator is 5-7 days. If the product is hard-boiled. If the shell cracks during cooking, this reduces the shelf life of the product to three days.

Important! Easter eggs are stored for the same amount of time, unless natural ingredients (onion peels, beets) were used for coloring. They can be consumed within one week

Thermal film as a decoration minimizes storage time, as heat transfer is disrupted. If the film is not applied correctly, water may collect under it and an unpleasant odor may appear after 24 hours.

They can be ready for consumption within one week. Thermal film as a decoration minimizes storage time, as heat transfer is disrupted. If the film is not applied correctly, water may collect under it and after 24 hours an unpleasant odor may appear.

This is interesting: How to quickly remove stains from black tea

If a boiled egg is shelled, you can leave it in a cool place for no more than three days when stored in an airtight container.

Walnuts

Nuts can be kept in the refrigerator for up to one year. Ideal temperature: from -5 to +10 degrees.

In other temperature conditions, the product will begin to release oil and quickly deteriorate.

Before putting them in the refrigerator, it is recommended to thoroughly rinse the kernels and bake them in the oven at low temperature.

Dried nuts can be stored for a long time. You can also heat the kernels in a frying pan instead of roasting them in the oven.

It is best to store nuts in an airtight glass container on the bottom shelves of the refrigerator.

Herring

The easiest way to store herring in the refrigerator is to fill it with brine and place it in a glass container. The fish can be either sliced or whole, but must be completely immersed in brine. Without it, the fish will be tasteless.

If there is not enough brine, then make a filling for the fish. Boil the beer, add black pepper and add bay leaf. Wait until it cools down. Pour the liquid into a container with herring, add sunflower oil on top and cover with parchment paper.

You can cut the cleaned fish into pieces and leave it in a glass jar. Pour in sunflower oil. You can store it in this form for no more than three days.