Question of freshness: how long does natural, boiled, pasteurized cow's milk last in the refrigerator?
Cow's milk is a storehouse of easily digestible protein and calcium, vitamins and microelements.
This is an indispensable product in the human diet, the nutritional properties of which can only be preserved by observing certain conditions: the correct temperature conditions, shelf life.
We’ll tell you how long cow’s milk lasts in this article.
Content
Storage time
Shelf life is determined by two main factors:
- Method of processing the product (store-bought, pasteurized, boiled, raw).
- Temperature conditions (in the refrigerator, freezer, at room conditions).
In room conditions
At room temperature (maximum +22°C), natural homemade cow's milk remains fresh for up to two hours, at temperatures from +8°C to +10°C - twelve hours.
Boiled milk at room temperature can be stored for up to seven days. Store-bought product remains fresh in sealed packaging for up to seven days.
The only store-bought packaging option in which the shelf life extends to thirty days is Tetra Pak packaging.
After opening, the package must be placed in the refrigerator, where it can be stored without loss of taste and nutritional properties for up to two days.
In a refrigerator
Raw milk from the cow without loss of taste and nutritional value can be stored in the refrigerator for up to forty-eight hours (temperature from +1°C to +3°C). With an increase in air temperature to +4°C, storage time decreases to 36 hours, at +6°C to twenty-four hours, at +8°C to eighteen hours.
Pasteurized milk, in a sealed bag, can be stored for up to two weeks. Once the package is opened, the storage time is reduced to forty-eight hours. After opening the package, it is better to pour the pasteurized milk into a sterilized glass jar and close it with a tight lid.
On the shelves of the refrigerator, boiled milk retains its taste and nutritional value for up to seven days.
In the freezer
In the freezer (temperature -18°C) the product can be stored for up to two months. It is important to remember that with each week of storage the nutritional value of the product decreases, therefore it is not recommended to exceed the freezing time.
Before storing in the freezer, the bottle must be labeled (indicate the start date of storage). This will help avoid delays and associated spoilage of dairy products.
What is the best way to store it?
In order for milk to retain its taste and nutritional properties for as long as possible, it is very important, in addition to the temperature regime, to choose the right container for storage.
Fresh, natural cow's milk best stored in glass containers. Glass does not react with food and does not emit harmful substances.
Glassware is convenient to sterilize (cleanliness is a guarantee of quality storage). As an option for storage, you can use dishes made of stainless steel, high-quality food-grade plastic, and ceramics.
Store-bought milk convenient to store in manufacturer's packaging: plastic bottles or tetrapacks. Before storing dairy products in plastic bags, it is better to pour them into a glass jar or bottle (in this form, the likelihood that the milk will spill is minimal).
Dairy products perfectly absorb foreign odors, so storage containers must have a lid.
Is it possible to extend the shelf life?
There are several ways to extend the shelf life of natural cow's milk.
Boiling
The milk is boiled in a saucepan for 1-2 minutes, after which, after settling, it is placed in the refrigerator, where it can be stored for up to five days. To prevent the milk from burning, It is better to boil it in a saucepan with a thick, multi-layered bottom.
Pasteurization
Pasteurization will help extend the shelf life of dairy products to ten days.
Algorithm of actions:
- fresh milk is poured into a dry, sterilized pan (it is best to choose stainless steel or enamel-coated dishes) and heated to 65°C-70°C (a special kitchen thermometer will help control the temperature);
- pasteurize the heated milk for thirty minutes.
The filled pan is placed in an oven preheated to 80C for one hour, after which the dairy product is cooled at room temperature, poured into clean, sterilized jars, and stored in the refrigerator. Read how long pasteurized milk lasts Here.
Freezing
The main condition for proper freezing is a clean, dry, hermetically sealed container.
Milk Convenient to freeze in heavy-duty zip-top food bags, small plastic bottles or ice cube trays (a good option for those who use milk as an additive to tea or coffee).
If plastic bottles are used for storage, after filling the container must be gently squeezed (squeeze out the air) and tightly closed with a lid.
Thaw the milk in the refrigerator for twenty-four hours. After the dairy product has completely thawed, it must be boiled for 1-2 minutes, after which it can be consumed for drinking or used for making desserts. You cannot re-freeze already thawed or boiled milk! You can find ways to freeze milk in this article.
How to get ahead of the fact that the product is stale?
An unpleasant sour smell, clots and lumps are a signal that the product is spoiled. But what to do when there is no way to visually assess the condition of the product (unfortunately, even with suitable expiration dates, store-bought milk in a bottle is not always fresh)? A microwave will come to the rescue.
To avoid “surprises” in the form of milk curdling in a saucepan, Check it before boiling:
- pour a little (50-100ml) milk into a cup;
- put the cup in the microwave for 2 minutes at 300 W.
Separated whey and curd lumps are a signal that the milk has gone sour.
What to do if it goes sour?
Not everyone knows, but there are many ways to dispose of sour product:
- The sour milk product is ideal for making fluffy pancakes, lacy pancakes or delicious cornbread.
- Sour milk is added as a thickener to meat gravy. All you need to do is add the dairy product to the stew and stir slowly until the mixture thickens.
- A sour milk marinade will make the meat tender and surprisingly soft.
- Homemade cheese or cottage cheese is easy to prepare at home. It is enough to heat the sour milk to a temperature of 80°C, and place the curd clots of the dairy product in a colander with gauze, gather the gauze in a knot and tie it over a bowl or pan so that the whey remaining in the curd drips out to the last drop.
Sour milk refreshes the skin. It is enough to apply a thin layer of the dairy product, wait ten minutes, and rinse with warm water.
Sour milk pancakes, video recipe:
Adviсe
It is strictly not recommended to boil cow's milk in an aluminum pan. Metal, reacting with fatty acids, spoils the taste of the product and negatively affects its nutritional value.
Often, in order to increase shelf life, dishonest housewives add soda, acetylsalicylic acid and other chemical ingredients to milk. Litmus paper will help determine the quality of the product. The baking soda will turn the red litmus strip blue. Blue litmus paper will turn red if there are chemical impurities in the milk.
Dairy products for long-term storage (ultropasterized) can be placed on the top shelves or refrigerator door.
Conclusion
Compliance with only three conditions: clean dishes, correct temperature conditions, minimal contact with air and sunlight will help preserve the taste and nutritional value of cow's milk.
