An important question: how long and how should milk be stored in the refrigerator?
Natural cow's milk is a valuable nutritious product, indispensable for baby food and the preparation of many delicious dishes.
The maximum benefit is concentrated in fresh (steam) liquid, but if stored correctly, the drink retains vitamins and other beneficial substances for several days.
We’ll talk about how long milk can be stored in the refrigerator below.
Content
Optimal storage conditions, time and temperature
The simplest and most effective way to protect milk from souring is to put it in the refrigerator. At temperatures below +6 degrees, the proliferation of bacteria in the product slows down sharply. The drink remains tasty and healthy for 2 to 7 days.
The recommended temperature for storing cow's milk is +2 +4 degrees. In the refrigerator, these indicators are near the back wall, close to it. Strong-smelling food should not be stored on the same shelf with dairy products: smoked meats, salted fish, open canned food.
The milk that comes out of a cow's udder is sterile. It remains like this for another 1.5-2 hours. If during this time you manage to place the milk in a clean container and quickly cool it, you will get a high-quality product with a long shelf life. Read about the shelf life of milk Herewill tell you how long natural, boiled, pasteurized cow's milk can be stored in the refrigerator this article.
Raw
Raw milk most useful, as it contains the entire spectrum of vitamins, microelements and biologically active substances.
But in such a rich environment, bacteria quickly multiply, leading to spoilage of the product. Uncooked cow's milk can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 2 days.
In a raw product purchased at the market, pathogens dangerous to humans may be present: brucellosis, tuberculosis and leukemia. Currently, trading raw milk in markets without appropriate animal health certificates is prohibited.
Boiled
Boiling kills all microbes, extending the shelf life of the product to 7 days. However, when a liquid is heated to 100 degrees, many vitamins are destroyed. It is better to pasteurize the milk.
Pasteurization at home:
- Quickly heat the milk over high heat, with constant stirring, to 75-80 degrees.
- Leave the liquid under the lid for 30-60 seconds.
- Rapid cooling, for which a pan of milk is placed in a bowl of ice water.
Homemade
It is better to drink milk from your healthy Burenka as a pair, getting the maximum benefit from it. The drink is stored in the refrigerator, subject to milking hygiene, for up to 4 days without changing the taste and quality composition.
They obtain a high-quality product only by following the rules of milking the animal:
- the milking room should be free of manure, dust and strong-smelling products;
- before milking, the cow is cleaned with a brush (especially the sides and thighs), the udder is washed with soap and water, and wiped with a clean towel;
- the milkmaid must be dressed in a clean robe, her hair tucked under a headscarf;
- the first streams, containing many bacteria, are collected in a separate container;
- the milk pan is washed with soap or soda, and scalded with boiling water before milking;
- the milking machine is washed according to the instructions;
- straining material (lavsan, gauze) is washed after each use, boiled once every 3 days.
What should I store it in?
A valuable drink can be stored in any container except those made of metal. The best materials for containers are glass (it is easy to clean) and clay (due to the porous structure of the walls, milk in a clay jug always remains cool).
Plastic bottles are suitable for storing only new ones, since they cannot be scalded with boiling water for sterilization.
Many housewives pour milk into enamel cans after purchasing. The enamel protects the liquid from oxidation from contact with metal walls. Any container for storing drinks must have a tight lid that does not allow odors to pass through.
Can it be frozen?
Cow's milk can be quickly frozen and stored at a temperature not exceeding -18 degrees. In this mode, the product retains its quality for about six months. In the freezer of a regular refrigerator, where the temperature is maintained down to -10 degrees, the product should not be stored for longer than 1.5 months.
Sometimes housewives pour milk into small plastic containers or ice trays.After freezing, the molds are immersed in hot water for a few seconds so that the contents thaw from the walls. Ice milk briquettes are stored in bags and used as needed to add to coffee, tea or baked goods. Read about freezing milk Here.
Does the expiration date of a product intended for a child change?
For children, farm raw milk must be pasteurized or boiled. It is not recommended to store the drink for longer than 3 days.
Pediatricians do not recommend using ultra-pasteurized milk with a shelf life of more than 3 months in children's menus. Such liquid is of little benefit to a growing organism.
Features for different types of milk
Most often used as food by humans milk:
- cows,
- goats,
- sheep,
- mares,
- buffaloes and camels.
The criteria for organizing storage are similar for all types of liquids:
- Maintain cleanliness when milking.
- Rapid cooling of the product.
- Keep the drink in a clean and tightly closed container.
- Constant storage temperature is not higher than +6 degrees.
- Pasteurization of the product to extend shelf life.
The shelf life of the raw product is 2-4 days, pasteurized (boiled) up to 10 days. The exception is camel milk, which may not go sour for several months.
Breast milk after expressing, it retains its properties for up to 72 hours in the refrigerator. It does not spoil for up to a week, but at the end of this period it almost completely loses its benefits. Frozen will keep for several months.. Once defrosted, it must be used within 24 hours.
After opening the sealed packaging, condensed and concentrated milk can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For storage, be sure to transfer it to a clean glass jar.
Coconut milk is a plant product that ends up on store shelves after heat treatment. After opening the box, the liquid should be used within 3-5 days.
Soy milk without pasteurization in a clean and tightly closed container does not spoil for up to 5 days at a temperature of 0 +2 degrees. If the product has been pasteurized, the shelf life is extended to 3 weeks..
You can learn about storing UHT milk here, pasteurized - Here, boiled - in this article, home - in this. You can find out how to store goat milk Here And here, coconut - in this article.
Adviсe
To store milk, it is better to have a separate glass or ceramic container that will not hold other liquids.
Before use, wash the container with odorless soap or soda., scalded with boiling water and dried. A reliable tight lid is selected for it.
Milk is stored close to the back wall of the refrigerator, where the temperature is lowest. For baby food and long-term storage, the product is pasteurized or boiled. You can put the processed drink in the refrigerator after it has cooled to room temperature.
Milk should be defrosted by transferring it from the freezer to the refrigerator or room. You cannot force it to defrost in the microwave. To speed up defrosting, you can use warm water in which an ice bottle is dipped. You cannot freeze and defrost the drink multiple times!
If the milk begins to sour, you can make yogurt or cottage cheese from it, use to prepare pancake dough. A product should not be used as food if it is bitter or if mold has appeared on its surface.
Conclusion
The shelf life of cow's milk in the refrigerator depends, first of all, on its preparation after milking. Raw milk does not turn sour for 2-3 days, and pasteurized milk will remain fresh for up to 7 days. The freshness of the product is affected by the cleanliness of the dishes and the temperature, which must be constantly maintained at +4 degrees.
Milk retains its quality at a temperature of +2 +6 degrees for 3-7 days. Storage conditions: constant temperature, clean dishes and no foreign odors in the refrigerator.
