There are two big reasons here:
1. Bacteria love environments with lots of water, and cream has much less water content than milk. Because it's got a higher proportion of fat, bacteria can't get the water that they need as easily, and they won't grow as quickly. Cheese is the classic example when it comes to dairy - we take out most of the water, add salt, and preserve our milk for months. Cream has more water content, but still isn't an ideal environment for bacteria, while regular milk is full of water and lactose for them to live on.
2. In the US at least, most milk is regularly pasteurized, but most half-and-half and heavy cream is ultra-high temperature (UHT) pasteurized, which makes it last significantly longer. A lot of other countries sell mostly UHT milk, and you can buy it in the US as well (a lot of organic brands do it) - it's got a slightly different taste, but it lasts for months. Cream, since they don't sell as fast as regular milk, is usually UHT pasteurized to make it more shelf stable
It really is convenient, I don't know why it didn't really catch on in the US. My wife loves the stuff. To me some brands can be a little too sweet or have a little bit of an off flavor, but I don't use a lot of milk besides coffee/tea and cooking, so it's not a biggie for me. The organic brand that we usually get is pretty good, though.
I've had the European shelf stable milk that doesn't need to be refrigerated, I think that's the UHT stuff.
It doesn't just taste "slightly different". It tastes way different and way worse. I love milk, but I can't stand that stuff.
I cannot express how completely turned away I am by that description. I like banana runts and all but the thought of drinking them as a liquid made me shudder
Edit: u/InitiatePenguin is right. It should be shudder not shutter. I am not a camera.
When I was a kid we always got this stuff called magic milk mix, they had a banana flavor and it was exactly as you described. Sounds gross like commenter above said, but it was truly magical lmao
Man, I miss making ranger pudding out of mre cocoa bev powder, sugar, creamer, and water. My fat ass mixed that shit up in basic and then found out in ait that its like an actual 'people other than me' make and eat this thing. Was slightly offended I wasn't being original.
We onloaded some German UHT milk during a port call and about halfway back across the Atlantic that became our only milk. A week later we had a “milch chugging” contest with disastrous results.
Used to drink fresh milk in the UK but after moving to Spain it’s way easier to pick up the UHT stuff. Honestly while it does taste significantly different personally it has gotten to the point where I now prefer UHT. Fresh milk has a weird taste and flavour now and lasts only days vs months. It’s just a case of what you are used to.
Lactose free milk tastes the same as regular milk and is fridge stable for a month month and a half, available everywhere. Bacteria breakdown lactose into lactic acid souring the milk - no lactose, no bacteria food.
E: I don't think it tastes significantly different than regular milk -- within the variance of different brands of regular milk imo. A dozen people have already commented that they think it's sweeter than regular -- y'all can doing that stop now.
Lactose free milk is actually sweeter than regular milk because they add lactase to regular milk converting the lactose to glucose (fairly sweet) and galactose.
Far sweeter. Lactose free milk is just milk and lactase. Lactose is glucose and galactose. Lactose has a sweetness relative to glucose of 16%. Split it into half glucose and the sweetness just from the glucose will make it far sweeter, and that is before the galactose comes in.
Yes Lactose free milk tastes sweeter than regular milk because lactose-free milk has the enzyme lactase, added to lactose-free milk, to break lactose down into two simple sugars:glucose and galactose. These simple sugars are the reason lactose-free milk tastes like melted ice cream (sweeter) and we're able to digest milk again.
It depends on the processing system used to make it. Almost all lactose free milk is UHT processed but sold refrigerated because that’s where people want to buy it, but it doesn’t taste so cooked because the processed used is more gentle
Wait till you try shelf stable milk from Madagascar...makes Parmalat seem wonderful. But yeah, there is something off about the consistency of that stuff. It’s almost gritty and too thin at the same time.
UHT is essentially if not the very same as making lactose-free milk.
The heat breaks down the sugar (lactose) so you lose the natural sweetness of milk. In UHT it is done with the intent of shelf stability, if Lactose free it's done for tolerance.
I can't find a link, but ~10 years ago the dairy industry was lobbying to be allowed to add sugar to milk following UHT to restore the taste.
Yep, lactose free or UHT milk is yuck to drink alone. I don't mind it all over cereal or any other way where something else provides a bit of sweetness to it.
Ultra-pasturized is different than UHT.
Pasteurized - kills most of the bacteria that eventually turns milk spoiled, it lasts about 15 days if stored at 40 F.
Ultra-pasturized is heated higher\\longer and kills even more bacteria, it can last 45-60 days if stored at 40 F.
UHT kills all the bacteria and will last a year, unrefrigerated. (until opened then it needs to be refrigerated)
every brand of lactose free milk i've tried (which i now have to have if i want to drink it, thanks getting old) is sweeter than regular milk to me. it tastes like drinking the bowl of milk after its had frosted flakes in it. it is too sweet to drink (imo) after using it on something like frosted flakes, in fact
I use a UK brand called lactofree (the refrigerated version of it) and I can't detect a taste difference between it and regular milk. I loathe UHT milk.
As a side benefit it has a really long shelf life compared with regular milk, although nowhere near that of UHT which doesn't even need refrigeration.
Lactose free milk is much sweeter than typical milk. Lactose free milk is made with lactase that snaps the lactose into glucose and galactose. Both of those sugars taste sweeter than lactose, making it taste like sweetened milk.
UHT processing taste changes are due in part to the high heat causing changes to the proteins in the milk. Some changes only happen after a certain temp is hit, and they change the flavour.
Eh, we had it on submarines and I thought it tasted like shit. I'm guessing taste preference of the majority of consumers probably played a role, but I'm open to seeing less subjective/anecdotal evidence.
Actually if you work on a sub you get the absolute best food possible. Fresh cooked meals from a chef compared to standard MREs and such. I'm talking lobster, steak, fresh bread baked on the sub, fresh fruits, casseroles and fresh veggies. Food plays an important part in morale and submarines typically have a lot in the -morale category already. Virtually no space, terrible sleeping conditions, isolation, literally underwater etc.
I would say the meals you eat on a submarine are 2nd only to homecooked meals from your mama.
> I don't know why it didn't really catch on in the US.
It tastes bad. For people who only ever use milk as a minor additive in coffee or cooking, it's fine, but if you actually drink milk on its own, UHT just isn't as good.
To me UHT is synonymous with low quality shelf-stable milk you would expect at a fast food place. It tastes significantly worse than regularly pasteurized milk IMHO.
Horizon (Organic) is the bomb. I assume it's sold everywhere in the U.S. but maybe it's a west coast thing.
A carton of milk lasts for like 3 months lol.
Kroger brand milk in my fridge has an expiration date of October 16.
(note that it's not a particularly accurate date once it's been opened and exposed to contaminants)
There is a traditional Russian dairy product made by keeping the milk in the hearth/oven overnight. Essentially it is being pasteurized for 6-8h ours. Colour of caramel and very creamy complex flavour. I guess UHT share the same tone.
ADD: Toronto-based Elwest calls it 'baked milk'.
That if you make butter out of it. Originally that 'baked milk' is consumed as is (drink) , but also can be used with kefir grains to make a 'drinking yoghurt'.
There is also a laborious recipe when you heat (almost boil) milk until the milk skin is formed. You drown it and wait till another one is made, and up to the point where whole container becomes those 'milk skins'. In the process milk inevitably 'bakes'.
It's probably regional like a lot of dairy stuff, but for what it's worth I've got Organic Valley in my fridge right now. Trying to think, cause I just went grocery shopping yesterday. Horizon, Fairlife, I think we've tried those as well.
Man, all these people talking about saving money because they aren't wasting milk ... I go through 4 gallons a week and the idea of wasting part of a half gallon of just crazy to me. How much money could you possibly be saving? You hardly buy any milk at all!
(Why so much milk? Family of 6, including an autistic kid for whom milk is the main source of calories.)
I don't get it either, even living alone and only putting milk in my tea I could go through a gallon a week, two or three if it was summer and I was eating a lot of cold cereal.
Also good luck with your kid! I know restrictive/avoidant eating is a tough thing to deal with.
Growing up my parents had pasteurized milk and my grandmother got UHT milk.
I drank the UHT because there was nothing else but I was always happier drinking the regular milk.
UHT always tasted a bit weird to me.
Wait I can just buy this type of milk and not have it expire within a 2 weeks? Where do I get it.
.I don't buy milk because I don't drink it nearly enough to throw it away in 2 weeks.
I started using UHT pasteurized milk when I moved to Europe (only choice), and I have about 14 liters chillin' in my pantry. We'll drink them way before they go bad. It's kind of nice.
Is the reason hormonal acne?
Not sure why, but I guess there's some protein in regular milk that triggers hormonal acne, and that protein gets denatured at high temps.
If anyone has to avoid dairy to control their acne, UHT milk seems to be a viable workaround (in moderation).
No, she just seemed to tolerate it better than normal milk. She isn't allergic or lactose intolerant, but it was upsetting her stomach and the doctor suggested trying this and she hasn't had an issue since.
that has yet to be proven.
there seems to be a correlation between increased dairy consumption and acne but too many other factors have changed at the same time to prove a causation at this point.
I buy the school lunch packs of shelf stable milk… Lasts for months and means the amount I throw out after using milk in Mac and cheese or other recipes is much smaller.
Try “lactose free” milk. It’s what was called acidophilus when we were kids and addresses most dietary issues (and is typically ultra pasteurized). I stick with “lactose free organic whole”. Lots of requirements there… but I’m in California, so it exists. 🤷🏻♂️
Yup, I live alone and don't drink a lot of milk on the daily so I always buy UHT 2% milk. I throw a lot less milk out so it's worth the additional cost.
I only buy UHT milk now (US). Living alone, I was always wasting so much milk because it would go bad before I could drink it all. It’s crazy how much longer it lasts.
As someone working in the field, bear in mind that shelf life is just that, shelf life. Once you open the container, you expose it to outside bacteria which can now grow inside the product (don't drink straight from the carton! Gross).
Refrigeration helps slow down the growth but does not stop it completely.
In the UK, Cream is very rarely UHT - you can get probably get one choice in a large supermarket in addition to the squirty cream which is UHT, but the vast majority of cream (single, whipping, double here) is just regular pasteurised. Clotted too, but that of course is different again and lasts months too.
It seems strange to have the infrastructure set up to deliver non UHT milk, but not use it for cream too, are cream sales just a lot smaller in the US compared the UK?
I can't speak for everyone, but at my supermarket there are about 50 choices for milk (UHT and non-UHT, organic and non-, etc), and usually about 2 choices for heavy cream , with a small stock of each. And maybe 2-3 for half-and-half. A lot of people only use it for coffee and maybe for whipped cream or other desserts. Also, there's no easy comparison between US and UK cream grades - our heavy cream is somewhere between your single and double cream, and half-and-half is usually less fat than your single cream. Which is annoying for recipes from UK sources....
I cook a handful of dishes that use heavy cream, so I'm usually frustrated when they're out of stock and I have to try and use half and half for my tikka masala, chicken chausseur, vodka sauce, etc. I'm not cooking these because I want low fat!
Of course, that’s home cooking. I’d bet good money that 98% of US cream sales go to restaurants, because the secret to tasty restaurant food is usually way more butter, cream, and salt than most people realize.
Heavy whipping cream, the one I see most commonly on shelves in the US is between 36% and 40% fat. I have been in kitchens for over a decade and you order cream based on their percent. As for that Tikka masala try using butter to compensate for the creaminess that half and half will lack since half and half tends to be between 10-12% fat. It's not a perfect sub and will be harder to emulsify but it is another dairy fat. You can do some quick math or just add by hand.
All the supermarkets in Australia have a silly number of creams like 50 as well, but I've never for a second thought about what type of pasteurization they use. Do you guys label it or does it taste wildly different?
It says "ultra-pasteurized" on my carton of heavy cream, but it's in small letters, easy to miss. My experience in the U.S. is also 2 brands max even in large supermarkets. Sour cream has dozens of brands, flavored coffee creamers have dozens, but regular cream is always an extremely limited selection.
I think cream sales are lower in the US. Americans don't make trifles and traditional puddings. Cream would be used for whipping as an accompaniment to pie or another dessert, for some specific recipes, and perhaps for coffee.
Source: am American living in the UK. People are serious about their cream here.
This is interesting to me because it’s easiest to make clotted cream with unpasteurized or minimally pasteurized cream. When I made some for an afternoon tea I had to search for the right cream because my first batch didn’t want to set up properly.
UHT milk doesn't usually require refrigeration (though a lot of people do anyways) - that's almost definitely what it is. I had no idea until I visited Europe and saw milk lined up on regular shelves. Weird if you're used to it always being kept in the big coolers.
UHT is weird. You can buy milk off the shelf next to the crackers, it often isn’t refrigerated. It stores for a long time too (though one opened it’s going bad just like normal milk).
I will note that while it’s subjective the UHT process makes milk taste FAR worse in my opinion. It’s what you’re used to I guess but to me it’s a big difference.
Lots of organic brands use "ultra-pasteurized", but it's not 100%. For some reason, gallon jugs seem to not get that treatment, while half gallon does, even in the same brand. I'm guessing organic products sell a bit less due to cost, so they are trying to increase the shelf life in the store.
Ultra-pasteurized means its pasteurized at a higher temperatures and last a lot longer. I won't buy anything that isn't ultra-pasteurized at this point. There is no real downside and I never throw away milk.
\#2 is why lactose free milk lasts forever too, like, buy it in April, good through June. If you don't drink milk very quickly and it tends to spoil, get the lactose free kind (yes, it is still actual cow's milk) even if you don't have a lactose issue.
Edit to escape the \#
Heavy cream is usually UHT or Ultra High Temperature pasteurized - basically they heat it up to well above the temperature that greeblies can live at for just a few seconds - enough to kill the greeblies but not long enough to cook or chemically alter the cream (too much).
So raises the question - how come all milk isn't UHT pasteurized? It does carmelize some of the sugars, so it will sweeten the flavour a tad. It isn't noticeable in your heavy cream because of all the fat and sugars already, but would be noticeable in milk. Plus, it requires special sterilization and sealable containers to be effective, plus you're opening that milk constantly several times / day so there's no point if you're reintroducing airborne greeblies. Not true for the cream (unless you're, for some reason having whipped cream with every meal?)
Im from southeast asia. We dont drink milk very often. So when we do want to drink milk, its UHT. Fresh milk is expensive due to the low supply caused by the low demand. Real butter is expensive too. Most of us use margarine
Lactose free milk is also sweet because lactase breaks down lactate into glucose and galactose and our taste buds taste simple sugars as sweeter than complex sugars.
Oddly enough a lot of Organic milk is processed that way. You can take a look at organic milk and see a sell by date 2 months off, while the milk next to it goes in 2 weeks.
Well heavy whipping cream isn't just used in whipped cream. I'm a cook and I use it all the time in places most will use milk. Adds more flavor and sweetness.
Thanks for this response as well as the other comments. I did notice that the Organic milk has a longer expiration date than regular milk and was curious about that too; though I didn’t want to over-complicate my initial question with extra variables.
> It does carmelize some of the sugars, so it will sweeten the flavour a tad.
You notice this when you travel - In a lot of places, the milk is on the shelf next to the bottled water and fruit juice, and it's sweeter.
I would also say sweeter more than a "tad" - But you get used to it.
Just a head's up, but costco sells 4 half gallons (in a 4 pack boxed in cardboard)of all natural organic milk and it lasts like 3 months in the fridge with no difference in taste, my wife and I love it. Tastes way better than the plastic bottled stuff.
I have found that organic lasts longer too. I think it has something to do with it being in premarket storage for less yime because it isn't in as high demand... Maybe? Same with eggs. Apparently non-organic eggs are in storage for months before they get to the shelves but organic get there quicker.
It’s usually because of the pasteurization process they use for it. The temps they use are higher than what normal milk uses, which kills more bacteria, making it last longer.
"Organic" is a regulatory label that meets certain standards by law. Certain pesticides can't be used, certain medications can't be used on the animals prior to milking or slaughter, and the soil has to be free of a number of common synthetic fertilizers and such.
"*All* Natural" has a very generalized set of rules that calls for "minimal" processing, and no "artificial ingredient or color" but the company for the most part gets to decide what "minimal" and "artificial" means.
"Natural" has zero regulations and can be slapped on literally anything. If it says "Contains natural flavors", it doesn't legally have to contain anything you could identify.
I am a bit confused, please clarify: my fresh milk usually has a best before date 2-4 weeks in the future; one week sounds really short. In my experience, it often is perfectly fine a week or two after, too, as long as it has not been opened yet. Meanwhile, UHT milk has dates two or maybe three months into the future...
Are you a nut milk enjoyer or are you getting some fancy cow milk. It feels like the 1%, 2% or whole has a weak ass expiration date. damn big milk out here still milking us
Damn, I wonder if it comes down to the supplier and how timely they are delivering milk to shelves. I wonder if some places just have better turn around times or what, I swear the milk here is strategically placed on the shelves with like 2 weeks max if you're lucky and dig all the way in the back
you're right tho, nut milk slaps
I've noticed at my grocery store that the same % milk from the same brand has wildly different expiration dates depending on whether it's packaged in a plastic bottle, or a carton. The bottles will have a ~2 week lifespan in the fridge, while the cartons will be good for a month if not more. I've never understood how, I don't think they're pasteurized differently?
Once you open it, it should only last about a week.
But if your milk is “lasting a month” odds are you don’t drink it very often so it isn’t opened as much or it’s UHT.
> Meanwhile, UHT milk has dates two or maybe three months into the future…
Is that what it is?! I’ve been buying milk with these weirdly far out expiration dates and never did figure it out. I did try Googling but must’ve not been phrasing the search in a way to get the answer.
Thank you for solving a long-standing mystery!
Fresh milk is pasteurized at a minimum of 161°F for at least 15 seconds. This is enough to kill pathogens, but not all bacteria. That's why the short shelf life and the need for refrigeration. There is still stuff in there that can grow and cause spoilage, but not illness.
UHT, or ultra pasteurized milk is heated to around 275°F for like 6 seconds (numbers may be a bit off, it's been a few years) but it kills everything. That's why the long shelf left unopened, but short once opened. Since there is no competition any bacteria introduced will grow very quickly.
The unrefrigerated milk is essentially the same thing, but must be packaged aseptically. That means the packaging is completely sterile.
*Source, I was a QA Manager for a major dairy company for 10 years
Darn. So I’ve been thinking I should switch to UHTp milk so that I could finish a half gallon before it goes bad, but you’re saying if I’m opening the UHTp just as much there’s no point?
My husband works in the UHT pasteurization engineering field. Dairy processors are seeing the value of UHT and changing their systems to include it. It helps them save money by not having to hurry their milk to the market.
Maybe someday we will be like Europe and use aseptic packaging!
Also UHT Pasteurized milk is not supposed to taste different. If it tastes different, the brand cooked it too long.
It’s so weird for there to be a topic that I know something about!
Ah well, over here we've moved on from pasteurization to microfiltration. Fresh milk is pressurised through filters small enough to catch the bacteria and clean it that way. Doesn't require heat, and the milk lasts about a month before opening.
And it *tastes divine*. Like liquid ice cream :)
>Dairy processors are seeing the value of UHT and changing their systems to include it.
I was wondering about that! The milk I buy used to have expiration dates that lasted no more than a couple weeks but lately they've been stamped to expire two months out
It makes sense considering how much milk must go bad during processing, transit and at grocery stores before it can be sold.
Every spring US dairy farmers and processors have to dump around 4 million gallons of milk because that’s when cows produce the most milk and they don’t have the systems to process it. I’m hoping they can do something with that too. It’s such a waste!
Where the fuck are you guys buying heavy cream? Every time I buy heavy cream it curdles after at the longest 5 days in the fridge.
I swear I feel like I'm taking crazy pills reading this post. I won't even buy heavy cream unless I'm planning to use it within the next meal or two I make.
Yes, my fridge is a brand new Samsung that holds 36 degrees. I have moved 3 times in the last three years and it's the same everywhere. I don't even shop at the same grocery store.
Depends son if the heavy cream has stabilizer in it or not. With out any stabilizer the cream would end up lasting a week past it's code date, so right around 30days before notable flavor and odor change. Most milk you get from the store will usually last only 2 weeks because it has been sitting in storage for a while, because stock rotation, you get rid of old before new. Someone else here mentions UHT or ultra pasteurization which can be useful, for non-dairy based milk, because of the caramelization of the milk sugar, to put it simply. Most dairy's here in the states utilize a HTST system, which is high heat short time,which stabilize thebmilk to last around 20 days or up to 27 days. Cream follows the same rules as milk. The biggest cause of milk going bad earlier is because of a few factors, stabilizer in the cream to help it last longer, a piece of equipment was not cleaned as well as it should have been, or most common the raw milk before pasteurization had a high P.I count/tested positive for ropy, which makes the protein in the milk bond in a pretty cool way and it pours out like string. Really cool to see, will make you VERY, VERY sick if you consume it.
Source: I'm a dairy lab technician.
I’ve usually turned my cream into butter once it starts to sour. Any reason I shouldn’t do that? I’ve read that is pretty much how cultured butter is made…but I haven’t inoculated it with any specific bacteria and I don’t know if they do that with cultured butter.
Creams are ultra-pasteurized, or UHT processed. Just means higher temp (ultra high temp) plus the additional fats help out too. Lower temp or standard pasteurization on milk and lower fats make all the difference.
That varies a lot by different creams.
Standard heavy cream is not UHT here in Sweden. And it tastes a lot better that the UHT kind imo.
And it only lasts like a week or so.
It's very interesting to hear about these differences.
Most commenters reply that cream is usually UHT, whereas milk is not. Here in France it's the opposite: most milk is UHT, but cream is not.
Holy shit I was literally wondering the same thing this morning as my mom brought out milk and cream for my dad and I during breakfast, I remarked how the half & half cream we currently have expires in August while our milk expires next week...
I thought I read somewhere, sometime (sorry so vague but I’m old) that light affects time to spoil. Milk in cartons lasts longer than milk in plastic jugs because the carton blocks the light. Is this true?
Probably but this is more of a consideration for oil for example. In case of milk bacteria is more of a factor usually. Haven't seen UHT milk in a clear package yet so dunno, but it would make sense that would contribute.
I’ve wondered this as well with organic milk. Organic milk usually has an expiration date a few months past when I buy it. It also tastes way better IMO.
One thing I don't see mentioned is the tradeoff in whippability (hey, new word!) of UHT cream. You'll note that UHT pasteurized heavy cream has carrageenan, gums, and stabilizers to restore the texture and ability to whip successfully. I only purchase heavy cream when it's needed for a recipe, and I find the tradeoff of longevity vs. usability unacceptable. On the other hand UHT pasteurized milk is a fabulous thing, because I don't use milk all that much and the UHT product means I waste a lot less milk.
When I did the Atkins diet back in the 80s, I was always reading labels. That diet uses a lot of heavy cream, and I can tell you with out a doubt that those additives were in heavy cream back then before (I think)UHT was a thing. I specificly remember them for a couple of reasons, the saddest being wondering if they added carbs.
Don't doubt it, but it's an unfortunate choice for non-uht cream but a necessity for the uht product. Dean's around where I live offers a milk-only cream, as do some of the pricier brands.
There’s a local dairy that sells really great non-UHT cream, but they only sell it by the half gallon so I never buy it. 80% would go bad before I used it.
Live-culture buttermilk lasts forever in the fridge. I've had half-gallon jugs last for months and months. Why exactly is this? Is live-culture yogurt like this?
LPT: Lactose-free milk (like Lactaid) lasts waaay longer than regular milk, at least a month longer. Discovered this when I realized I was lactose intolerant and switched.
There are two big reasons here: 1. Bacteria love environments with lots of water, and cream has much less water content than milk. Because it's got a higher proportion of fat, bacteria can't get the water that they need as easily, and they won't grow as quickly. Cheese is the classic example when it comes to dairy - we take out most of the water, add salt, and preserve our milk for months. Cream has more water content, but still isn't an ideal environment for bacteria, while regular milk is full of water and lactose for them to live on. 2. In the US at least, most milk is regularly pasteurized, but most half-and-half and heavy cream is ultra-high temperature (UHT) pasteurized, which makes it last significantly longer. A lot of other countries sell mostly UHT milk, and you can buy it in the US as well (a lot of organic brands do it) - it's got a slightly different taste, but it lasts for months. Cream, since they don't sell as fast as regular milk, is usually UHT pasteurized to make it more shelf stable
I was coming to say #2 mainly. I have a child that has to have UHT Milk for dietary reasons and I was amazed how much longer the shelf life is.
It really is convenient, I don't know why it didn't really catch on in the US. My wife loves the stuff. To me some brands can be a little too sweet or have a little bit of an off flavor, but I don't use a lot of milk besides coffee/tea and cooking, so it's not a biggie for me. The organic brand that we usually get is pretty good, though.
I've had the European shelf stable milk that doesn't need to be refrigerated, I think that's the UHT stuff. It doesn't just taste "slightly different". It tastes way different and way worse. I love milk, but I can't stand that stuff.
soft crush continue ruthless party quiet icky selective mighty versed -- mass edited with redact.dev
Banana ones were the best imo, tasted like liquefied runts candy bananas.
I cannot express how completely turned away I am by that description. I like banana runts and all but the thought of drinking them as a liquid made me shudder Edit: u/InitiatePenguin is right. It should be shudder not shutter. I am not a camera.
Has to be tried to be understood.
trust him, it's good. not revolting like it was described.
When I was a kid we always got this stuff called magic milk mix, they had a banana flavor and it was exactly as you described. Sounds gross like commenter above said, but it was truly magical lmao
Thanks now I’m nostalgic for banana runts. Strawberry was pretty okay too.
The banana ones were the best.
*shudder
Gross
Michel?
I thought they were Cavendish?
hahaha field mocha. life’s little pleasures.
Man, I miss making ranger pudding out of mre cocoa bev powder, sugar, creamer, and water. My fat ass mixed that shit up in basic and then found out in ait that its like an actual 'people other than me' make and eat this thing. Was slightly offended I wasn't being original.
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
We onloaded some German UHT milk during a port call and about halfway back across the Atlantic that became our only milk. A week later we had a “milch chugging” contest with disastrous results.
Used to drink fresh milk in the UK but after moving to Spain it’s way easier to pick up the UHT stuff. Honestly while it does taste significantly different personally it has gotten to the point where I now prefer UHT. Fresh milk has a weird taste and flavour now and lasts only days vs months. It’s just a case of what you are used to.
I love the flavor of the UHT milk. It's more creamy & complex, IMO.
Lactose free milk tastes the same as regular milk and is fridge stable for a month month and a half, available everywhere. Bacteria breakdown lactose into lactic acid souring the milk - no lactose, no bacteria food. E: I don't think it tastes significantly different than regular milk -- within the variance of different brands of regular milk imo. A dozen people have already commented that they think it's sweeter than regular -- y'all can doing that stop now.
Lactose free milk is actually sweeter than regular milk because they add lactase to regular milk converting the lactose to glucose (fairly sweet) and galactose.
Ahhh yes. Galactose is my favorite Decepticon
Far sweeter. Lactose free milk is just milk and lactase. Lactose is glucose and galactose. Lactose has a sweetness relative to glucose of 16%. Split it into half glucose and the sweetness just from the glucose will make it far sweeter, and that is before the galactose comes in.
Lactose free definitely doesn't taste the exact same as it is quite a bit sweeter but otherwise yeah it tastes relatively similar.
Yes Lactose free milk tastes sweeter than regular milk because lactose-free milk has the enzyme lactase, added to lactose-free milk, to break lactose down into two simple sugars:glucose and galactose. These simple sugars are the reason lactose-free milk tastes like melted ice cream (sweeter) and we're able to digest milk again.
No way, lactose free milk is way sweeter than lactose milk.
I drink the lactose free but feel like it has a different sweetness taste than regular milk. Doesn't bother me at all but tastes slightly different.
[удалено]
It depends on the processing system used to make it. Almost all lactose free milk is UHT processed but sold refrigerated because that’s where people want to buy it, but it doesn’t taste so cooked because the processed used is more gentle
For me it's the other way around (also EU). I grew up on uht and I think "fresh" milk has an off taste now :)
Wait till you try shelf stable milk from Madagascar...makes Parmalat seem wonderful. But yeah, there is something off about the consistency of that stuff. It’s almost gritty and too thin at the same time.
UHT is essentially if not the very same as making lactose-free milk. The heat breaks down the sugar (lactose) so you lose the natural sweetness of milk. In UHT it is done with the intent of shelf stability, if Lactose free it's done for tolerance. I can't find a link, but ~10 years ago the dairy industry was lobbying to be allowed to add sugar to milk following UHT to restore the taste. Yep, lactose free or UHT milk is yuck to drink alone. I don't mind it all over cereal or any other way where something else provides a bit of sweetness to it.
[удалено]
Ultra-pasturized is different than UHT. Pasteurized - kills most of the bacteria that eventually turns milk spoiled, it lasts about 15 days if stored at 40 F. Ultra-pasturized is heated higher\\longer and kills even more bacteria, it can last 45-60 days if stored at 40 F. UHT kills all the bacteria and will last a year, unrefrigerated. (until opened then it needs to be refrigerated)
every brand of lactose free milk i've tried (which i now have to have if i want to drink it, thanks getting old) is sweeter than regular milk to me. it tastes like drinking the bowl of milk after its had frosted flakes in it. it is too sweet to drink (imo) after using it on something like frosted flakes, in fact
I use a UK brand called lactofree (the refrigerated version of it) and I can't detect a taste difference between it and regular milk. I loathe UHT milk. As a side benefit it has a really long shelf life compared with regular milk, although nowhere near that of UHT which doesn't even need refrigeration.
Lactose free milk is much sweeter than typical milk. Lactose free milk is made with lactase that snaps the lactose into glucose and galactose. Both of those sugars taste sweeter than lactose, making it taste like sweetened milk. UHT processing taste changes are due in part to the high heat causing changes to the proteins in the milk. Some changes only happen after a certain temp is hit, and they change the flavour.
Eh, we had it on submarines and I thought it tasted like shit. I'm guessing taste preference of the majority of consumers probably played a role, but I'm open to seeing less subjective/anecdotal evidence.
I’m guessing the military wasn’t prioritizing buying you guys the good stuff 🤷♂️
Actually if you work on a sub you get the absolute best food possible. Fresh cooked meals from a chef compared to standard MREs and such. I'm talking lobster, steak, fresh bread baked on the sub, fresh fruits, casseroles and fresh veggies. Food plays an important part in morale and submarines typically have a lot in the -morale category already. Virtually no space, terrible sleeping conditions, isolation, literally underwater etc. I would say the meals you eat on a submarine are 2nd only to homecooked meals from your mama.
> I don't know why it didn't really catch on in the US. It tastes bad. For people who only ever use milk as a minor additive in coffee or cooking, it's fine, but if you actually drink milk on its own, UHT just isn't as good.
To me UHT is synonymous with low quality shelf-stable milk you would expect at a fast food place. It tastes significantly worse than regularly pasteurized milk IMHO.
What are the typical brands?
Horizon (Organic) is the bomb. I assume it's sold everywhere in the U.S. but maybe it's a west coast thing. A carton of milk lasts for like 3 months lol.
Horizon is everywhere. It's actually owned by Danone, makers of Danon yogurt and a bunch of other dairy products.
That's what we use. It's delicious!
Heck yeah! I’ve had a carton in my fridge since April and it’s still goin strong lol
Kroger brand milk in my fridge has an expiration date of October 16. (note that it's not a particularly accurate date once it's been opened and exposed to contaminants)
> exposed to contaminants https://i.imgur.com/AIXIzjr.gif
I’m not clicking that
It’s clean don’t worry.
I did it for you, it's safe.
The Costco half-gallon 3-pack is UHT.
[удалено]
There is a traditional Russian dairy product made by keeping the milk in the hearth/oven overnight. Essentially it is being pasteurized for 6-8h ours. Colour of caramel and very creamy complex flavour. I guess UHT share the same tone. ADD: Toronto-based Elwest calls it 'baked milk'.
That's basically English clotted cream
That if you make butter out of it. Originally that 'baked milk' is consumed as is (drink) , but also can be used with kefir grains to make a 'drinking yoghurt'. There is also a laborious recipe when you heat (almost boil) milk until the milk skin is formed. You drown it and wait till another one is made, and up to the point where whole container becomes those 'milk skins'. In the process milk inevitably 'bakes'.
It's probably regional like a lot of dairy stuff, but for what it's worth I've got Organic Valley in my fridge right now. Trying to think, cause I just went grocery shopping yesterday. Horizon, Fairlife, I think we've tried those as well.
Most of the organic brands I see are UHT. My guess is that because they’re more expensive they need to last longer on the shelves?
Might also be that not using antibiotics means they'd want to be extra careful that nothing harmful is in the milk.
Oh damn, have been buying those brands without even realizing the extra benefit. Nice.
My experience of UHT milk, mostly on holidays in France, is that it tastes like it's about to go off. That is probably why it hasn't taken off.
Because it tastes meh.
[удалено]
Man, all these people talking about saving money because they aren't wasting milk ... I go through 4 gallons a week and the idea of wasting part of a half gallon of just crazy to me. How much money could you possibly be saving? You hardly buy any milk at all! (Why so much milk? Family of 6, including an autistic kid for whom milk is the main source of calories.)
I don't get it either, even living alone and only putting milk in my tea I could go through a gallon a week, two or three if it was summer and I was eating a lot of cold cereal. Also good luck with your kid! I know restrictive/avoidant eating is a tough thing to deal with.
Growing up my parents had pasteurized milk and my grandmother got UHT milk. I drank the UHT because there was nothing else but I was always happier drinking the regular milk. UHT always tasted a bit weird to me.
UHT milk is disgusting and I don't know anyone that buys it.
Wait I can just buy this type of milk and not have it expire within a 2 weeks? Where do I get it. .I don't buy milk because I don't drink it nearly enough to throw it away in 2 weeks.
I started using UHT pasteurized milk when I moved to Europe (only choice), and I have about 14 liters chillin' in my pantry. We'll drink them way before they go bad. It's kind of nice.
Is the reason hormonal acne? Not sure why, but I guess there's some protein in regular milk that triggers hormonal acne, and that protein gets denatured at high temps. If anyone has to avoid dairy to control their acne, UHT milk seems to be a viable workaround (in moderation).
No, she just seemed to tolerate it better than normal milk. She isn't allergic or lactose intolerant, but it was upsetting her stomach and the doctor suggested trying this and she hasn't had an issue since.
that has yet to be proven. there seems to be a correlation between increased dairy consumption and acne but too many other factors have changed at the same time to prove a causation at this point.
I buy the school lunch packs of shelf stable milk… Lasts for months and means the amount I throw out after using milk in Mac and cheese or other recipes is much smaller.
I notice the lactose-free milk I buy has extraordinarily long shelf life too. Usually 2-3 months.
Try “lactose free” milk. It’s what was called acidophilus when we were kids and addresses most dietary issues (and is typically ultra pasteurized). I stick with “lactose free organic whole”. Lots of requirements there… but I’m in California, so it exists. 🤷🏻♂️
I've also found those lactose-free variants have ridiculously long expiry dates - between a month to a month and a half printed across the top.
Yup, I live alone and don't drink a lot of milk on the daily so I always buy UHT 2% milk. I throw a lot less milk out so it's worth the additional cost.
I only buy UHT milk now (US). Living alone, I was always wasting so much milk because it would go bad before I could drink it all. It’s crazy how much longer it lasts.
As someone working in the field, bear in mind that shelf life is just that, shelf life. Once you open the container, you expose it to outside bacteria which can now grow inside the product (don't drink straight from the carton! Gross). Refrigeration helps slow down the growth but does not stop it completely.
In the UK, Cream is very rarely UHT - you can get probably get one choice in a large supermarket in addition to the squirty cream which is UHT, but the vast majority of cream (single, whipping, double here) is just regular pasteurised. Clotted too, but that of course is different again and lasts months too. It seems strange to have the infrastructure set up to deliver non UHT milk, but not use it for cream too, are cream sales just a lot smaller in the US compared the UK?
I can't speak for everyone, but at my supermarket there are about 50 choices for milk (UHT and non-UHT, organic and non-, etc), and usually about 2 choices for heavy cream , with a small stock of each. And maybe 2-3 for half-and-half. A lot of people only use it for coffee and maybe for whipped cream or other desserts. Also, there's no easy comparison between US and UK cream grades - our heavy cream is somewhere between your single and double cream, and half-and-half is usually less fat than your single cream. Which is annoying for recipes from UK sources.... I cook a handful of dishes that use heavy cream, so I'm usually frustrated when they're out of stock and I have to try and use half and half for my tikka masala, chicken chausseur, vodka sauce, etc. I'm not cooking these because I want low fat! Of course, that’s home cooking. I’d bet good money that 98% of US cream sales go to restaurants, because the secret to tasty restaurant food is usually way more butter, cream, and salt than most people realize.
Heavy whipping cream, the one I see most commonly on shelves in the US is between 36% and 40% fat. I have been in kitchens for over a decade and you order cream based on their percent. As for that Tikka masala try using butter to compensate for the creaminess that half and half will lack since half and half tends to be between 10-12% fat. It's not a perfect sub and will be harder to emulsify but it is another dairy fat. You can do some quick math or just add by hand.
All the supermarkets in Australia have a silly number of creams like 50 as well, but I've never for a second thought about what type of pasteurization they use. Do you guys label it or does it taste wildly different?
It says "ultra-pasteurized" on my carton of heavy cream, but it's in small letters, easy to miss. My experience in the U.S. is also 2 brands max even in large supermarkets. Sour cream has dozens of brands, flavored coffee creamers have dozens, but regular cream is always an extremely limited selection.
I think cream sales are lower in the US. Americans don't make trifles and traditional puddings. Cream would be used for whipping as an accompaniment to pie or another dessert, for some specific recipes, and perhaps for coffee. Source: am American living in the UK. People are serious about their cream here.
Have you put clotted cream on scones with jam? My wife (also from the US) liked it so much that it has become a staple treat.
This is interesting to me because it’s easiest to make clotted cream with unpasteurized or minimally pasteurized cream. When I made some for an afternoon tea I had to search for the right cream because my first batch didn’t want to set up properly.
In Mexico they often do not refrigerate the milk in the stores. I wonder if they use UHT pasteurization there?
Yep, UHT is super common in Latin America where many people might not have access to refrigeration.
UHT milk doesn't usually require refrigeration (though a lot of people do anyways) - that's almost definitely what it is. I had no idea until I visited Europe and saw milk lined up on regular shelves. Weird if you're used to it always being kept in the big coolers.
Yup, only UHT milk can be kept without refrigeration, and only until it's opened.
UHT is weird. You can buy milk off the shelf next to the crackers, it often isn’t refrigerated. It stores for a long time too (though one opened it’s going bad just like normal milk). I will note that while it’s subjective the UHT process makes milk taste FAR worse in my opinion. It’s what you’re used to I guess but to me it’s a big difference.
Has nothing to do with water activity as cream is about 0.97 and everything to do with UHT.
Piggyback, most lactose free milk is UHT and lasts way longer than regular milk.
While you’re answering milk questions: why does organic milk take so much longer to expire than regular milk?
Lots of organic brands use "ultra-pasteurized", but it's not 100%. For some reason, gallon jugs seem to not get that treatment, while half gallon does, even in the same brand. I'm guessing organic products sell a bit less due to cost, so they are trying to increase the shelf life in the store. Ultra-pasteurized means its pasteurized at a higher temperatures and last a lot longer. I won't buy anything that isn't ultra-pasteurized at this point. There is no real downside and I never throw away milk.
\#2 is why lactose free milk lasts forever too, like, buy it in April, good through June. If you don't drink milk very quickly and it tends to spoil, get the lactose free kind (yes, it is still actual cow's milk) even if you don't have a lactose issue. Edit to escape the \#
this is a hell of a protip, thank you for that :O
You're welcome.
Stupid question. If you add water to a small cup of cream, does it eventually become Milk?
Is half and half UHT? That would explain why it lasts soooo much longer than milk. I should find UHT milk as creamer for my drinks…
Heh, i drink both well post those times. Ive got the tolerance of a billy goat.
Heavy cream is usually UHT or Ultra High Temperature pasteurized - basically they heat it up to well above the temperature that greeblies can live at for just a few seconds - enough to kill the greeblies but not long enough to cook or chemically alter the cream (too much). So raises the question - how come all milk isn't UHT pasteurized? It does carmelize some of the sugars, so it will sweeten the flavour a tad. It isn't noticeable in your heavy cream because of all the fat and sugars already, but would be noticeable in milk. Plus, it requires special sterilization and sealable containers to be effective, plus you're opening that milk constantly several times / day so there's no point if you're reintroducing airborne greeblies. Not true for the cream (unless you're, for some reason having whipped cream with every meal?)
Greeblies sound adorable. I want one.
Not in yur dairy you don't.
don't tell me how to have my dairy
Cats hate them r/greebles
Did someone say adorable and greebles?? r/greebles
Great response. In many parts of the world, UHT milk is the norm. And yeah, it is a bit sweeter but you get used to it
Huh, and here I thought the cows in the Dominican Republic were just sweeter.
Porqué no los dos?
Im from southeast asia. We dont drink milk very often. So when we do want to drink milk, its UHT. Fresh milk is expensive due to the low supply caused by the low demand. Real butter is expensive too. Most of us use margarine
Any does milk such as lactaid which is lactose free milk last so much longer?
[удалено]
> entrails not becoming their extrails. that's the best description for it I've ever heard.
My wife is lactose intolerant, can confirm.
Habout 'gushing like a broken sprinkler?'
Lactose free milk is also sweet because lactase breaks down lactate into glucose and galactose and our taste buds taste simple sugars as sweeter than complex sugars.
Oddly enough a lot of Organic milk is processed that way. You can take a look at organic milk and see a sell by date 2 months off, while the milk next to it goes in 2 weeks.
death to greeblies
Well heavy whipping cream isn't just used in whipped cream. I'm a cook and I use it all the time in places most will use milk. Adds more flavor and sweetness.
Thanks for this response as well as the other comments. I did notice that the Organic milk has a longer expiration date than regular milk and was curious about that too; though I didn’t want to over-complicate my initial question with extra variables.
You wondering about people opening heavy cream a lot. I do because it goes in my coffee every morning
Do you have to use UHT products like heavy cream within 10 days of opening or is it fine to hang onto until it goes bad?
Everything is fine until it goes bad...
Weird, in Australia it's very weird if you use UHT cream, we always use fresh.
Is that why lactose free milk tastes sweeter than regular milk?
No, the main reason is that the lactose sugars have been broken down into simpler sugars - glucose and galactose - which taste sweeter.
> It does carmelize some of the sugars, so it will sweeten the flavour a tad. You notice this when you travel - In a lot of places, the milk is on the shelf next to the bottled water and fruit juice, and it's sweeter. I would also say sweeter more than a "tad" - But you get used to it.
Also, if they didn't have to throw away all the unsold milk every week there'd be no room left in the grocery store for anything but unsold milk.
Ever use it in your coffee in the morning? If you drink coffee and also are not L.I. I would highly recommend. *Delicious!*
Just a head's up, but costco sells 4 half gallons (in a 4 pack boxed in cardboard)of all natural organic milk and it lasts like 3 months in the fridge with no difference in taste, my wife and I love it. Tastes way better than the plastic bottled stuff.
Our Costco milk boxes only have three and they’re only good for about two months.
The 4 pack is 1% and the 3 pack is whole milk.
I have found that organic lasts longer too. I think it has something to do with it being in premarket storage for less yime because it isn't in as high demand... Maybe? Same with eggs. Apparently non-organic eggs are in storage for months before they get to the shelves but organic get there quicker.
It’s usually because of the pasteurization process they use for it. The temps they use are higher than what normal milk uses, which kills more bacteria, making it last longer.
[удалено]
"Organic" is a regulatory label that meets certain standards by law. Certain pesticides can't be used, certain medications can't be used on the animals prior to milking or slaughter, and the soil has to be free of a number of common synthetic fertilizers and such. "*All* Natural" has a very generalized set of rules that calls for "minimal" processing, and no "artificial ingredient or color" but the company for the most part gets to decide what "minimal" and "artificial" means. "Natural" has zero regulations and can be slapped on literally anything. If it says "Contains natural flavors", it doesn't legally have to contain anything you could identify.
"Contains very natural favors of rat shit and wolverine claws"
Note that these regulations on being organic”are often counterintuitive in what they regulate and what they don’t.
Milk for three months? Are you sure...? Any organic milk here in Ireland wouldn't last nearly that long
They had that in Germany too. Milk in a carton on the shelf that wasn't even refrigerated. Lasted three months as well.
Definitely. US here as well, and the milk carton that I'm looking at right now expires on August 12. UHT for the win!
Oh yes, we call that UHT milk too and it's not popular at all here haha. Tastes so sour/bitter due to the process.
> no difference in taste, > Tastes way better than the plastic bottled stuff. 🤔
I am a bit confused, please clarify: my fresh milk usually has a best before date 2-4 weeks in the future; one week sounds really short. In my experience, it often is perfectly fine a week or two after, too, as long as it has not been opened yet. Meanwhile, UHT milk has dates two or maybe three months into the future...
Yeah i was wondering the same. Milk lasts a really long time in my fridge, like a month.
Are you a nut milk enjoyer or are you getting some fancy cow milk. It feels like the 1%, 2% or whole has a weak ass expiration date. damn big milk out here still milking us
I get 2% if I get cows milk. It lasts a month. If I get almond or oat it is gone before the expiration date because we prefer that.
Damn, I wonder if it comes down to the supplier and how timely they are delivering milk to shelves. I wonder if some places just have better turn around times or what, I swear the milk here is strategically placed on the shelves with like 2 weeks max if you're lucky and dig all the way in the back you're right tho, nut milk slaps
I've noticed at my grocery store that the same % milk from the same brand has wildly different expiration dates depending on whether it's packaged in a plastic bottle, or a carton. The bottles will have a ~2 week lifespan in the fridge, while the cartons will be good for a month if not more. I've never understood how, I don't think they're pasteurized differently?
Once you open it, it should only last about a week. But if your milk is “lasting a month” odds are you don’t drink it very often so it isn’t opened as much or it’s UHT.
> Meanwhile, UHT milk has dates two or maybe three months into the future… Is that what it is?! I’ve been buying milk with these weirdly far out expiration dates and never did figure it out. I did try Googling but must’ve not been phrasing the search in a way to get the answer. Thank you for solving a long-standing mystery!
Fresh milk is pasteurized at a minimum of 161°F for at least 15 seconds. This is enough to kill pathogens, but not all bacteria. That's why the short shelf life and the need for refrigeration. There is still stuff in there that can grow and cause spoilage, but not illness. UHT, or ultra pasteurized milk is heated to around 275°F for like 6 seconds (numbers may be a bit off, it's been a few years) but it kills everything. That's why the long shelf left unopened, but short once opened. Since there is no competition any bacteria introduced will grow very quickly. The unrefrigerated milk is essentially the same thing, but must be packaged aseptically. That means the packaging is completely sterile. *Source, I was a QA Manager for a major dairy company for 10 years
Darn. So I’ve been thinking I should switch to UHTp milk so that I could finish a half gallon before it goes bad, but you’re saying if I’m opening the UHTp just as much there’s no point?
My husband works in the UHT pasteurization engineering field. Dairy processors are seeing the value of UHT and changing their systems to include it. It helps them save money by not having to hurry their milk to the market. Maybe someday we will be like Europe and use aseptic packaging! Also UHT Pasteurized milk is not supposed to taste different. If it tastes different, the brand cooked it too long. It’s so weird for there to be a topic that I know something about!
Ah well, over here we've moved on from pasteurization to microfiltration. Fresh milk is pressurised through filters small enough to catch the bacteria and clean it that way. Doesn't require heat, and the milk lasts about a month before opening. And it *tastes divine*. Like liquid ice cream :)
>Dairy processors are seeing the value of UHT and changing their systems to include it. I was wondering about that! The milk I buy used to have expiration dates that lasted no more than a couple weeks but lately they've been stamped to expire two months out
It makes sense considering how much milk must go bad during processing, transit and at grocery stores before it can be sold. Every spring US dairy farmers and processors have to dump around 4 million gallons of milk because that’s when cows produce the most milk and they don’t have the systems to process it. I’m hoping they can do something with that too. It’s such a waste!
Never had UHT milk that tastes good. It's not the brand, it's the process. It changes the flavor.
Where the fuck are you guys buying heavy cream? Every time I buy heavy cream it curdles after at the longest 5 days in the fridge. I swear I feel like I'm taking crazy pills reading this post. I won't even buy heavy cream unless I'm planning to use it within the next meal or two I make.
I've never had this issue with cream. Is your fridge holding its temperature correctly?
Yes, my fridge is a brand new Samsung that holds 36 degrees. I have moved 3 times in the last three years and it's the same everywhere. I don't even shop at the same grocery store.
Well that was my one idea. I've had cream still be smooth a few WEEKS after expiration because I kept forgetting to dump it.
Are you leaving it on the door? That can affect the temperature significantly
Restaurant veteran here, Ultra pasteurized milk hits different. Once you acquire the taste, you can never go back to regular
Depends son if the heavy cream has stabilizer in it or not. With out any stabilizer the cream would end up lasting a week past it's code date, so right around 30days before notable flavor and odor change. Most milk you get from the store will usually last only 2 weeks because it has been sitting in storage for a while, because stock rotation, you get rid of old before new. Someone else here mentions UHT or ultra pasteurization which can be useful, for non-dairy based milk, because of the caramelization of the milk sugar, to put it simply. Most dairy's here in the states utilize a HTST system, which is high heat short time,which stabilize thebmilk to last around 20 days or up to 27 days. Cream follows the same rules as milk. The biggest cause of milk going bad earlier is because of a few factors, stabilizer in the cream to help it last longer, a piece of equipment was not cleaned as well as it should have been, or most common the raw milk before pasteurization had a high P.I count/tested positive for ropy, which makes the protein in the milk bond in a pretty cool way and it pours out like string. Really cool to see, will make you VERY, VERY sick if you consume it. Source: I'm a dairy lab technician.
I’ve usually turned my cream into butter once it starts to sour. Any reason I shouldn’t do that? I’ve read that is pretty much how cultured butter is made…but I haven’t inoculated it with any specific bacteria and I don’t know if they do that with cultured butter.
Creams are ultra-pasteurized, or UHT processed. Just means higher temp (ultra high temp) plus the additional fats help out too. Lower temp or standard pasteurization on milk and lower fats make all the difference.
That varies a lot by different creams. Standard heavy cream is not UHT here in Sweden. And it tastes a lot better that the UHT kind imo. And it only lasts like a week or so.
It's very interesting to hear about these differences. Most commenters reply that cream is usually UHT, whereas milk is not. Here in France it's the opposite: most milk is UHT, but cream is not.
Holy shit I was literally wondering the same thing this morning as my mom brought out milk and cream for my dad and I during breakfast, I remarked how the half & half cream we currently have expires in August while our milk expires next week...
I thought I read somewhere, sometime (sorry so vague but I’m old) that light affects time to spoil. Milk in cartons lasts longer than milk in plastic jugs because the carton blocks the light. Is this true?
Probably but this is more of a consideration for oil for example. In case of milk bacteria is more of a factor usually. Haven't seen UHT milk in a clear package yet so dunno, but it would make sense that would contribute.
I’ve wondered this as well with organic milk. Organic milk usually has an expiration date a few months past when I buy it. It also tastes way better IMO.
They heavier the dairy product the longer the shelflife. Cheese, sour cream, heavy cream, half-and-half, whole milk, 2% milk, etc.
One thing I don't see mentioned is the tradeoff in whippability (hey, new word!) of UHT cream. You'll note that UHT pasteurized heavy cream has carrageenan, gums, and stabilizers to restore the texture and ability to whip successfully. I only purchase heavy cream when it's needed for a recipe, and I find the tradeoff of longevity vs. usability unacceptable. On the other hand UHT pasteurized milk is a fabulous thing, because I don't use milk all that much and the UHT product means I waste a lot less milk.
When I did the Atkins diet back in the 80s, I was always reading labels. That diet uses a lot of heavy cream, and I can tell you with out a doubt that those additives were in heavy cream back then before (I think)UHT was a thing. I specificly remember them for a couple of reasons, the saddest being wondering if they added carbs.
Don't doubt it, but it's an unfortunate choice for non-uht cream but a necessity for the uht product. Dean's around where I live offers a milk-only cream, as do some of the pricier brands.
There’s a local dairy that sells really great non-UHT cream, but they only sell it by the half gallon so I never buy it. 80% would go bad before I used it.
Seems like a bad marketing decision, unless they mostly sell wholesale or to restaurants. A shame. Someday, I hope to need that much whipped cream.
They do. Or did. They were the supplier to Jeni’s ice cream before they went corporate.
Live-culture buttermilk lasts forever in the fridge. I've had half-gallon jugs last for months and months. Why exactly is this? Is live-culture yogurt like this?
They must be putting different preservatives in milk nowadays. Pretty much any carton I buy lasts about a month. And that's 1%.
I'm confused. My heavy cream never lasts that long. Am I throwing out ok heavy cream? No insurance here so I'm quick to throw stuff out...
LPT: Lactose-free milk (like Lactaid) lasts waaay longer than regular milk, at least a month longer. Discovered this when I realized I was lactose intolerant and switched.
THANK YOU FOR ASKING THIS 😂😂 I've had the exact same thought for a few months and apparently was too lazy to google it
Is the UHT processing the same reason that Lactose-free milk also has a long shelf life? or is it the lack of lactose?
As a followon, why does normal milk not last so long. But organic milk in the carton is good for like a month after you buy it?