But at some point, you have to weigh the options.
Buy larger fridge milk and have most of it spoil, or buy smaller amounts shelf stable and spend more money.
Or, don't use milk. Unfortunately, thay really is what it comes down to when you're talking perishable items.
Maybe costco or sams club has it for a little more affordable. Something people in local facebook groups will let you come to costco with them if you don’t know anyone with a membership
Absolutely. Must be refrigerated and used within 7 days, I think. But you can get them in 16 or 32 ounces, which is pretty easy to use up and only $1.25 so you don't feel as bad if you don't use it all.
I do this and it lasts for a long time once opened still! I hardly use milk but with those ultra pasteurized ones I am always able to finish it before it spoils, usually 2-3 months, it’s great.
It’s more expensive than other ones by a couple bucks but I end up spending less money since no milk gets wasted!
This is what we do. Those boxes are small and about the right size for cooking most recipes that need it while being shelf stable.
No one in our house drinks milk but we do need it for recipes like saag paneer
Can you tell me where to find them in Costco? I haven’t seen them and would love to have them on hand. It seems like I throw away so much cream, so I gave up keeping it on hand. Thanks
You'd be looking for UHT milk. Not a brand name, but the type of pasteurization used.
If they have any they'd be in cartons on the shelf with the pantry items.
Yep! It gets a bad rap because it’s not yummy to just reconstitute and drink it, but using it in cooking changes the flavour so much no one ever notices.
I may be alone in this but at some point as a kid I learned that you can mix 1.5x the recommended amount of powdered milk with 1x the water and it was sweeter and closer to an ice cream type flavor. This was when my solution to boredom was going into the kitchen and making stuff up until I found something edible though, so if anyone tries this, maybe start with a small quantity
My parents used to do a once a month trip to the commissary on base and we’d get 8 gallons of milk and at home we’d pour off a cup or two into an empty container to drink right away and they’d freeze the rest to use through the month.
If you let it defrost fully and had dad shake it up it was ok, but if it still had frozen bits or was still separated it was gross.
We only did skim or 1% milk though, I’m not sure that would work with whole milk, which is what we keep at home
Where I am I get milk in bags- 4l come in one package, which contains 3 bags. I always use the one and freeze the other 2 and then defrost as needed- it never seems to separate, but if it does I shake it up- it being in the bag makes it very satisfying to shake. Abut I honestly don’t notice a difference between unfrozen and frozen.
Yep, I only buy full fat anymore, I'm only using dairy milk for sauces, baking etc anyway, full fat is generally better for those things. And I buy the smallest container available, if I have to get even a quart I split it down and freeze half. Shake vigorously every time you use after thawing, it'll be fine.
There's a few alternatives. Powdered dry milk. Canned evaporated milk is fine for cooking, not great for drinking or pouring over your cereal. Long life boxed milk...this is UHT pasteurized, and lasts something like a year or so on the shelf without refrigeration. You do need to refrigerate it once opened. Comes in either 1 quart or 1 liter cartons.
Second this. I started buying lactose free milk when I moved in with someone lactose intolerant. It'll last like two months unopened and close to two weeks after opening. That combined with only being able to buy half gallons means I've never had to smell spoiled milk since I started buying it.
So I've found a lot of kids meals are a better value. And they come with a small thing of milk with an expiration date months away. Few of those are generally in my fridge at all times
I feel like powdered milk gets a bad rap because it sounds gross, but I used to buy it specifically for those "shit I'm out of milk" moments, and it never let me down. When chilled it does not taste weird at all.
Main thing to look out for is that most powdered milk you see at the store is nonfat milk. Powdered whole milk exists but I imagine it is easier and cheaper to powder something with no fat (that's just a guess).
I'm not sure if nonfat milk would have the desired effect in cooking and baking applications.
Going down the "ethnic" aisle, I can find Nido, which is fantastic. Still wouldn't drink it straight but mixed and chilled works over cereal in a pinch. Great in baking.
I usually do this when I only need a cup of milk.
Last time I made chicken and dumplings, my mom went crazy over them and it occurred to me that it might have been because I used slightly diluted cream to make the dumplings.
powdered milk works but you need to let it sit overnight. when mixed fresh it doesn't taste too good (to me).
if you are only baking then it won't matter.
powdered milk is your friend. i always have powdered buttermilk and regular milk on hand. you can mix powdered milk in with your dry ingredients, or add water to it and use it as a wet ingredient as usual.
You can get powdered non-fat milk, which is pretty common, but if you look around and online, you can get powdered whole milk and even powdered heavy cream. I have buttermilk powder which I find convenient for baking uses. I thought it was a rare thing; then I saw it at Walmart.
Evaporated milk is good for mac and cheese, as the extra milk proteins help keep the sauce emulsified.
The shelf stable milk people mentioned, I still think of only as Parmalat, as that's the brand name that I was first aware of.
I like milk, bit don’t drink a lot of it. Sometimes I use it for recipes, though. I buy Horizon Organic, because it has an extended use by date (it is ultra pasteurized). Even after opening it, it lasts weeks beyond that use by date. The good thing about milk is that you can easily tell of it has turned. I will sometimes pour a bit into a glass and taste it before using in a recipe or pouring it over cereal.
Evaporated milk is pretty decent if you’re not a fan of the powdered stuff. Id recommend using that, but anything you’re looking at to be shelf stable will had additives in it.
Bring neighbor a dollar. Buy milk from them. I seriously had a neighbor one time that would send her kids to my house to buy a can of peas or corn or green beans. Even though she knew I bought on sale, she paid me a bit over retail because I saved her a 10 mile trip into town.
Just use heavy cream. It lasts for a few months and all of those things will taste better than milk. Not sure about biscuits though. Haven't tried that with cream yet.
I like Ultra-Pasteurized. However, many cartons have it in small print. Sometimes to find it
* Organic milk. It's not often sold as much as regular milk, so it's ultra-Pasteurized. If you can't find the fine print, just check the date on the carton
* "Lactose-free" milk. Also often ultra-Pasteurized. Please make sure to leave some for people that need it though.
It's basically heated to a hotter temperature vs regular Pasteurization. For baking, I find that powdered milk works really well, especially powdered whole milk and powdered buttermilk
I had this same problem, and both powdered milk and shelf stable milk seem unappealing to me. I recently figured out that half & half lasts about a month, so I’ve been buying a quart of that instead. If something calls for milk, I use less or dilute it with water. It’s working for me.
Also, I’m not a fan, but a lot of people use vegetarian options - almond milk, soy milk, etc.
What do you need it for? If it’s to make a roux-based sauce, you can make it all into sauce, use what you need and freeze the rest. I make the rest into cheese sauce using ends of cheese.
There was a while where we didn't use enough milk to keep on hand and I started using whole milk powder for those times I didn't have fresh milk. Plus I could add it to baked goods for extra oomph (I also went through a Christina Tosi milkbar phase where I needed all kinds of ingredients like that). Then the pandemic happened and we were trying to only go to the store 1x month. I still keep powdered milk on hand and use it for everything except cereal and drinking / coffee creamer.
Why worry about separation if you are only using it in recipes? Just shake it up or put it into a blender for a moment and viola! milk for your recipe.
If you were drinking it or using it in coffee or something, I could see that being a concern, but just for cooking frozen milk should be just fine.
I just mix up a dab of dry milk when I need it. The dry milk nowadays is much better than it once was. I could use it in cereal if I wanted. The plastic pouches it comes in from Sam’s are a bit of a pain however so I fill a quart jar (equipped with a pour spout I’d bought awhile back to fit canning jars) with the dry milk and pour out enough to make a small amount of milk. Surprisingly the measuring scoop handle fits right into the handle of the pour spout like it was made for the job, keeping it all handy. I never buy fresh milk.
You could just buy small bottles of milk. Idk where you live but here the brand Borden makes pint sized bottles of their milk. I usually buy those when I need buttermilk for a recipe, but they sell their normal milk in that size too
For ingredients like this, I just buy the smallest quantity I can from the neighborhood market. It's always worth the 5-15 minute bike ride to grab the pint of milk. A good reason to get out for the day.
I get this powdered milk through amazon and it has no additives! [https://www.judeesfromscratch.com/collections/milk-powders/products/whole-milk-powder](https://www.judeesfromscratch.com/collections/milk-powders/products/whole-milk-powder)
I keep powdered milk on hand for these moments. Now, I will say that I HATE non-fat dried milk. I buy powdered whole milk and it works fantastic for things that you described.
Not sure why you need long term storage, but single serving bottles are typically enough for most recipes. Sort of like buying those small boxes of wine for cooking.
1)unsweetened condensed milk. make it up an hour before you need it there should be instructions on the can.
2) powdered milk. There should be instructions on the can
3) sterilized milk should be shelf stable until opened
UHP milk- high temp pasteurized- is damn near shelf stable. During the lockdowns, I got groceries once a month and the jug stayed unspoiled for three weeks at a stretch.
If you don't like the taste, you can look into ways to use up the excess milk quickly. Yogurt or farmer cheese are easy and will extend the life of the dairy- albeit in a different form. I strain the yogurt until it's damn near solid, too, and use it as a spread/dip (labneh) and as a sour cream sub. The whey goes in bread or treats for the dog.
Two options that work fairly well for me are ultra high pasteurized milk, which should last significantly longer than regular pasteurized milk. The other option is powdered milk, which honestly works pretty well if milk isn't a key ingredient.
Powdered or Ultra pastuerized works. I go ultrapastuerized for heavy whipping cream because it lasts so long.
You will run into the fundamental issue of the more preservatives you restrict the more things may not last all that long.
You can try more natural ways of keeping things from going bad by buying whole milk whenever you need it and making yogurt/kefir with the extra for example but that may not work for everyone. It does reduce waste if you eat the yogurt though.
Buy a gallon and freeze it into half-pints, if you want liquid milk. Use powdered, if it's for baking. Get UHT shelf stable milk, for instant usability plus good flavor.
Lactose free dairy milk has a shelf life about equivalent to heavy cream. I am mildly lactose intolerant so have the same issue as you, I usually just sub heavy cream because I don't like milk enough to buy the lactose free stuff very often. (Once or twice a year I really want a bowl of Raisin Bran or Frosted Mini Wheats and I'll buy the lactose free stuff. It's way better than oat/almond/soy milk for cereal.)
Most of my milk goes into making lattes or smoothies. I use 0% fat free. That stuff freezes great! There are ways to introduce fat into you cooking if you're using for that. Maybe mix fat free thawed with some powdered milk to get you the texture you're looking for ? What a fun experimentation journey !
I don’t drink milk anybody in my family knows if they see milk in the refrigerator more than likely it’s spoiled. To combat that issue I have learned to buy half-and-half or even heavy whipping cream but usually half-and-half just because it’s cheaper. It has a longer shelflife than milk next time you’re at the store, compare the best used by dates and you will see. If you’re not gonna use it for drinking, just buy a quart of half-and-half and keep it in the fridge for when you need it.
Another viable option, but this relates to buttermilk is buttermilk powder, which is very handy and you just keep it in the pantry
Buy a small container if possible (half gallon/quart or metric equivalent), but powdered milk and evaporated milk should work for most cooking applications.
I keep on hand shelf, stable, milk, I’m blind, I do get taken to the store, by my relatives, but when they are out of town, and I have no choice, but to have some milk, let’s say, especially for my coffee, I always had one of those, or I also keep on hand, evaporated milk. Trust me I’ll never be without the milk for my coffee, I also keep powdered creamer on hand, just in case. Lol.
Where I live, long life milk can come in small boxes. A bit like a juice carton, is usually around 250-300mls. It doesn’t need to be refrigerated and it’s a small amount so it can be used up quickly. My parents used to bring them on picnics to add them to tea/coffee without having to navigate a big, leaky milk bottle.
I buy milk in quarts. I don't use a lot of milk, so I really don't waste any. It seems like the use by dates are alot further out than the gallons. I can usually time it out where it's gone before the use by date. I write the date I open it on the cap.
Squeeze as much air out of the container as you can and then put the cap back on. This will help milk last longer, maybe another week or so. I learned this from working in a photography dark room where air can really mess with the chemicals.
I try to plan to make a lot of recipes that call for milk when I have it on hand. Like make cornbread, pasta with cheese sauce, pancakes all in the same week i bought milk, maybe round it out by using it in cereal or milkshakes or pudding. Also use the uht pasteurized that lasts longer.
I buy evaporated/condensed milk - not sweetened. Use it 50/50 with water as a direct substitute for whole milk. Cans last years (they do expire so watch the dates) in the cupboard and always ready to use. You can even freeze the leftovers for a week no issue at all.
A bit more expensive, but I like Fairlife milk (or Kroger Carb Master). Ultra filtered milk with less sugars and more proteins and to make it even better, I buy the 0% fat d it still Has a very good mouthfeel. It keeps in the fridge over two weeks, I have never lost any and I mostly cook with milk (cakes, potage soups, clam showders).
I have seen powdered "whole milk" at WalMart, and Walmart.com. I tried to order some for my classroom cooking projects (I teach special ed living skills class), and they were out, but later I saw it on the shelf. I'll have to wait until fall when I get my new grocery budget.
Organic Whole Milk can last for months. I swear every gallon I buy, its expiration date is 2 months out. Like the one I bought last week for the family says August 18
Everyone one here talking about boxed UHT or powdered milk, but based on your expected usage which is mostly baked goods and breakfast items, I'd recommend using buttermilk. It keeps much, MUCH longer and way past its sell-by date because essentially it's already spoiled. In my experience recipes that use buttermilk are much more flavorful. Plus you can buy small bottles of it rather than gallon jugs.
Evaporated milk in cans is awesome! I keep a few around, they're like $1 each, you mix it 50/50 with water since its been concentrated, its enough for almost any recipe. Just make sure not to get sweetened condensed milk, which is mostly sugar.
I buy ultrapasteurized by the pint. It stays good for a long time *until you open it* - so for me it means I can keep heavy cream and milk on hand all the time and once I open it for a meal I’ll find a way to use it up within a week or so.
I'm the same. So when I do a recipe that needs milk I just buy the smallest container and then plan my next week's worth of meals in hopes of using more of the milk. I mostly go through it all and then go another month or two without buying any before I want one of those meals again. Sometimes it goes to waste, but hardly ever if I plan this way. I have no idea how one would store it for long though. Best of luck!
Is UHT milk not a thing where you are? Lasts for ages in the cupboard, and about two plus weeks in the fridge once opened. They come in all sizes, 1 or 2 litres or even little 200ml popper juice sizes which is perfect for use in cooking, baking etc. and it only costs two dollars for the big carton so it's cost effective and waste wise.
My family always got fresh milk but considering almost no one drinks it these days, we've got a stock of UHT for every kind of milk haha.
I buy organic milk, which is ultra-pasteurized and has a longer shelf life (well, refrigerator life), and I buy it in small quantities (a quart or half-gallon, instead of a full gallon). The cheaper stuff has a much shorter life. So your trade-off, is cheaper and much wasted, or more expensive and less wasted. Or get canned evaporated milk. Not sweetened, condensed milk unless you have a purpose for that. The evaporated milk would work, though it probably won't be as good quality as fresh milk. Or you can buy dried milk (just add water!). Stores well, decent shelf life, but again, won't be as good as fresh milk. You get to decide on the trade-off.
I get the Horizon brand little boxes of milk for like, kids’ lunches. I usually just buy one for whatever recipe I’m making but you could pick up a few or even a case if you need. They’re shelf-stable. I find them in the cereal/granola bar aisle of my normal grocery store
Frozen milk works fine for baking. For anything where the milk texture matters, are you not able to buy small quantities as needed? I can buy as little as 250ML at most convenience & grocery stores in my area.
Move your milk to the coldest part of your refrigerator, NOT on the door. I found this tip few years ago and it works. It literally doubled the shelf life of my milk.
Lactaid milk lasts me forever. I also drink almost no milk. I use it to cook and sometimes a splash in coffee. Unless my vitamin D gets low and I force myself.
This is kind of a wack workaround but go to the nearest cheap coffee shop and ask for a small cup of milk (like a short cup at starbucks). Its like $2. I use this for heavy cream bc I rarely need a whole pint
My students get juicebox sized shelf-stable milk with their school breakfast (we don't have a kitchen on site, so everything is prepackage)
I wonder if those are available to the general public?
I don't drink milk, but I do have someone who often drops by for visits and they like to have milk in their tea. Where we live here in BC there is a shelf stable bottled milk that's marketed under the name "Milk 2 go". I buy their small bottles that come in a pack of six - there is about a cup of milk in each bottle, enough to serve to guests for tea or coffee. It keeps for ages, I store it in our downstairs refrigerator so it's always cold and pretty fresh.
I use half and half in my coffee and just do 1/2 half and half and half water for a milk equivalent. Hasn’t failed me yet.
Aside from that don’t sleep on canned milk! Evaporated milk can be used with equal parts water in recipes calling for milk (if recipe calls for 1 C milk you do 1/2 evaporated milk and 1/2 water)
We buy the ultra pasteurized milk. Usually the Horizon half a gallon. Stays fine in fridge for a really long time. Enough to bake, have Oreos or occasionally put in tea or coffee (usually black in this house).
I usually just get a plastic container of milk small enough to put in a lunch, but bigger than the little cartons. About 2 of those a month works just fine for me.
Probably not the answer you want but I highly recommend just drinking the milk that you don't use. It's really good for you.
If you *can't* drink milk due to allergies or something, then some recipes you can get by with a substitute like powdered milk, but it's often less than ideal.
Milk can be frozen and tastes fine when thawed.
We have powdered milk I use for baking, mostly to add to whole milk as a substitute for condensed milk for my bread recipes.
>I tried freezing, but milk doesn't freeze well
Question: when you tried freezing the milk and it separates afterwards, did you try using it anyway? For baked goods?
I occasionally use milk in baking or cooking but can't deal with cows milk very well, so I use oat milk. Which I just make from scratch. 1 part oats, 4 parts cold water. Blend for no more than 30 seconds in a blender. Strain.
I used to buy the individual serve UHT full cream milk from the supermarket for road trips. They are about 200 mls. I’m not sure where you are, but where I am they are Devondale brand
Buy shelf milk. If you're in the US, it should be in the juice aisle of your grocery store. I get single serve chocolate milk for my daughter. It makes sure she gets her daily milk without taking up massive fridge space. (And we got in the habit in Florida - shelf milk is great for hurricane supplies.)
You have only two options:
* Pasteurized milk. Its shelf life varies between 6 to 12 months mainly because it doesn't contain preservatives (flash heated in sealed sanitized containers).
* Powdered. Shelf stable for a few years due to lack of moisture. I buy it in bulk and use it as recipes require. Typically available in skim and buttermilk.
Beyond those two, you're stuck with either evaporated milk or sweetened condensed milk.
I just buy ultra-pasteurized organic milk in the dairy section next to the normal milk. The dates are generally at least a month out often two months and it lasts easily 3 weeks when I open one. I also don’t drink milk and just use it for baking. I rarely have to throw away the dregs
Some of the ultra pasteurized shelf stable ones have a funny taste. My super picky milk guzzling sister thinks the ones I buy cold taste fine.
Dry milk also has a weird taste, so I can’t use it in oatmeal or any other un baked food. I do keep some around for baking, but haven’t really needed to use it often.
If you don't want to do powdered, you can buy ultra pasteurized in sealed square cartons. Most have a shelf life of 6 to 9 months.
Wouldn't the shelf life greatly diminish once you open it?
One of the organic brands has small shelf stable cartons intended for kids but would probably work perfect for OP.
I think it’s the horizon brand in the red cartons
We take that camping too. Perfect for morning coffee and scrambled eggs.
That's what we do - keep a 12 pack of these in the pantry. I think each one is a cup.
I'm in a similar situation to OP, and I looked at the Horizon milks, but decided they were too expensive per unit.
But at some point, you have to weigh the options. Buy larger fridge milk and have most of it spoil, or buy smaller amounts shelf stable and spend more money. Or, don't use milk. Unfortunately, thay really is what it comes down to when you're talking perishable items.
Maybe costco or sams club has it for a little more affordable. Something people in local facebook groups will let you come to costco with them if you don’t know anyone with a membership
I can confirm Costco in at least a few Chicagoland Costco’s carry these
They cost more but last a very long time plus taste terrific.
We used to buy horizon milk for our school age daughter, I think I paid for at least twenty cows. Shit is expensive.
Absolutely. Must be refrigerated and used within 7 days, I think. But you can get them in 16 or 32 ounces, which is pretty easy to use up and only $1.25 so you don't feel as bad if you don't use it all.
Yes, but it still keeps longer than fresh milk
Yes, it has like a 10 day shelf life after opening.
I do this and it lasts for a long time once opened still! I hardly use milk but with those ultra pasteurized ones I am always able to finish it before it spoils, usually 2-3 months, it’s great. It’s more expensive than other ones by a couple bucks but I end up spending less money since no milk gets wasted!
This is what we do. Those boxes are small and about the right size for cooking most recipes that need it while being shelf stable. No one in our house drinks milk but we do need it for recipes like saag paneer
Horizon sells shelf-stable milk boxes. Like a juice box, but milk.
Trader Joe’s has shelf stable heavy whipping cream in small milk cartons as well. Super handy!
Last I checked, this was a seasonal item available during the holidays. Hope that changed!
This is what I use as well since we don’t drink normal milk regularly. Costco has them.
Can you tell me where to find them in Costco? I haven’t seen them and would love to have them on hand. It seems like I throw away so much cream, so I gave up keeping it on hand. Thanks
You'd be looking for UHT milk. Not a brand name, but the type of pasteurization used. If they have any they'd be in cartons on the shelf with the pantry items.
In the room temp drinks aisle.
I buy those for camping. The small size is incredibly handy for mixing up a batch of pancakes or whatever.
Yup this is what I use as I use so little milk except for cooking. Works great and perfect small portions.
I am the same. I keep powdered milk on hand for when a recipe calls for it.
Yep! It gets a bad rap because it’s not yummy to just reconstitute and drink it, but using it in cooking changes the flavour so much no one ever notices.
I may be alone in this but at some point as a kid I learned that you can mix 1.5x the recommended amount of powdered milk with 1x the water and it was sweeter and closer to an ice cream type flavor. This was when my solution to boredom was going into the kitchen and making stuff up until I found something edible though, so if anyone tries this, maybe start with a small quantity
I always freeze milk- texture changes don’t really seem to happen if it’s full fat.
And you need to fully defrost and shake like mad. But I have no problems freezing anyhow.
My parents used to do a once a month trip to the commissary on base and we’d get 8 gallons of milk and at home we’d pour off a cup or two into an empty container to drink right away and they’d freeze the rest to use through the month. If you let it defrost fully and had dad shake it up it was ok, but if it still had frozen bits or was still separated it was gross. We only did skim or 1% milk though, I’m not sure that would work with whole milk, which is what we keep at home
I’d do that back in the day when Kroger would do half gallons of milk at 10 for $10. RIP beloved upright freezer.
Yeah my parents did it with 2% - and it did get separated sometimes, but now I get whole milk and it never seems to get weird.
I freeze all types of milk. Key is definitely in the defrost fully and shake it.
Where I am I get milk in bags- 4l come in one package, which contains 3 bags. I always use the one and freeze the other 2 and then defrost as needed- it never seems to separate, but if it does I shake it up- it being in the bag makes it very satisfying to shake. Abut I honestly don’t notice a difference between unfrozen and frozen.
Yep, I only buy full fat anymore, I'm only using dairy milk for sauces, baking etc anyway, full fat is generally better for those things. And I buy the smallest container available, if I have to get even a quart I split it down and freeze half. Shake vigorously every time you use after thawing, it'll be fine.
should be top comment. Mozzarella also freezes well.
There's a few alternatives. Powdered dry milk. Canned evaporated milk is fine for cooking, not great for drinking or pouring over your cereal. Long life boxed milk...this is UHT pasteurized, and lasts something like a year or so on the shelf without refrigeration. You do need to refrigerate it once opened. Comes in either 1 quart or 1 liter cartons.
I’m not lactose intolerant but I buy lactaid because it lasts for a few months.
Second this. I started buying lactose free milk when I moved in with someone lactose intolerant. It'll last like two months unopened and close to two weeks after opening. That combined with only being able to buy half gallons means I've never had to smell spoiled milk since I started buying it.
LACTOSE is what spoils milk fast.
So I've found a lot of kids meals are a better value. And they come with a small thing of milk with an expiration date months away. Few of those are generally in my fridge at all times
haha, that's a pretty good hack!
buy smaller containers of milk, and only when you need it. Economically it is probably even with throwing out a large portion
And buy organic. More expensive but it lasts much, much longer in my experience
You can buy powdered milk.
I feel like powdered milk gets a bad rap because it sounds gross, but I used to buy it specifically for those "shit I'm out of milk" moments, and it never let me down. When chilled it does not taste weird at all. Main thing to look out for is that most powdered milk you see at the store is nonfat milk. Powdered whole milk exists but I imagine it is easier and cheaper to powder something with no fat (that's just a guess). I'm not sure if nonfat milk would have the desired effect in cooking and baking applications.
Fats require freeze drying not just dehydrating. Also powdered whole milk is expensive.
That makes sense. I've only ever used powdered nonfat milk because that is the cheap stuff at the grocery store.
Going down the "ethnic" aisle, I can find Nido, which is fantastic. Still wouldn't drink it straight but mixed and chilled works over cereal in a pinch. Great in baking.
I buy pints.
You could buy whipping cream and dilute it with water into the ratios you need. Stuff lasts for weeks
I usually do this when I only need a cup of milk. Last time I made chicken and dumplings, my mom went crazy over them and it occurred to me that it might have been because I used slightly diluted cream to make the dumplings.
powdered milk works but you need to let it sit overnight. when mixed fresh it doesn't taste too good (to me). if you are only baking then it won't matter.
powdered milk is your friend. i always have powdered buttermilk and regular milk on hand. you can mix powdered milk in with your dry ingredients, or add water to it and use it as a wet ingredient as usual.
powdered buttermilk, that sounds awesome. Any chance you have a link to what you use?
You can get powdered non-fat milk, which is pretty common, but if you look around and online, you can get powdered whole milk and even powdered heavy cream. I have buttermilk powder which I find convenient for baking uses. I thought it was a rare thing; then I saw it at Walmart. Evaporated milk is good for mac and cheese, as the extra milk proteins help keep the sauce emulsified. The shelf stable milk people mentioned, I still think of only as Parmalat, as that's the brand name that I was first aware of.
I like milk, bit don’t drink a lot of it. Sometimes I use it for recipes, though. I buy Horizon Organic, because it has an extended use by date (it is ultra pasteurized). Even after opening it, it lasts weeks beyond that use by date. The good thing about milk is that you can easily tell of it has turned. I will sometimes pour a bit into a glass and taste it before using in a recipe or pouring it over cereal.
when you buy the milk, plan to batch cook something that uses it all up, and freeze the finished dish(es).
Powdered milk.
Evaporated milk is pretty decent if you’re not a fan of the powdered stuff. Id recommend using that, but anything you’re looking at to be shelf stable will had additives in it.
Bring neighbor a dollar. Buy milk from them. I seriously had a neighbor one time that would send her kids to my house to buy a can of peas or corn or green beans. Even though she knew I bought on sale, she paid me a bit over retail because I saved her a 10 mile trip into town.
I get fresh milk, and freeze it into ice cube trays. Bag up the cubes and they last a few months. Each ice cube is about 20ml of milk.
Make milk ice cubes, put them in a bag for PRN usage.
Get shelf stable milk
Just use heavy cream. It lasts for a few months and all of those things will taste better than milk. Not sure about biscuits though. Haven't tried that with cream yet.
I like Ultra-Pasteurized. However, many cartons have it in small print. Sometimes to find it * Organic milk. It's not often sold as much as regular milk, so it's ultra-Pasteurized. If you can't find the fine print, just check the date on the carton * "Lactose-free" milk. Also often ultra-Pasteurized. Please make sure to leave some for people that need it though. It's basically heated to a hotter temperature vs regular Pasteurization. For baking, I find that powdered milk works really well, especially powdered whole milk and powdered buttermilk
Horizon sells shelf stable milk. Target carries it.
I had this same problem, and both powdered milk and shelf stable milk seem unappealing to me. I recently figured out that half & half lasts about a month, so I’ve been buying a quart of that instead. If something calls for milk, I use less or dilute it with water. It’s working for me. Also, I’m not a fan, but a lot of people use vegetarian options - almond milk, soy milk, etc.
I actually didn't realize that half and half / heavy cream lasted so much longer. Definitely going to give this a try!
Evaporated milk in a can is useful in recipes. You can refrigerate if you didn’t use the whole can
What do you need it for? If it’s to make a roux-based sauce, you can make it all into sauce, use what you need and freeze the rest. I make the rest into cheese sauce using ends of cheese.
My uses are similar to yours. I buy pints of half-n-half. It lasts up to 2 weeks.
Dollar Tree sells quarts that are shelf-stable.
There was a while where we didn't use enough milk to keep on hand and I started using whole milk powder for those times I didn't have fresh milk. Plus I could add it to baked goods for extra oomph (I also went through a Christina Tosi milkbar phase where I needed all kinds of ingredients like that). Then the pandemic happened and we were trying to only go to the store 1x month. I still keep powdered milk on hand and use it for everything except cereal and drinking / coffee creamer.
Why worry about separation if you are only using it in recipes? Just shake it up or put it into a blender for a moment and viola! milk for your recipe. If you were drinking it or using it in coffee or something, I could see that being a concern, but just for cooking frozen milk should be just fine.
You can use evaporated milk in a can for most things.
Evaporated milk in a can makes creamy sauces much better!
Freeze it!
I just mix up a dab of dry milk when I need it. The dry milk nowadays is much better than it once was. I could use it in cereal if I wanted. The plastic pouches it comes in from Sam’s are a bit of a pain however so I fill a quart jar (equipped with a pour spout I’d bought awhile back to fit canning jars) with the dry milk and pour out enough to make a small amount of milk. Surprisingly the measuring scoop handle fits right into the handle of the pour spout like it was made for the job, keeping it all handy. I never buy fresh milk.
You \*do know about HTST milk in Tetra Paks?
You could just buy small bottles of milk. Idk where you live but here the brand Borden makes pint sized bottles of their milk. I usually buy those when I need buttermilk for a recipe, but they sell their normal milk in that size too
Steal a bunch of the mini single use cup ones from hotel mini bars
For ingredients like this, I just buy the smallest quantity I can from the neighborhood market. It's always worth the 5-15 minute bike ride to grab the pint of milk. A good reason to get out for the day.
Trader Joe's sells small shelf stable cartons of cream. Called just enough cream 8oz . Perfect for cooking.
Milk powder is an option! Way more shelf stable
Dollar tree has shelf stable milk!
I get this powdered milk through amazon and it has no additives! [https://www.judeesfromscratch.com/collections/milk-powders/products/whole-milk-powder](https://www.judeesfromscratch.com/collections/milk-powders/products/whole-milk-powder)
I use powdered milk or evaporated canned milk. Depends what I need it for
I keep powdered milk on hand for these moments. Now, I will say that I HATE non-fat dried milk. I buy powdered whole milk and it works fantastic for things that you described.
Not sure why you need long term storage, but single serving bottles are typically enough for most recipes. Sort of like buying those small boxes of wine for cooking.
Evaporated milk in the can …even once opened its good for a couple weeks if kept cold.
I keep powdered milk in my pantry. Just add water.
Milk freezes fine? Just mix well. If you're using it in a recipe I'm not sure why that matters so much anyway. Or UHT milk.
I love powdered milk, but does no one use canned milk anymore?? It is delicious in recipes.
1)unsweetened condensed milk. make it up an hour before you need it there should be instructions on the can. 2) powdered milk. There should be instructions on the can 3) sterilized milk should be shelf stable until opened
They said they didn't want condensed because it contains stuff they don't like.
Extra pasterized will last for months. Also buy a smaller size, a quart if you need to.
UHP milk- high temp pasteurized- is damn near shelf stable. During the lockdowns, I got groceries once a month and the jug stayed unspoiled for three weeks at a stretch. If you don't like the taste, you can look into ways to use up the excess milk quickly. Yogurt or farmer cheese are easy and will extend the life of the dairy- albeit in a different form. I strain the yogurt until it's damn near solid, too, and use it as a spread/dip (labneh) and as a sour cream sub. The whey goes in bread or treats for the dog.
Long life shelf milk.
Two options that work fairly well for me are ultra high pasteurized milk, which should last significantly longer than regular pasteurized milk. The other option is powdered milk, which honestly works pretty well if milk isn't a key ingredient.
Powdered or Ultra pastuerized works. I go ultrapastuerized for heavy whipping cream because it lasts so long. You will run into the fundamental issue of the more preservatives you restrict the more things may not last all that long. You can try more natural ways of keeping things from going bad by buying whole milk whenever you need it and making yogurt/kefir with the extra for example but that may not work for everyone. It does reduce waste if you eat the yogurt though.
You can freeze it in smaller containers. Just leave room in the container for expansion.
I buy a quart of half-and-half and it lasts me at least three weeks.
You need to shake the thawed milk or buy quarts of shelf stable milk. Plan recipes around the extra milk.
I buy powdered milk and butter milk. Works fine
Buy a gallon and freeze it into half-pints, if you want liquid milk. Use powdered, if it's for baking. Get UHT shelf stable milk, for instant usability plus good flavor.
Lactose free dairy milk has a shelf life about equivalent to heavy cream. I am mildly lactose intolerant so have the same issue as you, I usually just sub heavy cream because I don't like milk enough to buy the lactose free stuff very often. (Once or twice a year I really want a bowl of Raisin Bran or Frosted Mini Wheats and I'll buy the lactose free stuff. It's way better than oat/almond/soy milk for cereal.)
You should but ultra-pasteurized milk. It will last in the fridge for 3 months.
Most of my milk goes into making lattes or smoothies. I use 0% fat free. That stuff freezes great! There are ways to introduce fat into you cooking if you're using for that. Maybe mix fat free thawed with some powdered milk to get you the texture you're looking for ? What a fun experimentation journey !
You can freeze milk, you just have to shake the crap out of it to get it all mixed back together.
Lactaid or any brand of lactose-free milk lasts MUCH longer than regular milk.
Portion it into 1 cup servings. Freeze. Thaw as needed, if needed.
Powdered milk works great for recipes
Lactose free milk lasts like a month or so
Buy smaller box, in my place they selling milk box or milk bag in 220ml or buy powder milk.
I don’t drink milk anybody in my family knows if they see milk in the refrigerator more than likely it’s spoiled. To combat that issue I have learned to buy half-and-half or even heavy whipping cream but usually half-and-half just because it’s cheaper. It has a longer shelflife than milk next time you’re at the store, compare the best used by dates and you will see. If you’re not gonna use it for drinking, just buy a quart of half-and-half and keep it in the fridge for when you need it. Another viable option, but this relates to buttermilk is buttermilk powder, which is very handy and you just keep it in the pantry
Smallest size of UHP is the answer
Buy a small container if possible (half gallon/quart or metric equivalent), but powdered milk and evaporated milk should work for most cooking applications.
There is a brand. I forget the name. That campers use. It doesn’t even have to be refrigerated till it’s opened.
small cartons of shelf stable milk
I would buy the shelf stable milk “juice boxes” because then you won’t have to waste as much when you toss out what you didn’t use.
I keep on hand shelf, stable, milk, I’m blind, I do get taken to the store, by my relatives, but when they are out of town, and I have no choice, but to have some milk, let’s say, especially for my coffee, I always had one of those, or I also keep on hand, evaporated milk. Trust me I’ll never be without the milk for my coffee, I also keep powdered creamer on hand, just in case. Lol.
I always have a few cans of evaporated milk in the cabinet for emergencies.
Honestly I just buy a singular carton for cooking. Typically costs a buck and change, and just enough for any dish I need.
Where I live, long life milk can come in small boxes. A bit like a juice carton, is usually around 250-300mls. It doesn’t need to be refrigerated and it’s a small amount so it can be used up quickly. My parents used to bring them on picnics to add them to tea/coffee without having to navigate a big, leaky milk bottle.
Lactose-free milk.
Buy organic milk in cartons. It has a long life. I buy half gallons and they easily last for 3-4 weeks
Do they sell pints or quarts near you?
I buy milk in quarts. I don't use a lot of milk, so I really don't waste any. It seems like the use by dates are alot further out than the gallons. I can usually time it out where it's gone before the use by date. I write the date I open it on the cap.
Do you use half and half for coffee? I just use that for baking or whatever. Maybe even add a little water if too thick.
I keep half-and-half around and use it for every recipe asking for milk. The extra fat doesn’t hurt and the shelf life is decent.
Squeeze as much air out of the container as you can and then put the cap back on. This will help milk last longer, maybe another week or so. I learned this from working in a photography dark room where air can really mess with the chemicals.
Lactose free milk lasts longer in the fridge. Like 2 months.
I only keep heavy cream and add water when I need to for recipes.
Milk freezes. Maybe portion it out into the serving sizes you use most and freeze it in zip lock baggies.
Parmalat- shelf stable milk that comes in a "box" Klim- powdered whole milk that comes in a tin.
I try to plan to make a lot of recipes that call for milk when I have it on hand. Like make cornbread, pasta with cheese sauce, pancakes all in the same week i bought milk, maybe round it out by using it in cereal or milkshakes or pudding. Also use the uht pasteurized that lasts longer.
I buy evaporated/condensed milk - not sweetened. Use it 50/50 with water as a direct substitute for whole milk. Cans last years (they do expire so watch the dates) in the cupboard and always ready to use. You can even freeze the leftovers for a week no issue at all.
Oat milk.
lactose free milk lasts longer. Take a look, it might work for you.
A bit more expensive, but I like Fairlife milk (or Kroger Carb Master). Ultra filtered milk with less sugars and more proteins and to make it even better, I buy the 0% fat d it still Has a very good mouthfeel. It keeps in the fridge over two weeks, I have never lost any and I mostly cook with milk (cakes, potage soups, clam showders).
Sounds like you use milk pretty regularly dude. By a pint at a time.
I have seen powdered "whole milk" at WalMart, and Walmart.com. I tried to order some for my classroom cooking projects (I teach special ed living skills class), and they were out, but later I saw it on the shelf. I'll have to wait until fall when I get my new grocery budget.
Cravendale lasts for weeks if you can buy that, or similar.
Organic Whole Milk can last for months. I swear every gallon I buy, its expiration date is 2 months out. Like the one I bought last week for the family says August 18
Everyone one here talking about boxed UHT or powdered milk, but based on your expected usage which is mostly baked goods and breakfast items, I'd recommend using buttermilk. It keeps much, MUCH longer and way past its sell-by date because essentially it's already spoiled. In my experience recipes that use buttermilk are much more flavorful. Plus you can buy small bottles of it rather than gallon jugs.
I keep Nido powdered milk in the pantry for just this use case.
I use organic milk which stays good for like 4-6 weeks at least
Evaporated milk in cans is awesome! I keep a few around, they're like $1 each, you mix it 50/50 with water since its been concentrated, its enough for almost any recipe. Just make sure not to get sweetened condensed milk, which is mostly sugar.
Just freeze it. Works well
I keep shelf stable tiny milks on hand because I have a child, but they’re also super handy for baking!
I buy ultrapasteurized by the pint. It stays good for a long time *until you open it* - so for me it means I can keep heavy cream and milk on hand all the time and once I open it for a meal I’ll find a way to use it up within a week or so.
I'm the same. So when I do a recipe that needs milk I just buy the smallest container and then plan my next week's worth of meals in hopes of using more of the milk. I mostly go through it all and then go another month or two without buying any before I want one of those meals again. Sometimes it goes to waste, but hardly ever if I plan this way. I have no idea how one would store it for long though. Best of luck!
My mom buys skim milk half gallons and freezes them. Throws them in the fridge and drinks them as they thaw. It’s absolutely vile.
Buy Lactaid milk. The big one lasts me about 2 months. Opened.
Is UHT milk not a thing where you are? Lasts for ages in the cupboard, and about two plus weeks in the fridge once opened. They come in all sizes, 1 or 2 litres or even little 200ml popper juice sizes which is perfect for use in cooking, baking etc. and it only costs two dollars for the big carton so it's cost effective and waste wise. My family always got fresh milk but considering almost no one drinks it these days, we've got a stock of UHT for every kind of milk haha.
Since powdered milk seems to be a not favorable option, you cld use ultrapasturized boxes. They are incredibly shelf stable.
This is a great question
I buy organic milk, which is ultra-pasteurized and has a longer shelf life (well, refrigerator life), and I buy it in small quantities (a quart or half-gallon, instead of a full gallon). The cheaper stuff has a much shorter life. So your trade-off, is cheaper and much wasted, or more expensive and less wasted. Or get canned evaporated milk. Not sweetened, condensed milk unless you have a purpose for that. The evaporated milk would work, though it probably won't be as good quality as fresh milk. Or you can buy dried milk (just add water!). Stores well, decent shelf life, but again, won't be as good as fresh milk. You get to decide on the trade-off.
I get the Horizon brand little boxes of milk for like, kids’ lunches. I usually just buy one for whatever recipe I’m making but you could pick up a few or even a case if you need. They’re shelf-stable. I find them in the cereal/granola bar aisle of my normal grocery store
Frozen milk works fine for baking. For anything where the milk texture matters, are you not able to buy small quantities as needed? I can buy as little as 250ML at most convenience & grocery stores in my area.
I buy Half n Half instead of milk. It lasts a month. I rarely waste it.
Check out the exp date of darigold quarts in the carton, it lasts a long time. Same situation for us
I buy the individual serving Darigold at Costco business center. Doesn’t expire for about a year if unopened.
Fairlife milk is ultra pasteurized or something so it lasts a couple months and otherwise tastes and is the same as regular milk
Move your milk to the coldest part of your refrigerator, NOT on the door. I found this tip few years ago and it works. It literally doubled the shelf life of my milk.
Get individual use plant based milk that's shelf stable. I use shelf stable oat milk all the time for recipes.
During the panini I started buying Lactose Free or Organic Milk. Much longer shelf life. I haven’t had milk go bad since.
Lactaid milk lasts me forever. I also drink almost no milk. I use it to cook and sometimes a splash in coffee. Unless my vitamin D gets low and I force myself.
Lactose free milk lasts a lot longer. Or you can just freeze it for up to two months
Recommend Fairlife milk. It has a much longer shelf life than regular milk. I use milk like you and never have to throw out any Fairlife.
Horizon shelf stable milk cartons Parmalat shelf stable Target Good &Gather shelf stable
This is kind of a wack workaround but go to the nearest cheap coffee shop and ask for a small cup of milk (like a short cup at starbucks). Its like $2. I use this for heavy cream bc I rarely need a whole pint
My students get juicebox sized shelf-stable milk with their school breakfast (we don't have a kitchen on site, so everything is prepackage) I wonder if those are available to the general public?
I don't drink milk, but I do have someone who often drops by for visits and they like to have milk in their tea. Where we live here in BC there is a shelf stable bottled milk that's marketed under the name "Milk 2 go". I buy their small bottles that come in a pack of six - there is about a cup of milk in each bottle, enough to serve to guests for tea or coffee. It keeps for ages, I store it in our downstairs refrigerator so it's always cold and pretty fresh.
I use half and half in my coffee and just do 1/2 half and half and half water for a milk equivalent. Hasn’t failed me yet. Aside from that don’t sleep on canned milk! Evaporated milk can be used with equal parts water in recipes calling for milk (if recipe calls for 1 C milk you do 1/2 evaporated milk and 1/2 water)
We buy the ultra pasteurized milk. Usually the Horizon half a gallon. Stays fine in fridge for a really long time. Enough to bake, have Oreos or occasionally put in tea or coffee (usually black in this house).
Shelf stable milk Parmalot
I just keep heavy cream on hand and cut it with some water if it calls for milk. It is ultra pasteurized so it keeps for over a month refrigerated
I usually just get a plastic container of milk small enough to put in a lunch, but bigger than the little cartons. About 2 of those a month works just fine for me.
Freeze it
Probably not the answer you want but I highly recommend just drinking the milk that you don't use. It's really good for you. If you *can't* drink milk due to allergies or something, then some recipes you can get by with a substitute like powdered milk, but it's often less than ideal.
Milk can be frozen and tastes fine when thawed. We have powdered milk I use for baking, mostly to add to whole milk as a substitute for condensed milk for my bread recipes.
froze it in smale cubes and defrot it in a microwawe
Almond milk
>I tried freezing, but milk doesn't freeze well Question: when you tried freezing the milk and it separates afterwards, did you try using it anyway? For baked goods?
I occasionally use milk in baking or cooking but can't deal with cows milk very well, so I use oat milk. Which I just make from scratch. 1 part oats, 4 parts cold water. Blend for no more than 30 seconds in a blender. Strain.
You can freeze milk.
Cheese
Heavy Cream has a longer expiration, you could add water and dilute it
I used to buy the individual serve UHT full cream milk from the supermarket for road trips. They are about 200 mls. I’m not sure where you are, but where I am they are Devondale brand
I get the kids-sized cartons for lunchboxes, i live in Spain so all the milk is UHT anyway.
Buy shelf milk. If you're in the US, it should be in the juice aisle of your grocery store. I get single serve chocolate milk for my daughter. It makes sure she gets her daily milk without taking up massive fridge space. (And we got in the habit in Florida - shelf milk is great for hurricane supplies.)
You have only two options: * Pasteurized milk. Its shelf life varies between 6 to 12 months mainly because it doesn't contain preservatives (flash heated in sealed sanitized containers). * Powdered. Shelf stable for a few years due to lack of moisture. I buy it in bulk and use it as recipes require. Typically available in skim and buttermilk. Beyond those two, you're stuck with either evaporated milk or sweetened condensed milk.
Freeze it in ice cube trays.
I just buy ultra-pasteurized organic milk in the dairy section next to the normal milk. The dates are generally at least a month out often two months and it lasts easily 3 weeks when I open one. I also don’t drink milk and just use it for baking. I rarely have to throw away the dregs Some of the ultra pasteurized shelf stable ones have a funny taste. My super picky milk guzzling sister thinks the ones I buy cold taste fine. Dry milk also has a weird taste, so I can’t use it in oatmeal or any other un baked food. I do keep some around for baking, but haven’t really needed to use it often.
I’m in the same boat. We rarely drink or use milk. I do in cooking. I have found Half/Half has a much longer shelf life and works fine as substitute
My grandpa used to freeze near expired milk in ice cube trays and put them in his coffee