Drink it or toss it?

I went grocery shopping today, and as per usual I brought in as many bags as I could from the garage, leaving the heavy milk for my husband to grab. I told him about the milk when I got in, reminded him once, then again a few minutes before he left. I was under the impression he'd gotten it until just now, when I looked in the fridge to find we are milkless. Oops. So it's been in our garage, on a 95-degree day, since 10 am, and I won't be able to get it until at least 8 (have to wait for evil genius toddler to be good and asleep before I try it). So can we drink it without dying, or have we just wasted three gallons of milk?

HI,

I would try it. In my other life in the USSR, there were no refrigerated milk trucks. Buying fresh milk was always a gamble. I would drink it until it began to turn, then I would make farmer's cheese.

Your milk will likely begin to turn prematurely. If that should occur, I would make ricotta cheese.

Ricotta: There are dozens of recipes that use various acids. This is from Kenji Alt.


1 part vinegar (5%)
16 parts whole organic milk (regular milke will do)

Bring milk to a boil (stirring at the end), remove from heat
Add vinegar, whisk as it cools
Strain in a container with an appropriate shape for the final cheese
Gold filter, brewing filter, chinois

Option: Use a little cream for higher butterfat content

I would make my husband try it AND make the ricotta if that ends up being the only option

I wouldn't even consider using it.
$12 worth of milk "out of the safety zone" for SO long ( to me ) is a no-brainer.

I knew the answer, really. But perhaps a tiny part of me was hoping someone would say, "oh yes, milk stored at 95 degrees for eight hours creates a delightful brew! Why, keeping milk jugs in an overheated garage is the new sous vide." Oh well. See you, milk. It's been real.

Hell I'd try it.
It's pasturized right? It's not like your gonna die. I would never give it to the kids but I'd quaff it myself just out of curiosity.

make ricotta

plenty of recipes out there

though, I do not boil the milk. I add the acid (be it lemon, citric acid powder, buttermilk) and gently heat the milk to about 180˚
let it sit off the heat for 15 min then strain.

I would taste a spoon ful of it. Given that is was sealed its possible you could chill it and drink it for a few days. You will know when you taste it if it has turned. If it is okay it probably will not last but for a few days and then go sour.

It's currently being re-pasteurized. Finish boiling it, chill it, and I'd say you're good to go.

Mind if I thread-jack?

I just found a container of Homemade Baked Rigatoni with Sausage and Bechemel Sauce hidden in my fridge. Been in a 39 degree fridge for just shy of three weeks, in a sealed container, inside a ziplock bag. No signs of mold, dryness or weird odor.

It was really good three weeks ago- I made a huge batch of it for a friend whose mom passed away on June 12th and just forgot one of the containers. It's a single serving container, so it would have cooled down quickly.

abe_froeman wrote:Mind if I thread-jack?

I just found a container of Homemade Baked Rigatoni with Sausage and Bechemel Sauce hidden in my fridge. Been in a 39 degree fridge for just shy of three weeks, in a sealed container, inside a ziplock bag. No signs of mold, dryness or weird odor.

It was really good three weeks ago- I made a huge batch of it for a friend whose mom passed away on June 12th and just forgot one of the containers. It's a single serving container, so it would have cooled down quickly.

Go ahead, because we may all learn something.

Personally, I might eat it if it passed all the other clues it may be fine. If it has an off taste, then toss it.

You are a kind friend to bring food to your friend in need.

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:HI,

I would try it. In my other life in the USSR, there were no refrigerated milk trucks. Buying fresh milk was always a gamble. I would drink it until it began to turn, then I would make farmer's cheese.

Your milk will likely begin to turn prematurely. If that should occur, I would make ricotta cheese.

But was this milk pasteurized or not? Unpasteurized milk sours. Pasteurized milk generally spoils, as the souring bacteria naturally present in milk is killed off in the pasteurization process. When old recipes ask for "sour milk" in their ingredients, they are not asking for pasteurized milk that has gone off. They are asking for milk that has naturally soured (in a process similar to making yogurt or kefir or whatnot.)

ETA: I guess if you're using pasteurized milk that has spoiled, and are boiling it, you're probably okay, but the difference in flavor between spoiled milk and soured milk is quite pronounced. Also, ricotta is made from whey (leftover from the cheesemaking process), not milk. That recipe linked to is more of a queso fresco/farmer's cheese/paneer type of thing, not ricotta. I know, I know, I'm nitpicking, but someone might find it interesting.

Cathy2 wrote:

abe_froeman wrote:Mind if I thread-jack?

I just found a container of Homemade Baked Rigatoni with Sausage and Bechemel Sauce hidden in my fridge. Been in a 39 degree fridge for just shy of three weeks, in a sealed container, inside a ziplock bag. No signs of mold, dryness or weird odor.

It was really good three weeks ago- I made a huge batch of it for a friend whose mom passed away on June 12th and just forgot one of the containers. It's a single serving container, so it would have cooled down quickly.

Go ahead, because we may all learn something.

Personally, I might eat it if it passed all the other clues it may be fine. If it has an off taste, then toss it.

You are a kind friend to bring food to your friend in need.

Regards,

Eh, I ended up tossing it. As someone else whose opinion I asked said- two proteins in there are just asking for bacterial growth.

I'll just have to make it again under happier circumstances. It's the recipe from Bake Until Bubbly, using fresh bulk Italian sausage from Mariano's- very good sausage.

And to think, Suzy, you could have made a dress.
http://gizmodo.com/5824826/these-women- ... -real-milk

Mr. Pie noticed that a 1/2 gallon carton of OJ expired in May. Drink or Toss? This sounds like a game show.

Mr. Pie noticed that a 1/2 gallon carton of OJ expired in May. Drink or Toss?

OJ has a nasty tendency to ferment, even if pasteurized. A fellow I was dating back in the day once served me a glass of fizzy OJ. Truly awful. I vote 'toss' - two months is right in the bacteria/mold wheelhouse.

Damn.

Or, alternatively, you could add some sugar (say half a cup per gallon rate) to the fermenting OJ, pull it from the fridge and let the fermentation complete. See Jack Keller's recipe for definitive instructions.

Geo

Geo wrote:Or, alternatively, you could add some sugar (say half a cup per gallon rate) to the fermenting OJ, pull it from the fridge and let the fermentation complete. See Jack Keller's recipe for definitive instructions.

Geo

Well, personally, I'd drink it unless it really tasted off. But if it DID taste that bad, this is a wonderful discovery! Who'd a thunk it? Thanks, Geo.

Hi,

If there were any fermentation, the carton would likely puff up from any gases released during this process.

I am old school, I sniff and if that is ok, then taste. I would not chuck it until I knew it wasn't any good ... or add sugar and complete the process. I like science experiments in my fridge.

Regards,

Perhaps an opportunity to whip up a batch of Pruno?

http://www.blacktable.com/gillin030901.htm

Ew.

HI,

Someone should make a batch of pruno for the picnic. Just a thought!