Does raw milk spoil?

[AwakenedMama]

My raw cow's milk tastes different today. It doesn't taste bad like spoiled pasteurized, homogenized cow's milk does, but has a strange taste, kinda like parmesan cheese or something.

Granted, my husband accidentally bought an extra gallon, so this one sat (sealed) in the fridge for a good week before I opened it, and I'm down to the last quarter now--it's probably been another week that it's been opened.

If it's good for me, I'm happy to keep drinking it--the taste isn't offensive, just strange...

Thanks for reading!

[lindsayjean]

mine definitely gets to the point where we don't like to drink it by itself after a while... you can still drink it, sometimes I'd mix some maple syrup in it for DD so she'd drink it haha. Or you can use it for smoothies or making cream cheese or something. I know people who don't notice it as much but my husband absolutely refuses to drink it when it starts tasting 'old.' Definitely not BAD like past. milk gets though.

[ursusarctos]

Lurking for other people to post reassuring things I am also new to raw milk and haven't quite gotten over the funny cheesy taste it develops after a while.

[russsk]

It's fine. Lactic acid does start to build up and make it a bit sour, but that doesn't make it rancid right away like pasteurized. The lactic acid is actually protective against other nasty bacteria, which is what makes pasteurized milk go rancid. If you smell it and can still take a sip, then it's fine. If it makes you gag, then I wouldn't drink it I don't like drinking sour milk, so when it starts to go I usually try to use it all up, either making yogurt or cheese.

[see mama run]

Raw milk is amazing! It does get to the point where you don't want to drink it straight faster than dead pasteurized milk, but it doesn't get sour and gross. We were given our extra milk to our neighbor for her pigs this summer and at one point 2 gallons or so sat in a five gallon bucket outside for 2 weeks! It didn't smell at all, it looked cheesy and you wouldn't want to drink it but it wasn't rotten! The power of raw milk!

[AwakenedMama]

Originally Posted by russsk

I don't like drinking sour milk, so when it starts to go I usually try to use it all up, either making yogurt or cheese.

Ok, so I had another batch turn cheesy after we went out of town for a few days. I am making ricotta from it now--we'll see how it tastes!

Can you use the whey just like whey in any of the recipes in NT? I wonder because the recipe I had for the ricotta required heating it to 180 degrees, which probably killed the bacteria, no?

Thanks for the advice and info!

[WorldsBestMom]

Yes I think raw milk spoils easily as it has not gone through any processing. As a matter of fact milk in general spoils easily.

[Aubergine68]

I freeze a portion of our raw milk in canning jars every week because my children do not like the tangy taste it gets towards the end of the week. I actually really like the taste of the icy cold milk as it thaws. I also freeze some of the cream some weeks because the milk is *extremely* creamy and filling. Plan to try thawing it and making superior ice cream one of these days.

If it gets too tangy/sourish for me to want to drink it as is, I use in a smoothie or freeze until the next time I make pancakes.

[PeggyinNC]

Our raw milk lasts 3 or 4 weeks...I dunno why everyone says it spoils faster than pasteurized. We've been getting raw milk every month for the last three years. Just do what the farmer told us, keep the fridge at 38 degrees, it lasts pretty much for 4 weeks. The probiotics of the raw milk keep it fresher.

[jeminijad]

Isn't that called clabbering?

I used to intentionally leave it on the counter a day or two, then drink it. Better than any commericial probiotic.

[BedHead]

Pasteurized milk goes ROTTEN, not just sour. Totally nasty. Raw milk does go 'sour', but it isn't rendered undrinkable when it does, unless you just don't like the taste.

from http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-clabbered-milk.htm

"Traditionally, clabbered milk is made by allowing raw milk to stand until it has thickened, a process which takes 24-48 hours. The milk is also typically kept warm, encouraging the growth of beneficial bacteria. As it thickens, the acidity of the milk increases, preventing the growth of harmful bacteria and creating a very distinctive tang which many people greatly enjoy. Once the milk has clabbered, it can be refrigerated and then used in an assortment of recipes; clabbered milk will act as a rising agent, making baked goods lighter and fluffier."

[BetsyPage]

Yeah it really doesn't go bad. Just finished off the last of my latest batch of milk this morning (2 weeks old, it tasted fine.) I love that it changes over time but is still *usable.*

If it has turned a bit, but I want to drink some, I will put a bit of maple syrup in and a drop or two of vanilla extract, and it tastes fine to me... but it could just be my taste.

Pasteurized milk is dead and man that stuff can just get nasty and completely inedible, I'm shocked I used to drink it. It even tastes "dead" to me now. Love my raw milk!