if you smell it, it smells ok, then it's fine. it doesn't matter what the date says, it could last two weeks beyond or 2 days depending on a lot of variables. you'll taste it if it is bad. a sip of bad milk isn't going to do anything to you.
Milk: It gets lumpy.
The easiest way to tell if milk has spoiled is by checking for changes in texture or consistency. Chunky or lumpy milk is almost assuredly bad, but you can also look out for things like discoloration or an unclean, sour smell, which happens when lactic acid in the milk starts producing bacteria.You could theoretically freeze your milk for up to three months, but it'll turn lumpy and yellow and yucky looking (though it's still safe to drink). The accepted rule of thumb is that if you're properly refrigerating it, your carton of whole milk's expiration date is five days after the "sell-by" date.
While you may not want to drink a glass of spoiled milk straight up, baking is a great way to use the stuff. The extra acidity the milk acquires as it ages can actually yield added flavor in baked goods, like cakes or muffins. If the milk has simply soured, it's still OK, and, in some cases, preferable for baking.
What can you do with spoiled milk?
- Use it for baking.
- Thicken soups and casseroles.
- Tenderize a steak.
- Make homemade cheese.
- Make your skin smoother and firmer.
- Give your plants calcium.
- Make a salad dressing.
- Add to your pet's food.
Juices. As painful as it is to throw away something when you haven't even opened it, especially when it's pricey, you should always throw away raw, cold pressed juices if they've expired. Fresh juices should only be consumed two to five days after they've been made.
If you drink milk past the expiration date, you run the risk of developing food poisoning from unhealthy bacteria that might have grown in the milk. Food poisoning can be so mild you might not even realize you have it, but it can be severe in some cases. You might develop stomach cramps, nausea, diarrhea or a fever.
Eating expired foods or foods that are past their best-by date can expose your body to harmful bacteria that can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and a fever.
The first thing to go bad with any soft drink is the loss of CO2 (the carbon dioxide which makes the soda fizz when you pour a glass). So, it is not harmful to drink soda if the bubbles begin to diminish and then eventually disappear (6-9 months past the best by date), but it will taste flat.
Gram stain showing Paenibacillus, a spore-forming bacteria that can cause off-flavors in a variety of foods and curdling in dairy products. Our days of crying over spoiled milk could be over, thanks to Cornell food scientists.
What determines the date the milk will actually expire, is the conditions it was stored in. This is why every time you use milk you should smell it (or taste it) before use. the first thing that goes off in milk is the taste - this is because the germs cause fermentation before it is actually unsafe to consume.
The name "long-life milk" is used to describe milk that's been treated in special ways to help it last longer outside a refrigerator or cooled environment. Then it can be used normally like fresh milk within seven days. You might also see long life milk referred to as "ultra heat treatment (UHT)" milk.
The “Sell By Date” on a product is the items expiration date, the end of its shelf life at the store. This date is not as common as a best-by date. If you do purchase a product with an expired sell-by date, you should get it on clearance and you should be going to use it very quickly after purchase.
But if you refrigerate it, a jug of milk from your supermarket can last a week or more past its "expiration" date. Milk spoils when bacteria converts the lactose into glucose and galactose, producing lactic acid. Lactic acid creates casein and then forms a curd that can quickly curdle the milk within 24 hours.
Although some people think the date printed on your milk carton is an expiration date or a use-by date, in fact, it's the milk's sell-by date. It's probably safe to drink your milk past its date. Milk should not be left out on the counter or table for extended periods of time.
Sour milk is not necessarily bad, unless it's ultra-pasteurized. There could still be ways of putting it to good use. If you have some milk that's gone sour in the fridge before you were able to drink it, don't dump it down the drain.
