I've got a 3 litre unopened milk in my fridge that expired yesterday and i just noticed it 🙈. I forgot I had it in there and stupidly bought another one yesterday. I'm usually really good at checking what I have before buying another but this one got away from me as it was tucked at the back of the fridge!
How safe is it to drink and how long for?
I won't be able to finish it for at least a few days but also don't want to get sick.
Is milk safe to drink after the use by date?
byu/shelovesyoghurt inFrugal
Posted by shelovesyoghurt
35 Comments
If it looks, smells, and tastes like it usually does, it’s likely fine. You’ll know if dairy has gone bad.
If it’s been kept nice and cold then it should last at least another week.
Yeah, milk tends to go bad quick, and you do NOT want food poisoning. If it smells off do not use it.
https://youtu.be/Z1rZAT2GtmI
If it does start to go off and smell bad, you can still use it in baking or pancakes.
Food won’t get bad exactly at the used by date. Just taste it and if it tastes weird or bad, don’t drink it, and no you won’t die just for tasting a little bit of probable spoiled milk.
If dairy is bad you will have no questions about it. It will be very very obvious.
Smell test. Get a fresh one and keep the old one for a while as a comparison. If it starts smelling sour or off (you’ll know) time to dump it. I’ve had some that were bad *on* their use by date, and I’ve had others that went bad a week or so after.
Expiration dates are just dates when stores need to get rid of the food they’re selling because they can no longer guarantee that it’s good. Food itself cannot read and thus does not know when the packaging says it’s supposed to go bad. It’s why things like properly canned foods and honey have expiration dates even though they don’t actually expire.
So long as your food looks, smells, and tastes fine, you’re good.
Best before dates are an estimate – sometimes milk hasn’t been refrigerated properly at some point and it goes off before the date. But it’s often good for several days after the best before date. If I have more than I’ll use fresh, I make yogurt or cheese or I freeze it and use it in baking
Yes.
Smell it. If it seems fine, or you’re not sure – it’s likely fine.
If it’s not fine, you’ll know.
You can freeze the one you bought today (but give it some headspace) and keep drinking the one you have. Just give it a good sniff each time and your nose will tell you when it’s not good anymore.
Just smell it. You’ll know when its gone off. I’ve used milk up to a week and a half post expiration date and it was fine.Â
Do the sniff test.
Drink it until your dignity overcomes your frugality. For me, that would be on the expiration date.
If it’s sour it’s bad. If it tastes fine drink it.
If it smells OK I make pudding.
After finding it is not spoiled, freeze what you don’t use immediately in freezer bags.
My milk expired April 23 and I drank some yesterday and today. Still fine.
If you had opened it days ago it would be going bad by now, but the fact that you’ve kept it unopened will have given you extra time past the expiration date. When in doubt, just smell it.
If it looks and smells okay use it.
Drink it unless it smells spoiled. It’s just a sell-by date.
I do like that you will KNOW when dairy goes bad. Either it’s good or not and it makes sure you know.
I just tested some milk and it’s still good.
Freeze the one you just got and do the smell/taste test with the old one like others have mentioned.
https://youtu.be/4GDLaYrMCFo?si=XCET7MuB3N7Xi8OA climatetown did a video on expiration dates a few years ago
My rule is that if it smells and tastes fine, I use it. I loudly warn my partner – and this is only for food I’m making for us.
But – my tastebuds are pretty good and my sense of smell is even better, and I’m sensitive to food being even a little off.
That “sell by” date is exactly that, it doesn’t magically go bad the day after. As long as you kept it refrigerated and it passes the smell test, it’s fine. I regularly eat yogourt and creamer past the sell by date.
Sniff test should determine whether its still OK
If you have a cheesecloth and 1/4 cup of vinegar, make paneer.
Dairy can go way past the expiry date. If it looks, smells, and tastes fine, it’s fine. Your senses are the best judge.
I have drank milk like a month past expiry and eaten yogurt literally 6 months past the expiry date, but it looked, smelled, and tasted fine… No issue at all, I was totally fine.
Expiration dates are largely bullshit, in my opinion, especially if the packaging is intact. Visually asses for mold/weird colors, and then do a mini taste test if no mold.Â
*Generally speaking*, if you have a healthy immune system, you’re probably OK pushing the “use by” date. If it smells and tastes OK, and isn’t chunky, you’re more likely than not fine using it.Your mileage may vary, or course.
You’ll know when milk is bad. Trust your nose (and your mouth).
Make yogurt out of it!
Yes, you have about 3 to 5 days pass the use date but check if it smell like it going bad then no also if you drink hot coffee and the milk separate then it’s bad