Milk question (refrigerator, buying, organic)

[elaineo]

Aloha all. This might seem like a weird question. I live on Maui. The past 3 times I've bought a gallon of milk (at Costco, and maybe one at Foodland), it's gone bad way before the expiration date. I'm starting to wonder if it's something with my refrigerator, but, nothing else in the refrigerator is going bad prematurely. I'm wondering if we're getting old milk over here lately. Just wondering if anyone else is seeing this problem!

[Balad1]

Originally Posted by elaineo

Aloha all. This might seem like a weird question. I live on Maui. The past 3 times I've bought a gallon of milk (at Costco, and maybe one at Foodland), it's gone bad way before the expiration date. I'm starting to wonder if it's something with my refrigerator, but, nothing else in the refrigerator is going bad prematurely. I'm wondering if we're getting old milk over here lately. Just wondering if anyone else is seeing this problem!

No it's not you or your frig, I have the same problem at times at the Costco on Kauai. I guess it's got to do with the shipping and such. I make sure I get the best expiration date I can find in the case and have even return unused and bad milk for a no problems refund.

[TheBigSaxon]

I have seen this problem fairly often world-wide. The best advice is look for Ultra-Pasteurized Milk (UHT). Typically this is usually organic milk or lactose free milk. I know it may be a premium, but the shelf life is well worth it, especially if you are like me and may not drink any for a month and then one day realise that a bit of cereal would be a good thing.

Here is a link on UHT that is kind of interesting:
In the Kitchen with Mother Linda: Ultra-Pasteurized Milk (http://www.trit.us/motherlinda/ultra-pasteurizedmilk.html - broken link)

[mdand3boys]

It happens a lot here. Our 'fridge may be at 33 degrees Fahrenheit but I guess that the milk isn't kept near as cold during shipping. I pick out the latest date I can find at the store and we don't live that far away that the milk is getting warm either. We tend to make it to the last quart before it goes bad. We generally pay about $4 for a gallon so paying $7+ for a half gallon of organic milk is certainly not worth the extra money or hassle of buying half gallons.

[nhzero]

You need to put the milk in the back top of the fridge, which helps. But even then, I sometimes have the same problem with milk, especially the Costco stuff. I only buy it if it's at least 8 days out from today.

The temps vary drastically inside the fridge due to the fact that the average temps OUTSIDE the fridge are about 10-15 degrees warmer than what the manufacturer designed the fridge for.

[mdand3boys]

Originally Posted by nhzero

You need to put the milk in the back top of the fridge, which helps. But even then, I sometimes have the same problem with milk, especially the Costco stuff. I only buy it if it's at least 8 days out from today.

The temps vary drastically inside the fridge due to the fact that the average temps OUTSIDE the fridge are about 10-15 degrees warmer than what the manufacturer designed the fridge for.

Back top of the 'fridge is warmer than the bottom back. Warm air rises. Cold air falls. Put a thermometer in your 'fridge and check.

[franklin42]

Originally Posted by mdand3boys

Back top of the 'fridge is warmer than the bottom back. Warm air rises. Cold air falls. Put a thermometer in your 'fridge and check.

Yes sir! Kidding aside, I have never had that problem with milk going bad before the expiration date. In fact, it usually stays fresh even after the expiration date. I would just buy milk from a different source if you can. Can you get your money back if that does happen though?

[whynot?]

Another thing is that the cartons almost always say the milk should be consumed 5-7 days after opening regardless of the expiration date. That makes sense when you think about it -- once the carton is open to air, bacterial will start to grow, etc.

If you've followed that guideline and bought the milk in the past week, I'd return it to the store. As long as you can show when you bought it, the store will replace it. I've had the same problem with cheese (and bread) molding overnight, so I agree about the uneven conditions for shipping, handling, and storage from manufacture to to retail sale, too.

[cynmkolohe]

Happens to us too, when we by "mainland" milk. We try to stick with buying smaller sizes of Hawaii milk, whenever possible: KTA Superstores : Mountain Apple Brand Seems to help.

[Sweetbeet]

Originally Posted by mdand3boys

Back top of the 'fridge is warmer than the bottom back. Warm air rises. Cold air falls. Put a thermometer in your 'fridge and check.

We have a bottom-freezer model. Nevertheless, stuff on the TOP shelf of our fridge sometimes FREEZES (happened to some leftover lasagna just the other day), but that never happens to stuff farther down. ????