on milk

You're hearing about this because it came up at the Galt household this weekend.  Therefore you must suffer -- but I suspect some of you might have something to say on the matter.

I'm pretty squeamish about using milk after five days before the expiration date.  You might think you can stick your nose in the carton and decide "this milk isn't sour yet."  But I smell milk that's a little more sour every day -- and for me the expiration date is around the day it smells "not very fresh anymore."

On February 7th, Mrs. Galt brings home a half gallon dated February 20th, and she puts it in the fridge behind the jug dated February 10th.  Am I really supposed to use the February 10th milk while the best milk in the house is slowly souring in the back of the fridge?  I don't think so.

Am I wasting milk by pouring the February 10th jug down the drain?  Are we saying that the lost goodness of the February 20th milk -- assuming a moratorium on drinking it until, say, February 11th -- isn't wasted too?

In her defense, the wonderful Mrs. Galt does not give me a hard time about this.  But it is a source of some amusement in the Galt house.  So I thought I'd share it with you.

Comments

[J Green]

No use crying over spilled milk?

I must admit to doing the same, I can't stand soured milk. I'm not sure if this is localized but milk here lasts about 10 days from being shelved to its use-by date and 3-4 days after opening will already taste soured (if it's not already congealing).

But I've never considered that "I" was wasting milk. I buy it in the size that's most affordable to me and the product does not meet expectations nor its advertised life span consistently.

I however do find myself buying less fresh milk or buying alternatives and every time I'm faced with sour milk I'm left thinking of how to avoid the situation in future, additionally feeling let down by the product.

I earned that milk that went sour, I didn't cause it to become so. I bought it in good faith and I work to live to a certain standard that I find acceptable. If I find a product becomes unacceptable then I cannot be held responsible for the lower standards employed in it's commercialization.

Do I feel it's worth paying full price for one half or two thirds of a bottle of milk? - Yes, in the end I'm paying for that good milk, not the sour milk.

I guess it's a case of buyer beware - and I'm aware of what I'm paying for. I may not like or appreciate that part of my purchase goes to waste, but if there was a better or more affordable option I'd be buying that instead.

Factually, the US Food market knows that up to 50% of what's sold will in one way or another go to waste, I believe the way in which we're sold products like Milk reflects this mentality of acceptable waste. The less we actually consume of what we purchase the more we will have to buy, unfortunately there's not a whole lot to be done about this apart from opting out of purchasing certain products. We're sold waste, so that it can be called profit.

Unless you eat like a starved farm animal and attempt to eat beyond the requirements of the average lifestyle (e.g. become overweight) buying in economic sizes; milk will go sour, soda will go flat, meat will freezer burn, fruit will rot, batteries will lose power and deli meat will go bad. This just isn't the sort of problem that gets rectified when you're making cereal at 6am.

[T Daniell]

Personally I think milk is intended to make little cows grow into big cows quickly. As such, it is not intended for human consumption. While this argument does not hold up under scrutiny, the fact that I do not like milk at all gives me the incentive to continue to share this point of view. But I agree with J Green in that I believe the glass is neither half full, nor half empty, but instead that the glass exceeds the volume requirements of its contents. However I am not going to continually change the size of the glass based on how much is left in it. It's just not that important.

[Ben in Boston]

This may sound dumb, but don't just stick your nose into the carton to tell if it's sour. There is often milk right near the spout that *has* soured while the rest of the milk lower in the carton is just fine. Thus, pour some in a glass and smell that before you throw the rest away.

[A. Freet]

I am not opposed to your view on draining however I would suggest alternative usage for said "sour" milk. Milk that is not quite fresh enough to pallate could be used in applications such as mashed potatoes or some baking. Ultimately you decide how best to utilize the products you purchase but there are alternatives to just dumping it. Just a rambling thought on an amusing anectdote.