What’s the one thing inside your refrigerator that goes bad the fastest? The answer is milk. You know just how frustrating it can be to purchase a gallon of milk only for it to go bad before you get the chance to use all of it. 

This same situation has happened to the best of us. But you don’t have to continue wasting money buying milk only to end up tossing it out. There are a few ways to make your milk last a bit longer than usual. 

Aside from making your milk last longer, knowing these few tips is a great way to ensure all of your dairy products last longer. For more information on how to get the most time out of your milk and dairy products as a whole, keep reading below. Here’s everything you need to know about how to make milk last longer. 

Grab It Last

For starters, when shopping at the grocery store, be sure to grab your milk last. The longer you allow it to sit outside of the refrigerator, the quicker it’ll go bad. Milk needs to be stored at a constant temperature of 39 degrees Fahrenheit. 

As it sits in your cart while you shop, it warms up quickly. Don’t let this happen. Make your gallon of milk the last thing you grab before checking out. 

When going to grab your milk, be sure to select a milk carton that’s furthest to the back of the grocery store’s cooler. Find a milk carton with the furthest away date on it as well. The milk cartons near the front normally have the closest expiration date and are being exposed to warm air each time a shopper opens the cooler. 

Switch to Organic

Another option that you have is to switch to organic. As you may already know, many organic products don’t require refrigeration. If you’ve ever spent time on a real farm, you might even notice a stick of butter being kept out on the counter.

This is because it’s kept well at room temperature. The same is even true for organic milk. However, we don’t expect you to make such a drastic change like this one overnight. 

What you can do, though, is buy organic milk and store it in your refrigerator. Organic milk should last you more than a week longer than your regular milk would. You can also choose to go with kinds of milk that don’t come from dairy such as almond milk.

Non-dairy milk products will last longer as well. 

Cooler Parts of the Refrigerator 

When storing your milk in the fridge, whether it’s organic or not, it’s always best to store it in the coolest section. Take a second to think about where you normally store your milk. We are willing to bet that, like most people, you store your milk on the fridge door.

This is a convenient place to quickly grab a glass and go on with your day. There is one problem with this, though. Storing your milk on the door means you’re exposing it to warm air each and every time you open the door. 

Instead, consider storing it in the coolest place in the fridge. The best place to store milk is on the bottom shelf in the back. The bottom shelf is, in general, the coolest place inside because it’s away from the lights. 

The back of the fridge is also the coolest because it keeps the milk away from the warm air when the door opens. 

Inside the Freezer

Freezing your milk is another way to make it last much longer than the expiration date. Freezing milk really comes in handy when there’s a deal at the supermarket, such as a buy one get one free promotion. However, milk does expand when frozen.

This might cause your milk carton to explode. To prevent this from happening, take about one cup of milk out of the carton before freezing it. This will give your milk enough room to expand inside the carton. 

When you’re ready to start consuming the milk, place the carton inside the refrigerator to defrost. Don’t leave the milk on the counter or anywhere else outside the fridge. It might take some time to defrost completely, and there will be some ice chips inside.

Because of this, be sure to shake it up each time before using it. Milk can stay frozen for up to 3 months at a time. 

A Small Trick or Two

The last way to keep your milk fresh longer is to use a small trick or two. After opening your carton of milk for the first time, sprinkle a pinch of salt into it to keep it fresh longer. This should make it last about a week longer than its date. 

You should also remember to always keep the lid on the milk tightly sealed. Milk can absorb odors from other foods in the fridge quite easily. Keep your fridge cleaned well at all times to prevent this from happening as well. 

And never return unused milk that’s been sitting out back to the carton. Knowing tips for dairy safety is essential for all milk drinkers. Once it’s been exposed to warmer temperatures for a period of time, it’s no longer good to put back in the fridge. 

Do You Know How to Make Milk Last Longer?

Knowing how to make milk last longer is crucial when trying to save money and waste less. Follow these tips given above to keep your milk lasting long enough to get the most use out of it!

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