UHT long-life milk

[Fat Guy]

Am I the only one who keeps a few containers of UHT milk around for when the refrigerated milk runs out and I don't feel like running to the store for more?

I also think that, while UHT milk used to taste weird, they've made improvements to the product. The stuff I've been using, from Organic Valley, is pretty good.

[SylviaLovegren]

I'm old fashioned and keep a box of powdered milk in the pantry for emergencies. Lived in a part of NJ for a while that had lots of power outages so the box got a fair workout. Why didn't I go for the boxed milk? Never thought of it.

[jsmeeker]

Am I the only one who keeps a few containers of UHT milk around for when the refrigerated milk runs out and I don't feel like running to the store for more?

I also think that, while UHT milk used to taste weird, they've made improvements to the product. The stuff I've been using, from Organic Valley, is pretty good.

I haven't. I've thought about it, but knowing me, I would just use it normally. If I ran out of standard milk, I would just use it. It wouldn't be in an "emergency" situation. Rather, it would be in a "I am too lazy to go to the store" or "I am stupid and forgot to buy milk" situation.

I HAVE had it before. In Mexico many years ago. That seemed to be the normal way to sell milk there. At least, that's the way it was in Merida.

[weinoo]

I do. I buy the 3-packs of 1 cup each for emergencies.

[ambra]

I always have at least 5 liters. My son is a huge milk drinker and fresh milk doesn't last as long where I live. I keep it on hand for emergencies. In Italy, they have a whole section and a million different brands. They also have long life cream, long life soy milk, and long life bechamel- which I have never and will never try. Because, why?

I can tell the difference in taste though. Or maybe I just think I can.

[Panaderia Canadiense]

I absolutely keep "emergency" UHT milk in the cupboard - although the emergency is often something like "OMG it's Sunday and everything's closed and I've run out!" It's never going to be the same as the fresh milk I buy from the farmer, though.

[Darienne]

Because I am curious and because I will not be near a store for several days to even look for this milk...which I had never heard of...somebody please tell me: how does it compare with the cost of regular milk?

[rancho_gordo]

Where do they keep it? Near the powdered milk? I haven't had it since 1988 and it was a weird flavor then. I'd love to hear it's better now.

[OliverB]

Never saw it in a store here (Bay Area) but grew up on it in Germany, it's the way you buy milk pretty much. By the case. I'd love to buy it, I can't count the times I had to go to some store just for milk, luckily gas stations and liquor stores have it on hand. I HATE having to go to the store for one thing....

[Anna N]

I will certainly be looking into the possibility of finding this locally. Milk seems to be the thing I run out of at the most inopportune times.

[Kerry Beal]

Last time I bought any of this in quantity was when I lived in the Queen Charlotte Islands (so 1978-1981). It showed up about a year into my time there. It was a godsend because groceries came over on the ferry about once every couple of weeks - if the weather permitted - and stores often didn't have any fresh milk, fresh fruits or vegetables for days on end. I'm not a big milk drinker by itself but I use gallons of it in my tea - so as long as I had a few boxes of the UHT milk around I was in good shape.

I have been trying to find a source of UHT heavy cream - a chocolatier from Italy was demonstrating some recipes at Tomric a couple of years ago - he uses it exclusively and I seem to recall it is recommended in Ramone Moratto's chocolate book as well. If you use the UHT cream then you don't have to over heat your cream before making your ganaches.

[Snadra]

We usually keep a bit around in 250ml boxes for 'emergencies'. I like the taste as a change in my tea or coffee (my parents always put tinned milk in their instant coffee, I think as a result of living in Northern BC for a while in the 60s, and it rubbed off), but I don't drink milk by the glass or eat cold cereal. The only brand I remember seeing is Devondale or home brands. Actually, I was just out picking up a few things at Aldi and was amused to see a woman buying a flat of each of UHT skim and whole milk, so some people certainly like it! Here it's sold next to the tinned milk along with UHT cream.

Kerry, can you explain a little more about the benefit of UHT cream in ganache? Is it something to do with the enzymes in milk? Your post made me think that it might be an idea to use UHT milk in some yeast baking applications (not that I do a lot, but there are a few recipes I want to try) as presumably it wouldn't need to be scalded, and could just be added straight from the cupboard. I only see thickened UHT cream here but I know 'pure' UHT cream (as well as tinned butter and cheese) is produced here for export to the middle east and other warm climate areas.

[haresfur]

I don't use a lot of milk so UHT is great IMO. Much better than about-to-turn regular milk. Milk around here doesn't seem to keep well - particularly the stuff in plastic bottles.

When I worked in northern Canada, we would get milk frozen before it was flown in. Lasted longer and kept the food cool, too but didn't taste so great. I suppose you could freeze UHT just to use as ice blocks, too.

That being said, one time when I was cycling in England I asked for UHT milk in a small town and got a whithering reply about fresh milk. And that was the freshest, best, milk I have ever tasted. Felt kind of sick after quaffing a liter, though.

[Blether]

UHT milk (120C or 130C for 2 - 3 minutes) is the standard in the Japanese market. Pasteurised (65C for 30 minutes) started to become available in Tokyo about 15 years ago, and availablity has waxed and waned somewhat since then.

In the same way you note for ganache, Kerry, UHT is good for yoghurt-making. I prefer the taste of pasteurised in all applications, though I notice it most as a drink on its own and probably least in bechamel, (as a splash in) tea and coffee.

Edited May 24, 2011 by Blether (log)

[Fat Guy]

What's the difference between UHT and ultrapasteurized?

[Kerry Beal]

We usually keep a bit around in 250ml boxes for 'emergencies'. I like the taste as a change in my tea or coffee (my parents always put tinned milk in their instant coffee, I think as a result of living in Northern BC for a while in the 60s, and it rubbed off), but I don't drink milk by the glass or eat cold cereal. The only brand I remember seeing is Devondale or home brands. Actually, I was just out picking up a few things at Aldi and was amused to see a woman buying a flat of each of UHT skim and whole milk, so some people certainly like it! Here it's sold next to the tinned milk along with UHT cream.

Kerry, can you explain a little more about the benefit of UHT cream in ganache? Is it something to do with the enzymes in milk? Your post made me think that it might be an idea to use UHT milk in some yeast baking applications (not that I do a lot, but there are a few recipes I want to try) as presumably it wouldn't need to be scalded, and could just be added straight from the cupboard. I only see thickened UHT cream here but I know 'pure' UHT cream (as well as tinned butter and cheese) is produced here for export to the middle east and other warm climate areas.

I think it's the fact that it is essentially sterile so doesn't need to be heated to reduce the bacterial load. Ganaches will have a longer shelf life and less concern re contamination.

[Dakki]

What's the difference between UHT and ultrapasteurized?

Pretty sure it's the same thing.

Like a previous poster I keep a few of the individual serving size for cooking. I don't like milk and it spoils well before I finish it if I buy the 1-liter tetrabricks.