topic Re: Why Shake the Milk? in Kitchen

Why Shake the Milk?

Icegoddess — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 17:04:33 GMT

Out of frustration with milk going bad so quickly and the "mainstream" milk at my grocery having expiration dates within 2 days of the purchase date I deided to try Promised Land whole milk. It cost more, but the expiration date was further out which was really what was important to me. I noticed on the lid it said Shake Well. The mainstream milk doesn't say to shake it (or it's not prominently labeled to do so). It's ultra pasturized vs the other which is simply pasturized. Anybody know why the need to shake it? I remember having to stir milk at my grandparents' house, but that was milk straight from the cow. In fact, he sold his milk to a company that pasturized and sold it.

I'm not concerned about the controversy over the nutritional value of raw vs pasturized vs ultra pasturized. I don't drink milk. I only use it in cereal and for cooking purposes. I do use all whole fat dairy products because I consider them to be better than their low fat counterpart as far as cholesterol is concerned, but I have also found that whole milk lasts longer than the low fat versions.

Edited to change brand name from Fairlife to Promised Land.

Re: Why Shake the Milk?

Grouchomarx — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 16:33:13 GMT

That milk has extra protein in it, maybe it needs a shake to stay in suspension and be evenly distributed. Perhaps it settles a bit.

Re: Why Shake the Milk?

Keybra — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 16:46:14 GMT

I don't know the answer to your question but , if you want the longest date life, buy only organic milk. It goes on for a couple of weeks.

Re: Why Shake the Milk?

JeanLouiseFinch — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 16:48:26 GMT

@Icegoddess wrote:
Out of frustration with milk going bad so quickly and the "mainstream" milk at my grocery having expiration dates within 2 days of the purchase date I deided to try Fairlife's whole milk. It cost more, but the expiration date was further out which was really what was important to me. I noticed on the lid it said Shake Well. The mainstream milk doesn't say to shake it (or it's not prominently labeled to do so). It's ultra pasturized vs the other which is simply pasturized. Anybody know why the need to shake it? I remember having to stir milk at my grandparents' house, but that was milk straight from the cow. In fact, he sold his milk to a company that pasturized and sold it.

I'm not concerned about the controversy over the nutritional value of raw vs pasturized vs ultra pasturized. I don't drink milk. I only use it in cereal and for cooking purposes. I do use all whole fat dairy products because I consider them to be better than their low fat counterpart as far as cholesterol is concerned, but I have also found that whole milk lasts longer than the low fat versions.

@Icegoddess Fairlife Whole Milk is what I always buy, it’s the best. I just looked at my bottle and don’t see shaking instructions anywhere on the bottle or the lid. Did you, by chance, get the one with added DHA? That might be why shaking is needed, in case the DHA separates from the actual milk.

Re: Why Shake the Milk?

PinkyPetunia — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 16:49:34 GMT

Call Fairlife and ask them. They must have a contact phone number or website on the package.

I buy the lactose free milk. It has a very long use by date and stays fresh in the fridge for a long time after opening.

Re: Why Shake the Milk?

Kachina624 — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 16:50:41 GMT

I find that my no-fat skim milk lasts much longer than whole milk.

Re: Why Shake the Milk?

Icegoddess — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 16:51:42 GMT

@JeanLouiseFinch Oops, I stand corrected. It's Promised Land, not FairLife. That's what I get for going by my terrible memory. I will edit my original post.

Re: Why Shake the Milk?

Icegoddess — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 17:05:36 GMT

@JeanLouiseFinch I was going to try Fairlife, but I couldn't find any whole milk in the store.

Re: Why Shake the Milk?

JeanLouiseFinch — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 17:27:55 GMT

@Icegoddess wrote:
@JeanLouiseFinch I was going to try Fairlife, but I couldn't find any whole milk in the store.

I love it! I’m following the keto way of eating these days. Milk isn’t usually ok for keto but since Fairlife is low in carbs, if I have room in my daily macros I’ll have a small glass once in awhile. It stays fresh for a long time.

Re: Why Shake the Milk?

depglass — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 19:30:04 GMT

DH shakes the milk to mix in the cream. There hasn't been cream on top of milk for 50 years. Occasionally I've been known to leave tops loose because of arthritis in my hands, and you can see how this ends. Me in trouble again.

Re: Why Shake the Milk?

Icegoddess — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 19:49:33 GMT

@depglass yeah, that's why we used to have to stir the milk at my Grandma's house, but it was raw milk. I wouldn't expect there be cream to rise to the top in pasturized.

@JeanLouiseFinch I was just at the grocery store and saw they did now have the Fairlife whole milk and it was cheaper than the Promised Land although I think the PL may have been on sale last week. We just opened the PL milk though, so I'll have to wait a week or two to try it out. I'll have to see if hubby can tell a difference between the two. They say ultra pasturized has a "cooked" taste to it, but I didn't detect that in my cereal. I'm not a milk connosieur though. The PL milk comes from Jersey cows vs the others which come from the black & white cows. Hubby would like that it's higher in protein/lower in carbs though. But, would the whole milk be lower in carbs or just the lower fat milk?

Re: Why Shake the Milk?

JeanLouiseFinch — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 20:07:33 GMT

@Icegoddess wrote:
@depglass yeah, that's why we used to have to stir the milk at my Grandma's house, but it was raw milk. I wouldn't expect there be cream to rise to the top in pasturized.

@JeanLouiseFinch I was just at the grocery store and saw they did now have the Fairlife whole milk and it was cheaper than the Promised Land although I think the PL may have been on sale last week. We just opened the PL milk though, so I'll have to wait a week or two to try it out. I'll have to see if hubby can tell a difference between the two. They say ultra pasturized has a "cooked" taste to it, but I didn't detect that in my cereal. I'm not a milk connosieur though. The PL milk comes from Jersey cows vs the others which come from the black & white cows. Hubby would like that it's higher in protein/lower in carbs though. But, would the whole milk be lower in carbs or just the lower fat milk?

@Icegoddess I would encourage you to look at the Fairlife website. Their whole milk is lower in lactose (carbs). On the website you can view a comparison between Fairlife Milk, other whole cows milk, and almond milk.

Re: Why Shake the Milk?

SouthernBee — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 21:00:50 GMT

@depglass : You and my DH must be related 😄. He does the same thing and ashamed at the amount of milk that is wasted. I have to purchase in half gallon because of hand and wrist issues can’t lift and pour the gallon size. I try to listen when DH is in the kitchen to check everything but not always.Southen Bee

Re: Why Shake the Milk?

Pooky1 — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 22:05:07 GMT

its funny that i just saw your post because just this morning i was thinking i wonder if i should shake milk. and after reading your post i went to read my milk container and it dosnt say anything about shaking it.i allways buy store brand milk. its 2.79 a gallon down here.down here in ri our main brand milk is hoods and garelic milk. from working in the supermarket i know store brand milk is actually name brand milk that gets packaged into store brand containers. im not sure how it is done in other areas of the country.we dont drink milk either. we use it in cearal and coffee and in any cooking.

Re: Why Shake the Milk?

goldensrbest — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 22:40:54 GMT

I do this sometimes, but because it makes it have bubbles in it,which i like.

Re: Why Shake the Milk?

BeccaLou — Wed, 11 Sep 2019 05:19:36 GMT

@Icegoddess I have always shaken the milk everyday I use it. I think it keeps milk fat mixed.

Re: Why Shake the Milk?

software — Wed, 11 Sep 2019 13:34:46 GMT

@Kachina624 wrote:
I find that my no-fat skim milk lasts much longer than whole milk.

I don't say this to argue but I find the opposite.

My whole buttermilk & heavy cream seem to last forever.

Also eggnog

I only buy whole milk and I find it's still good even a week after the sale by date.

I don't drink milk or buttermilk or heavy cream, it's used for baking.

Must not be the no-fat thing that makes it last.

Re: Why Shake the Milk?

Imaoldhippie — Wed, 11 Sep 2019 13:37:24 GMT

The only time I use milk is in cooking or baking. So I use powdered milk and make it when I need it.

Re: Why Shake the Milk?

doxie1 — Wed, 11 Sep 2019 14:29:19 GMT

@Icegoddess

Once milk is homogenized you do not need to shake it. When is it ultra heat pasteurized it has a longer shelf life until opened. Once you open it they want you to use it in 5 days for optimum taste.

Some people put a pinch of baking soda in their milk when they open it to extend the life.

Jersey milk is richer tasting. There are many people that shake their milk because they like the aerated bubbles in their milk.

The bigggest thing to keep milk fresh is to keep the temperature between 33 and 39 and to avoid light.

Buy your milk last and go immediately home to get it in the refrigerator. Milk in the cardboard cartons does not absob the light that is absorbed in the glass containers. Even the opaque plastic containers absordb light.

doxie

Re: Why Shake the Milk?

Sooner — Wed, 11 Sep 2019 14:44:02 GMT

We buy organic milk and the use by date is weeks out. If your store sells milk that will hit that best by date soon, it is because the store buys older milk I would guess.

Homogenized means the milk is centrifuged so that the fat particles are broken up and the fat is in such small particles that you wouldn't have to shake it.

The poster above is right, Jersey breed cow milk is higher fat content and is even less "blue" than Holstein (the black and white) cows. I don't know that fat content has to do with protein, but maybe? Holstein's usually make more milk so it's cheaper to produce milk from them.

Some dairy plants add milk solids (powdered milk) to theirs to raise the protein content and make it seem to have more body. To me it always taste like powdered milk when they do that.