What’s better than milk? Many might say chocolate milk, strawberry milk, vanilla milk…
Flavored milk encompasses a variety of types of milk, from plant-based to cow’s milk. It has flavor added to it, making it a hit for both kids and adults alike.
Store flavored milk in the fridge until its best-by or expiration date, and be sure to use it within 7-10 days of opening (or whatever the package suggests). If it’s shelf-stable milk (UHT milk), you can store it at room temperature until its expiration date and 7-10 days in the fridge once opened.
For all things related to flavored milk, keep reading!
What is flavored milk?
The term flavored milk encompasses a variety of different types of milk and refers to any type of milk with flavor added. That means that flavored milk can be animal milk or plant-based milk, and popular flavors for flavored milk are strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla – but the sky’s the limit!
Flavored milk is usually much higher in sugar than unsweetened varieties, but some unsweetened milk can also be flavored (such as unsweetened vanilla almond milk, which contains vanilla flavoring but no added sugar). To be sure, check the nutrition facts label to look for any added sugars.
Flavored milk can be refrigerated or shelf-stable (shelf-stable milk is called ultra-high temperature/UHT milk, and it’s good for months at room temperature), which impacts its storage.
What’s the best way to store flavored milk?
Refrigerated flavored milk
If you bought your flavored milk in the refrigerator case at the grocery store, then it needs to stay in the fridge. Keep flavored milk tightly sealed and stored in the refrigerator until you use it or the best-by/expiration date passes. Once opened, you should generally use flavored milk within 7-10 days – but check the package for specific recommendations.
Shelf-stable (UHT) flavored milk
Shelf-stable (ultra-high temperature milk/UHT) flavored milk can be kept at room temperature (assuming normal humidity and temperatures not exceeding 90 degrees Fahrenheit) for several months or until its expiration date. Once you open shelf-stable flavored milk it should be stored in the fridge and used within 7-10 days, or whatever the carton suggests.
Factors that influence flavored milk storage
Temperature
Like all types of milk, the biggest factor that impacts its storage is temperature. If you store milk outside of the refrigerator for long periods, it can go bad quickly. The ideal temperature inside a refrigerator is 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below.
Some types of milk can be frozen, but it usually impacts the texture once you thaw it, so keep that in mind.
Perishable vs. shelf-stable
Refrigerated plant-based flavored milk is usually good for a couple of months when sealed in the fridge, but flavored mammal milk (like chocolate cow’s milk) can have a shorter shelf life.
Shelf-stable milk has been treated with high temperatures to make it shelf-stable at room temperatures. This milk is called UHT milk, and you can usually tell by the aseptic packaging which looks like thick waxy cardboard that comes in single servings or quarts, not gallons or half gallons.
Shelf-stable milk, whether plant-based or mammal milk, is typically good for months at room temperature when unopened.
Signs that flavored milk has spoiled
Taste: Flavored milk should taste pretty good, especially if it has added sugar. If it doesn’t taste sweet or like the flavor it’s supposed to be (chocolate, strawberry, etc), then it’s likely gone bad.
Appearance: Flavored milk might be a different color than the unsweetened version (brown for chocolate, pink for strawberry, etc), so the appearance will vary depending on the type of flavored milk you have. If the color changes or clumps are forming, it can be a sign that the milk is spoiled.
Smell: If you give the container a whiff and it’s off-putting, then err on the safe side and toss the flavored milk – it’s not worth a taste test if it smells bad!
FAQs:
Ultra-high temperature (UHT) flavored milk will last until its expiration date when stored at room temperature and around 7-10 days after opening in the fridge.
If it’s shelf-stable (UHT milk), flavored milk doesn’t need to be refrigerated until it’s opened. If it’s refrigerated when you bought it, it needs to stay in the fridge because it’s perishable.
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