How to Use Soured Milk (2024)

  • Jessica Sowards
  • July 3, 2022

Don’t throw away raw milk or cream that smells sour. Instead, learn how to use soured milk safely to make cheese, bake bread, and much more.

How to Use Soured Milk (1)

Milk has been one of those things that I call, “experiencing the burden of abundance”. We are thankful for abundance, but sometimes it can get really overwhelming to manage and avoid waste.

As a first-time dairy owner, you may relate with seasons where you have more milk than you know what to do with.

If your raw cream or milk is souring or starting to smell like vinegar, don’t throw it away! Read on to learn how to use soured milk safely to make cheese, bake bread, and much more.

What is Soured Milk?

Soured milk is milk in your fridge that has been there a little too long and is beginning to have a sour flavor or milk that was soured through acidification or fermentation intentionally.

The best way to tell the difference is with your nose. If the milk does not have a bad smell then you can still use it.

Sour milk is still safe for consumption but you’ll want to use it in different ways than normal. Pouring yourself a big glass for breakfast is not recommended, but using it for baked goods is a great idea.

How to Use Soured Milk (2)

The Difference Between Soured Milk and Spoiled Milk

Soured milk is not the same as spoiled milk, and it’s important to understand the difference between the two.

Soured Milk

Fresh milk starts out slightly acidic with a pH of about 6.5. In some cases, milk is soured intentionally to make cheese. This souring process is called fermentation. Milk soured by fermentation will eventually turn into curds and whey.

Souring milk (fermentation) adds good bacteria to the milk which is great for gut health. Soured milk foods include kefir, yogurt, buttermilk, or sour cream and soured milk is also a great option for baking.

Spoiled Milk

Spoiled milk is a different story altogether. The spoilage is caused by bad bacteria and the milk will actually separate. It will taste and smell bad and will most likely upset your stomach if you try to drink it.

Raw milk may sour slightly faster than if your milk is pasteurized, but it generally doesn't spoil, it just changes. This is just one more reason why we love raw milk, plus you can’t beat the taste of fresh raw milk.

Pasteurized milk, once spoiled, isn't useable. If you tried to use spoiled milk in your baking, your baked goods would taste off so it’s best to just throw it out.

How to Use Soured Milk

In order to avoid letting those seasons of abundance create waste on the farm, here are some creative ways to use up milk that has soured.

Make Butter

When milk is beginning to sour, skim off the cream and use it for making butter. The cream will sour slower than the milk because it contains more sugar. Pro Tip: Use the cream to make butter and then throw the butter into the freezer for recipes that require melted butter.

A Substitute for Buttermilk

If your recipes call for buttermilk and you don’t have any on hand, you can make it by adding 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a cup of fresh milk.

However, soured milk works the same as buttermilk and there’s no need to add a thing. Pro-Tip: The lactic acid in sour milk works with the leavening agent in your baking soda or baking powder to give you fluffy and delicious baked goods. Think buttermilk pancakes and biscuits. Soured milk works the same.

In Place of Sour Cream

Sour milk can be used in place of sour cream. Since it will not be as thick as sour cream, you should add softened butter. For every ¾ cup sour milk, add ⅓ cup softened butter in place of 1 cup of sour cream.

Make Cheese

If you have milk that’s just beginning to sour, it’s perfect for making homemade mozzarella cheese and cottage cheese.

Animal Feed

If you aren’t careful, animal feed can get out of hand. The wonderful thing about pigs is that they eat your abundance. Add your soured milk to your pig’s food and they will thank you. You can learn more about affordable ways we feed our animals and storage tips here.

As a Marinade

Use soured milk to marinate meat, especially chicken. In a couple of hours, you will have tender meat with great flavor.

Skin Softener

Add soured milk to your bath to soften your skin. If you find the smell offensive, just add a couple of drops of skin-safe essential oils.

How to Use Soured Milk (4)

More Recipes for When You’re Blessed with Abundance

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  • How to Make Elderberry Syrup-(For Kids and Adults)
  • A Natural Cough Remedy-Onion Poultice (Holistic Medicine)
  • How to Make Homemade Butter
  • How to Make Bone Broth-A Simple Homemade Recipe
  • Homemade Mozzarella Cheese- Step-by-Step Tutorial (Goat’s or Cow’s Milk)
  • How to Make Homemade Mayonnaise
How to Use Soured Milk (9)

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How to Use Soured Milk (2024)

FAQs

How to Use Soured Milk? ›

If the milk does not have any off-putting smell or taste, you can still use it. If milk has gone a little sour, it is still safe for consumption. However, you need to ask yourself whether you find it appetizing enough to use it. Sour milk is not to be used for pouring over breakfast cereal but, instead, for baking.

Can milk that has soured be used? ›

If the milk does not have any off-putting smell or taste, you can still use it. If milk has gone a little sour, it is still safe for consumption. However, you need to ask yourself whether you find it appetizing enough to use it. Sour milk is not to be used for pouring over breakfast cereal but, instead, for baking.

What can I do with spoiled milk? ›

If you have got some curdled or sour milk in your kitchen, use it to replace the yoghurt, sour cream or even butter in your recipe. With this curdled milk, you can make bread, pancake and even delicious cakes.

Can I freeze sour milk? ›

Ways to use up sour milk

It will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Milk is great for marinating chicken, pork or fish. If you have just a small amount to use up, put it in an airtight container with some spices and the uncooked meat or fish.

What's the difference between sour milk and spoiled milk? ›

Like soured milk, spoiled milk also eventually separates, but in this case, this has happened because of spoilage bacteria instead of good bacteria. The result will smell bad, taste bad, and will possibly give you a sour stomach if you consume too much of it.

Can I make cheese with sour milk? ›

Turns out, you probably have everything you need to make cheese in your kitchen right this minute. When faced with a carton of old milk and a few tablespoons of vinegar you can actually repurpose the liquids into a snack: in this case, a crumbly or creamy cheese.

Can I make yogurt with sour milk? ›

Milk soured by fermentation will eventually turn into curds and whey. What is this? Souring milk (fermentation) adds good bacteria to the milk which is great for gut health. Soured milk foods include kefir, yogurt, buttermilk, or sour cream and soured milk is also a great option for baking.

Is sour milk good for the garden? ›

Any type of milk, including fresh, expired, evaporated, and powdered, can be used in a garden as long as it's diluted properly. Stick with reduced-fat (2 percent) or low-fat (1 percent) milk, rather than skim or whole options. Mix the milk with water in a 50-50 ratio and pour it into a spray bottle.

Can I make butter with sour milk? ›

I sour milk for the chickens and for our butter at the same time. Normally, people chill their fresh whole milk, then skim off the cream that rises to the top and finally culture the milk and cream separately. But you can culture your milk and cream very simply, all at the same time.

How long can you cook with expired milk? ›

Milk can often be consumed after its expiration date, generally for up to three days for opened milk and up to seven days for unopened milk. Before consuming, it's best to look for signs of spoilage. You can tell if milk is bad by checking the smell, color, consistency and taste.

When milk turns sour? ›

When milk turns sour, the bacteria are converting the lactose sugars in milk into energy, with lactic acid as a byproduct. The souring of milk results in the production of sour-tasting lactic acid.

Is it okay to drink milk that smells a little sour? ›

Expiration dates are poor indicators of whether milk is safe to consume. The smell and appearance of the milk are clearer signs of how safe the milk is for consumption. Spoiled milk will produce a sour smell as the bacteria produce lactic acid. The smell will intensify after the milk becomes unsafe for consumption.

How do you preserve sour milk? ›

It's amazing how you won't taste even the slightest bit of bitterness. Of course, you can only eat so many pancakes, so if you know you're not going to get to use milk before it turns sour, put it in the freezer. It may separate a bit when it thaws, but it will be perfectly fine.

Can you freeze milk in a plastic bottle? ›

Yes, milk freezes well in plastic containers. The plastic bottles milk is sold in are perfectly fine to freeze milk in after they've been opened, so long as they have a secure, airtight lid and are not full. It's important to never freeze a full container of milk.

Is milk still good if it smells sour? ›

Expiration dates are poor indicators of whether milk is safe to consume. The smell and appearance of the milk are clearer signs of how safe the milk is for consumption. Spoiled milk will produce a sour smell as the bacteria produce lactic acid. The smell will intensify after the milk becomes unsafe for consumption.

What does it mean when milk is soured? ›

Soured milk denotes a range of food products produced by the acidification of milk. Acidification, which gives the milk a tart taste, is achieved either through bacterial fermentation or through the addition of an acid, such as lemon juice or vinegar.

Why is my milk sour before the expiration date? ›

We all know to store milk in the refrigerator, but there might be times you've left the container out on the counter while cooking -- a short time at higher temperatures can give bacteria a jumpstart to sour your milk.

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