How Long Does Raw Milk Keep in the Refrigerator?

This is the most frequent question I get asked as a raw milk producer, and it is a very good question. The short answer is it varies. Disappointing, isn’t it? The length of time raw milk will keep in the refrigerator depends on a number of factors. Our culture is so far removed from raw milk and raw foods in general. It’s no wonder so many of us are at a loss when it comes to the behavior of raw milk. Don’t worry! I am here to help you walk through some of the myths and truths of raw milk.

Raw Milk Doesn’t Go Bad – It Changes

What in the world does that mean? Before you leave, hear me out. Take everything you know about commercial, pasteurized milk and toss it out the window. I mean it. All of it. One of the only things these two products have in common is they are generally white(ish) and come from a lactating mammal. In my case, a cow. Raw milk can come from a variety of mammals outside of cattle including goats, camels, and water buffalo.

Raw milk still contains all of the proteins, pre and pro biotics, vitamins, minerals, and bacteria. All of these components make up raw milk and allow it to behave the way it does. When you leave raw milk out on the counter it will eventually clabber, meaning it will develop the consistency of yogurt. It will smell sweet and buttery, not sour or off-putting. Clabber is extremely useful in smoothies, culturing cheese, sour cream, or in baking. Infact, clabber can replace both thermophilic and mesophilic cultures in your cheese making. It saves me A LOT of money when it comes to making cheese because I don’t often have to purchase expensive cultures. Plus, my cheeses turn out much better when I use clabber or yogurt for a culture.

Rapid Cooling and Storage Temperature

Many things that influence the shelf life of raw milk, but the farmer’s chilling practices are one of the major components. By the time I bring in milk, especially in the summer, it can still be 95 degrees. I like to maintain our milk’s temperature between 33 and 35 degrees, so it has a long way to go to chill completely. Depending on the time of year, I could have 13-15 jars cooling at one time. Placing those jars immediately into the refrigerator would take many hours to cool the milk. In order to chill the milk as quickly as possible, I place the jars in the freezer for 3-4 hours.

Once the jars have cooled for several hours in the freezer they are moved to the refrigerator where they are kept between 33-35 degrees. The cooler the temperature, the longer the shelf life. Again, remember that raw milk does not generally go bad, but it does change. This means it might not get sour the same way that pasteurized milk will get as it begins to go bad. Pulling it out of the refrigerator and leaving it on the counter for a while repeatedly will ultimately cause a noticeable change in flavor of the milk. I have had milk last for two and a half weeks in our refrigerator that tasted more than just fine – it was pleasant to drink.

We meet many of our customers at a couple of milk drops throughout the week. During transport we maintain the temperature of the milk by packing it in coolers followed with ice packs. The goal is for us is to set up our customers for the freshest tasting and longest lasting milk possible. Once they get the milk home, it is up to them on how cold they keep their refrigerator and maintain the milk. We typically recommend anywhere from 33-37 degrees. Temperatures in refrigerators can fluctuate even inside the refrigerator, so try placing the jars in the coldest region.

Jars and Lids

Jars and lids should always be thoroughly washed and sterilized to prevent introducing foreign bacteria into the milk. Glass jars are the easiest to clean and also work as somewhat of an insulator during transport. As another bonus, the glass helps keep us from contributing to plastic waste for the planet.

Bacteria in the Milk

Yes, raw milk contains many healthy bacteria, but many people are concerned about bad bacteria. Healthy bacteria in the milk are good, however we have measures we must take to prevent bad bacteria from entering the milk. Raw milk farmers should be doing a monthly quality check at a minimum. This quality check should include coliform, e. coli, and an aerobic test. These tests may be performed on site or by a laboratory off site.

Coliform contamination generally comes from some type of contamination to the milk. This contamination can show up in the cheese you make from your utensils or foreign food particles. You can also experience a coliform contamination when your milking equipment has developed milk stone. Milk stone is very often not visible to the naked eye and can build up in the milking lines of the equipment if it is not properly cleaned. Bacteria adheres to the milk stone buildup and over time can affect the quality of the milk. As much as I hate using harsh chemicals, I do use an acid rinse on our milking equipment. This is followed by a thorough flush with water to prevent milk stone buildup.

Proper cleaning of the udder is critical not only for shelf life but for cleanliness as well. There are many ways to clean a cow’s udder from soapy water, to vinegar, special udder wash solutions, iodine, dairy wipes and more. Ensuring a cow’s teats are thoroughly washed, dried, and disinfected is key to keeping harmful bacteria at bay.

Transporting the Milk

Milk must be transported in coolers with ice packs, especially in warmer weather. Bringing the milk from the refrigerator to the car on a hot August day can begin to lower the temperature of the milk immediately. During the winter months it is typically not as big of a deal, although milk is still transported with icepacks to ensure that our customers are set up to have the longest lasting, best tasting milk they can have.

Additional Raw Milk Resources:

• Raw Milk Institute
• Iowa Raw Milk

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