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I think all milk sold in stores is pasteurized, just not ultra-pasteurized (which uses a higher temperature). Since organic milk is more expensive and therefore turnover typically is slower, the longer shelf life enables merchants to be sure the milk doesn’t go bad before it’s sold. The trade-off is that the high heat kills some of the flavor. And yes, we’re just talking about “shelf life,” i.e., how long the milk stays good before the container is opened. Once it’s opened, it will spoil quickly.
You can buy raw milk (unpasteurized milk) at the farmer’s market, and it has a really rich flavor, but has no shelf life to speak of.
Re Skim Plus, yeah, it works out cheaper for me — between not drinking it fast enough, the bodega handling or leaving it on the counter too long, too much milk was going bad.
Has anyone read Haruki Murakami’s novel, “The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles”? It’s a fantastic piece of literature, but there is one horrific scene in which he describes in excruciating detail how one character skins another character alive, slowly peeling the skin down one of his arms. It was just words, and yet it was so chilling that I could hardly stand to read the passage.
I think all milk sold in stores is pasteurized, just not ultra-pasteurized (which uses a higher temperature). Since organic milk is more expensive and therefore turnover typically is slower, the longer shelf life enables merchants to be sure the milk doesn’t go bad before it’s sold. The trade-off is that the high heat kills some of the flavor. And yes, we’re just talking about “shelf life,” i.e., how long the milk stays good before the container is opened. Once it’s opened, it will spoil quickly.
You can buy raw milk (unpasteurized milk) at the farmer’s market, and it has a really rich flavor, but has no shelf life to speak of.
Sorry CGar. Until I “SEE” that “fast” with my own eyes, I’ll just interpret that event to mean Rob is really slow.
Re Skim Plus, yeah, it works out cheaper for me — between not drinking it fast enough, the bodega handling or leaving it on the counter too long, too much milk was going bad.
jessi…all milk is pasteurized. Organic is “ultra pasteurized” whatever that means but yes, it does last much much longer becasue of that.
I have no idea why ALL milk isn’t ultra pateurized. I can’t recall price difference of organic vs. regular.
By daveinbedstuy on September 16, 2010 1:05 PM
I like a lot of the things that lechacal writes.
By Park Sloper on September 16, 2010 1:17 PM
I like lechacal as an actual person.
Awesome!!!
Has anyone read Haruki Murakami’s novel, “The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles”? It’s a fantastic piece of literature, but there is one horrific scene in which he describes in excruciating detail how one character skins another character alive, slowly peeling the skin down one of his arms. It was just words, and yet it was so chilling that I could hardly stand to read the passage.
So why don’t they pasteurize all milk? Too expensive? And after you open it, it doesn’t last much longer than normal milk, right?
wait, i dumped a bag of glitter on some strange girl’s head?! i dont remember that part.
*rob*
“Seriously Why does organic milk expire so much later than “conventional” milk??”
It’s because organic milk is usually ultra-pasteurized, which typically results in a shelf life of up to 60 days.