One of the challenges of keeping a household stocked with food when all members are adults and preparing most of their own meals is buying enough perishables without buying too much.
When I was preparing 3 meals a day plus snacks for the whole family, I could keep an eye on what needed using soon and map out meals to use those foods. These days, we may have weeks where we run out of favorite produce items or milk, then for 2 or 3 weeks following, the bananas go black and milk sours before we consume those items.
Toward the end of last week, I thought we were going to have a banana situation. Then fortunately, my family picked up the pace in eating the bananas and we finished them all today. The milk, however, is a different story. I bought our current gallon a week ago Sunday and opened it the next morning. Milk tends to sour in my fridge about 10 days after opening, regardless of the expiration date on the jug. So here we are, 9 days after opening this gallon of milk, and there's still a lot left.
So what do we do with near-expiring milk? Yesterday evening, one daughter made a double batch of chocolate pudding. Today, with about a quart to go and the clock ticking, I made a batch of granola. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that granola will be at the top of the snack list for my family this afternoon and tomorrow. I may be making pancakes for dinner tomorrow night, perhaps a double batch to freeze for another day. And if there's still some milk remaining after tomorrow's dinner, I'll freeze what's left to use in future baking.
So what's your go-to way to use milk that's about to go bad?
Similar to you, I either make pudding or use it in baked goods. I don't often have to deal with that problem--we are frequent consumers of milk.
ReplyDeleteI utilize all the methods mentioned to use up milk. We also enjoy milk gravy over biscuits or toast..w/or without meat in the gravy. Makes a nice breakfast for dinner meal.
ReplyDeleteWe don't have much of a problem with milk here as my husband drinks a lot regularly. And he will drink it as it is getting old. That's good because as soon as it starts to turn, I won't drink it any more.
ReplyDeleteI put excess milk in pint jars and freeze it. They fit well in a basket and thaw quicker than quarts.
ReplyDeleteMake yoghurt
ReplyDeleteMe too. Always make yogurt. Then have smoothies as snacks
ReplyDelete