Buttermilk?

[Italiancook]

I have buttermilk with a Sell By date of March 7th. I searched online and found information it was good for 1-2 weeks after Sell By date. And, longer if used for cooking or baking. So what to do? In your opinion, how long do you think buttermilk is safe to bake with after March 7th? I won't hold you to it; I just want opinions so I can make my own decision.

I don't understand why buttermilk would be good so long after the expiration date. I wouldn't use regular milk that long. What's different in buttermilk?

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• This topic was modified 6 years, 9 months ago by Italiancook.

[skeptic7]

The buttermilk culture has already grown in the milk and makes it less hospitable for other bacteria. I think I've used buttermilk nearly two months after buying it, and a month after its sell by date. I think it would be more like a cheese which can age without spoiling. So if you keep it refrigerated I'd use it into the first part of April.

[Mike Nolan]

As I understand it, the legal meaning of the date printed on a milk carton varies from state to state, but in general it is a 'sell by' date, not a 'use by' date.

Buttermilk, being a cultured product, like sour cream or yogurt, seems to have a much longer shelf life than fresh milk does, so the date printed on the carton may be of little help to consumers.

[BakerAunt]

I've used it for nearly two months after the sell-by date. As long as it smells ok, I think it is fine for baking. I probably wouldn't use it for salad dressing.

You can freeze buttermilk, and I've done so. It will separate when it thaws, so you have to whisk it back together.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 9 months ago by BakerAunt.

[Italiancook]

Thanks all for the replies. BakerAunt, I didn't know buttermilk can be frozen. I'm going to use some of it to bake tomorrow, then I'll freeze the remainder. In the bottle. There's enough gone that it shouldn't break. I'm going to put a label on the bottle that states what day I tossed it into the freezer. That way I can judge how long to keep it after it's thawed.

[Mike Nolan]

My buttermilk that I've been refreshing went bad, so I had to buy some buttermilk tonight
to make my banana muffins, and I'll start over, but this time every time I refresh it I'll
transfer it to a clean container, I didn't always do that and the lid got moldy.

[skeptic7]

Sorry you had problems with your buttermilk. Do you use muffin papers when you make your muffins? Also do you freeze excess muffins?

[Mike Nolan]

I use Pampered Chef mini-muffin pans, but no liners. I do grease the pans with melted butter, though.

Last night I made 9 dozen mini-muffins, most of them got frozen in bags of 5.

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