Your sense of smell and taste are your best friends here, and they’ll give you the best indication of whether the milk is ok to drink – if it doesn’t smell, look strange (lumpy or separated), and it tastes just fine, then you’re okay to drink it.
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Alison B. “This article helped me to not have to risk tasting spoiled milk. Nobody wants to be the tester for spoiled milk. Although, interestingly enough one of the suggestions in this page suggests passing the job to “someone else”! Haha, good advice wikiHow!!”…” more
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If you think your milk might be curdled, check that it isnt more than 7 days older than the “best by” date on the carton. Then, hold the opening of the bottle up to your nose and smell it. If it has a sour, unpleasant smell, its probably bad and you should pour it down the drain. When you pour the milk, it should be smooth and fluid. If there are clumps in the liquid, the milk is curdled and shouldnt be consumed. In the glass, your milk should be a pure, bright white color, rather than cream or yellow. If you want to learn how to make your milk last longer, scroll down!
5 Ways to know if milk has gone bad / is spoiled
FAQ
What does it mean if milk has no smell?
How do you know if milk is bad if it doesn’t smell?
What happens if milk doesn’t smell but tastes sour?
Does milk always have a smell?
Does fresh milk smell bad?
Fresh milk won’t have much of a smell at all. In contrast, soured milk has an unpleasant odor. If you immediately recoil when you smell the milk, it’s likely gone bad. Even if the milk otherwise looks okay, if it smells so bad that you pull back when sniffing it, you’d be better off not to drink it.
If you drink milk 1 day after its expiration date, will you still go sick?
This is unlikely to be a problem however, it is important to note that every situation is different. This is highly dependent on where you live and how well you have cared for the milk up and till that point. If you have left it out for hours on end then it may expire faster. This will also happen if you live in a very warm area like the Middle East. However, if you are good at putting your milk back in the fridge immediately and live in a cooler climate, then this is unlikely to be a problem.
What does fresh milk smell like?
Fresh milk has a mild, milky smell. Spoiled milk may have a sour or off-putting smell. If you smell anything that doesn’t smell right, it’s best to toss the milk out. Fresh milk tastes sweet and slightly creamy. Spoiled milk may have a sour or bitter taste. If you taste anything that doesn’t taste right, it’s best to toss the milk out.
Can milk go bad before its time?
Even if the date on the carton tells you that your milk should still be good, there are various factors that can cause your milk to go bad before its time. Examining the smell, consistency, and color of the milk, testing it with heat, or seeing if it reacts with baking soda will tell you if the milk is bad.