Stumbled across UHT "MOO MILK" ..impressed? massively!

[Mr Gus]

On the fly I bought a "back up" litre of no refrigeration milk carton to try (I have knocked back milk consumption for tea to 3 mugs (ish per day) wife is caning milk as she has given up "95%" coffee of all sorts & is hitting milk & hotel chocolat HARD at 3 gigantos timmy hortons / starbucks mugs at home per day ..as an aside thats 35g high cacao per serving but with the milk nigh on doubled for one drink.

As wife is away for a week, i'm fending for myself more than usual, as chief cook, effectively stuck in the village.

Suffice to say, milk consumption as a household has gone up, & many a household caves in to a shop based on "running low / out of milk" ..living in the countryside this can often mean a 14 mile trip to the shops & all the fripperies that catch you on the hop!

My point? ..stick with me!

Like many, growing up in an age of naff UHT type milk that induced the gag reflex as it tasted godawful I steer clear of all uht (those micro portions -= naff taste & plastic in the bin for decades, so NOPE!

Cravendale / BOB ..yes, gets the thumbs up from me, very good to have in a closed fridge unopened for when you get in from a holiday.=, filtration is brilliant.

Thus you understand my reluctance where non refrigerated, shelf stable milk cartons are concerned.

I stuck it in the fridge (the 7 day old 30% discounted organic only has so long to live @3c) for 24 hours, shook it, & tried it, ..very creamy (s/ skim) flavour, ..no gagging, just like milk should be, zero discernible difference ..wow, milk shake test? ..lime crusha? ..passed.

Basically, if I can hoard a few litres for emergencies that's potentially a good few less trips out for fripperies on the excuse of "low milk"

Checked the firm out (crediton dairy, a devon based local producer & buyer) ..they are very established it seems.

If you have the nous to put it in the fridge to chill first, WINNER

Crediton dairy it seems, produce the admittedly sugar heavy "Arctic" range of long life coffee, dairy pride, flora "pro-activ" soy? milk & Moo milk in shake & normal milk forms ..all in tetrapak ..which we may have opinions on in itself.

https://www.creditondairy.co.uk/

I have been won over to a UHT milk ..that was 79p per litre in BM foods the other day (BBE 08 JAN 2024) ...if you are of the same ilk about milk, please try some, refrigerated, (preferably at the lower "sweeter" price)

This has the potential to save us an estimated 4 hours per month in low milk "sweats" trips into town.

How long have I been missing a trick where "modern uht" is concerned then lads? ..some serious reprogramming is needed where generations of public psyche & UHT is concerned as part of our living practises go.

[Stinsy]

We have 6x UHT cartons in the back of the cupboard for emergencies. I rotate it through the normal consumption and restock every 6 months. Flavour is fine, cost is double ordinary milk, and the packaging is much more difficult to recycle.

SHMBO used to mock my "prepping for TEOTWAWKI" but events of recent years have vindicated me!

[Mr Gus]

Understood stinsy!

That's why I grabbed it to try at 79p per litre & will be going back for more with a more open mind

When did it (UHT) improve SO drastically?

Tetrapak have become easier to recycle (they say) ..from my perspective it's blind faith, based on the fact that much soft plastic just 12 months ago was not recyclable, now there are bins in stores aplenty, progress baby!

[Andy]

When did it (UHT) improve SO drastically?

I think you'll find that over the years 'normal' milk has slowly approached the taste of UHT due to all the processing? You are now assimilated.

Try fresh milk from a cow and you won't recognise it any more. The same goes for cream. Remember the bit settled on the top of the bottle that we used to fight over.

[Mr Gus]

The cream was not for "you kids" even on a regular doorstep pint..I never tasted gold top till I was in my 30's or maybe 40's ..now if it's going cheap on a sell by date (the semi skimmed I bought is a week past & still a bit left due to opening the moo juice & getting my calculations wrong.

I snaffle some GT from the wifes stock (shhhh) being a devonian she "must" have regular supplies of pasties, gold top, oven baked cream (clotted) & the like.

[CrofterMannie]

There is a farm dairy that I sometimes buy from which batch pasturises - milk is held at 63C for 30 mins, the taste is obviously different to milk which is continuously pasturised - 72C for 15s or even hotter and faster. Obviously no dairy supplying millions of less of milk is going to use the slow process.

I'm order to really enjoy it I like to let the milk warm up to just below room temperature so you can fully appreciate it. It's almost as good as drinking fine wine.

[Mr Gus]

a hot milk, I enjoy (in spoons, oft better than a coffee & zero faff)
As I had a heavy gag reflex for food & smells (still do) room temp type milk would have me retching copiously

Well grazed on the green stuff cows milk wasfor decades all I could handle as far as rich milk was concerned, pouring cream I got the hang of, (thanls to black forest gateau probably, I think it would all fall apart if I was.asked to swig a warm pint bottle of cream capped gold top without shaking it though.

Couldnt handle the school milk left outside in the heat, doubtless didn't help getting over it either, ...used to dread the appearance of the school caretaker bringing it in for morning break, thank god for mrs Thatcher ..ha!

[Moxi]

oh Gus,

Thats a fond memory of getting permission from the teacher to grab a tepid second bottle of milk and glug it for good work in class...........bliss.

Milk has always been a favourite with me, we have a blossoming trend of Farm fresh milk via vending units around North West Wales so we always take a couple of glass bottles for top ups when we are out and about, nice for us and the kids and helps the local farmers etc plus theres usually other local produce available too.

Moxi

[Mr Gus]

It's time for an easily washable thermally insulated s/steel fridge jug that splits in half (for dishwasher cleaning) ..I say this as the only thing to really suffer in my thermal sigg hot & cold one(s) is MILK ..that & i'm the mug who has to regularly clean everyone's sigg bottles of all varieties

ANdD as it is morning, ...the "tea test"

Damn, there is still a slight UHT taint when taken hot, don't think it's enough to stop me having my 3 mugs, however the fact that is didn't make me spew is a positive.

& very good cold, what's not to like?

Ah well ration the proper stuff, this is ok for the wife & daughter in a "milk crisis"

Second cuppa down, adjustments to milk & tea, managed to finish it this time, but for once I don't overly fancy mug number 3 today.

Try, try again (tomorrow)