How to tell if Buttermilk is usable?

[walker]

I have an unopened quart of Buttermilk -- the date stamped on it is July 5. Today is July 20.

What do you think? Should I toss it and buy a fresh one? I want to make corn muffins.

[srsone]

http://www.stilltasty.com/fooditems/i...

your just into the range of probably still ok ...

[thimes]

Can I piggy back on your post . . . .

I have on occasion bought buttermilk (grocery story - nothing fancy brand) and it has been within the 'use by' date and smelled fine. But there have been sort of orange dots/specks/flakes throughout it.

Is that okay? Is it some sort of mass production additive to "make" buttermilk? I can't be the only one who has seen this . . . . .

[bushwickgirl]

Orange or yellow? I haven't seen any bits of butter in cultured buttermilk ever, so I can't imagine it's that, unless the producer added something to give the milk the appearance of real buttermilk. Orange on dairy can be an indication of mold, but it doesn't sound like mold in your case.

Same brand have this issue?

[thimes]

maybe orange-yellow, it has been a while. I don't use buttermilk all that often. I'll see if I can get a picture next time. It wasn't on the surface either, it was "in" the buttermilk. I found it most odd so went and bought another one - same thing (I bought the same brand I'm sure). I'll do more research and repost if I find it again!

[miss louella]

thimes, I go through a lot of buttermilk and the brand I buy (in a yellow carton) has those dots you describe. No one sick or dead yet but I just use it for baking.

[Will Owen]

Lots of dairies do put butter flecks into their cultured buttermilk to replicate what you'd get in the churned kind. Most common I think in parts of the country where buttermilk is in near-universal use. I haven't noticed it out here in SoCal, but in Nashville all the buttermilk came that way.

I've never had buttermilk go bad, as in rotten, in my fridge; the worst that usually happens is that eventually it separates into clearish whey and a semi-congealed lump of white goo. Then it hits the toilet. It's just too acidic to entertain most bacteria, I think.

[Becca Porter]

Buttermilk lasts for at least a couple weeks past the date opened, so I am sure your unopened is fine. Obviously if you see pink or green mold, toss it.

[ospreycove]

Open, and taste it if it is pleasantly tangy, not foul smelling it is probably fine. I have kept opened buttermilk a week or two past the exp. date and never had it turn.

[bushwickgirl]

Ditto, and I've had it last for over a month past the sell by date, which is what July 5 was. Give the buttermilk a good shake first, it tends to settle a bit.

[Nocturnalbill]

I'm tagging along on the idea of not fuzzy, not smelling icky, go for it.

[eight_inch_pestle]

Good wisdom from Ms. Porter. As long as you kept it nice and chilly I wouldn't worry for close to a month so long as it passes the eye, nose, and taste tests.

And as always, use matters. Chugging is one thing, corn muffins another, serving company altogether another.

[ChiliDude]

Since you wish to bake with the buttermilk, if it smells OK, use it. The oven heat will kill whatever may be growing in it.