Here is all the information you require regarding oat milk storage, shelf life, and spoilage. You will understand whether you need to refrigerate it and how to determine if yours is bad after reading this article.
You purchased a carton of oat milk, drank a glass, and then stored the remaining liquid in the fridge. You’re now wondering how long oat milk keeps in the refrigerator.
Or perhaps you’re unsure whether yours is still safe to consume after having been in the fridge for a few days.
It sounds like you? If so, you are in the proper location.
To understand everything else, it is imperative to first discuss whether or not oat milk needs to be refrigerated.
Is it necessary to refrigerate oat milk?
Oat milk that is shelf-stable can be left at room temperature until it is opened. The leftovers need to be refrigerated after being opened. On the other hand, chilled oat milk must always be refrigerated.
In other words, once you open the carton or bottle, store your oat milk in the refrigerator the same way you would store milk from other sources (refrigerate it if it was in the refrigerated section).
Regular milk and other dairy-free milk substitutes like almond milk, soy milk, coconut milk, and rice milk function in the same way.
You might be wondering why some bottles or cartons need to be refrigerated all the time, and if shelf-stable bottles contain a lot of preservatives. Let’s discuss that.
Shelf-Stable vs. Refrigerated Oat Milk
The majority of the time, the packaging is what distinguishes shelf-stable oat milk from refrigerated oat milk. The nutritional value and ingredients of both kinds are typically the same.
On their website, Oatly provides a clear explanation:
The aseptic packaging of the shelf-stable cartons creates a completely sterile environment, extending the product’s shelf life and eliminating the need for refrigeration (until it is first opened, that is).
Oatly
Simply put, cold-temperature-required cartons or bottles are not aseptically packaged. You don’t need to worry about any crazy preservatives in the shelf-stable variety because the rest is essentially the same.
As a result, you should always read the labels to make sure that you’re storing yours properly.
Some companies, like Califia Farms, make things a little bit simpler for their customers by using bottles for shelf-stable oat milk and cartons for the former.
Additionally, not every brand provides the refrigerated variety; therefore, contact your preferred brand to find out more about their offerings.
Advice: If you plan to use oat milk primarily as a coffee creamer, think about purchasing your preferred brand’s Barista variety (if available). It typically steams and froths better and has a slightly more familiar flavor to regular milk.
To summarize, neither type is superior to the other, but if you want to stock up, the shelf-stable variety is unquestionably a better choice.
When Can Oat Milk Be Left Outside?
The USDA advises to throw away any half-opened oat milk that has been out at room temperature for more than two hours. That is the official recommendation for perishable foods that are not refrigerated, which open oat milk is.
Of course, if you leave it out for longer than that, it should be fine, but you never really know.
Be wise if you ever choose to deviate slightly from that rule. If that oat milk is left out on the counter for three hours, it should be fine. If you leave it out overnight, however, it needs to be thrown out.
safer to be safe than sorry.
Additional Storage Methods
There are a few other fundamental oat milk storage procedures to keep in mind in addition to keeping the carton in the proper location.
Which are:
- When not in use, keep the carton tightly closed.
- Avoid drinking directly from the carton unless you intend to finish it.
- Put the carton of oat milk back in the refrigerator after using as much as you need to fill a glass.
- If your carton can’t be easily closed again, keep the leftovers in a glass jar or a plastic container.
- Before pouring, shake the bottle or carton.
How Long Is Oat Milk Good For?
Oat milk that is shelf-stable has a lengthy shelf life and keeps for a few months after its best-by date. In contrast, oat milk that has been refrigerated only lasts for about a week after its expiration date.
Depending on the brand, you should consume a carton or bottle within 7 to 10 days of opening it.
That’s basically it.
Obsolete Oat Milk
As you are already aware, there are two varieties of oat milk on the market: one that is shelf-stable and one that is sold chilled. In addition to how you store each, the shelf life of the two is the key distinction.
Oat milk that is shelf-stable typically has a shelf life of 6 to 12 months or more and, as long as it is unopened, easily lasts for a few months after its expiration date. The use-by date for the chilled variety is only a few weeks after production and it only lasts for about a week after the printed date.
This means that depending on the type of oat milk in question, it may or may not be safe to use.
If it is shelf-stable, it probably won’t spoil even if it is half a year past its expiration date. So feel free to open it up, look for signs of spoilage (more on that later), and use it if there are none, unless you’re uncomfortable using “expired” oat milk.
To be safe, I’d discard refrigerated oat milk that is more than 7 to 10 days past its expiration date. For most dairy products, you probably follow the same procedure.
once the opening
After first opening the carton or bottle, oat milk typically lasts for 7 to 10 days. Even though the recommendations differ slightly between brands, as long as you finish yours within 4 to 5 days, you should be fine.
(The recommendation for 4 to 5 days of storage is consistent with the 4 to 5 days rule for perishable leftovers.)
While some manufacturers, such as Tats, recommend shorter storage periods (4 to 7 days in this case), others, such as Oatsome, opt for more lenient recommendations of 7 to 10 days to finish the carton.
The reality is that it largely depends on the product’s quality, and probably all of the different kinds of oat milk that are currently available should taste fine after about 7 days.
To keep track of how long the carton is easily open, mark the bottle with the date you first opened it.
Last but not least, even if yours hasn’t shown any signs of spoilage after being open for about two weeks, throw it away. safer to be safe than sorry.
How to Spot a Bad Oat Milk?
Here’s how to determine whether your oat milk is fine:
- See how long it has been open.
- No matter what, throw it away if it’s been more than two weeks.
- Sniff it out by opening the container.
- Throw it away if it smells musty, off, or moldy.
- Shake it up, then pour some into a glass.
- Verify the color and consistency.
There might be a few minor adjustments, but nothing major. It must be disposed of if it is slimy, completely separated, or anything else similar. A similar procedure should be followed if you notice any microbial growth or anything else that shouldn’t be there.
Try the liquid by tasting it.
Now that everything appears to be in order, it’s time to assess the flavor. A hint of oats and a nuttier flavor than cow’s milk are supposed to characterize oat milk. Even when no sugar or artificial sweeteners are present, many brands also have a fairly sweet flavor. If something is sour, it should be thrown out.
A close-up of oat milk in a glass
If your oat milk has passed each and every test listed above, it probably passes and is safe to use.
As always, don’t drink anything you’re not absolutely certain is safe to consume. Instead, start a new one and err on the side of caution.
Beware: Oat milks from different brands have different tastes. You shouldn’t be shocked if the flavor isn’t quite the same if you purchased a different brand than you are accustomed to. Or that you’ve decided you no longer enjoy it in your coffee.
