Just like regular milk, almond milk also has a shelf life. It also goes bad if left in the wrong conditions for too long. As is the case with any type of milk, you should never leave it out, especially if you live in an area with a warm climate.
The longer you leave it out, the higher the chances of the milk curdling, or in the case of almond milk, separating. Once that happens, you can always shake it again to bring it back to normal, but if this happens for a long enough time, the milk will go bad. If you produce your almond milk at home, it won’t last as long. In fact, if you leave it out, it won’t waste any time going bad. This is not the case with store-bought milk.
Store-bought almond milk comes with preservatives and is enriched with nutrients. Furthermore, it is also packed in TetraPack packaging, which means that you can store it for a very long time.
However, once you have opened the packaging and exposed the milk to air, you should keep it refrigerated, and under no circumstances should you leave it outside. When properly refrigerated, store-bought almond milk can last anywhere between 7 to 10 days. Therefore, when you open your almond milk, make sure you consume it within the first ten days and don’t try to stretch it out. Chances are that before it reaches the end of the 8th or 9th day, the milk will already start to go bad.
However, no matter what you do, almond milk will go bad eventually. If you leave it sealed, once the expiry date has arrived, it will go bad. If you leave it unsealed, it will go bad. Therefore, do your best to use your almond milk as soon as possible. Don’t leave it out for too long, and once opened, make sure it is properly refrigerated.
The Signs
To know that your almond milk has gone bad, keep an eye out for the following.
● Smell
When almond milk goes bad, it no longer has the fresh and nutty smell that it is known for. If it has a pungent odor, your milk has gone bad.
● Taste
When almond milk goes bad, its taste goes from sweet and nutty to bitter or sour. You can tell from its smell but if you want to be sure, take a sip and if it is anything like this, get rid of the almond milk immediately.
● Color
Almond milk that has gone bad loses its smooth silky consistency and begins to look muddy. If your almond milk has gone from (milky) white to slightly brown, you should get rid of it immediately.
● Fungus
Besides almond milk, any time that there are black spots in your food or drink, get rid of it immediately. This means that fungus has started to form in it and that food item is contaminated. If you still end up eating or drinking this food, you’re going to have to deal with a whole host of health issues.
