How long does evaporated milk last after opening?
Evaporated milk is a key ingredient in many dishes, such as delicious soups, rich sauces, and unforgettable desserts. It is made by removing approximately 60% of the water from regular milk, a process that gives it a light, natural sweetness. While it keeps well in a can, it is best consumed quickly once opened.
According to Carnation, evaporated milk can be stored in the refrigerator for up to five days, although it's recommended to use it within 48 hours, as a film can form on the surface if it's not kept in an airtight container. If you use it for cooking, you might not have much left over, but if you use it to make coffee, you'll likely have some left over (unless you make a lot of coffee). Transferring the evaporated milk to an airtight container will keep it fresh longer, but you can also cover it with plastic wrap and secure it with a rubber band or a ribbon. In either case, it's important to keep the milk covered during storage so it doesn't absorb flavors from the refrigerator.
There are several ways to tell if your evaporated milk has gone bad. For starters, it should always be white; if it darkens or turns yellowish, it's best to throw it away. It should also never have lumps or a sour smell. If you taste it and it tastes sour, rinse your mouth and throw the container away. As with spoiled milk, it's unlikely you'll get sick from just tasting it, but once it's gone bad, there's nothing you can do to save it.
It's very easy to use evaporated milk before it spoils.
Once opened, evaporated milk has a short shelf life, but it's very easy to use up before it spoils. For example, if you're craving something sweet, you can make a tres leches cake. The name of this cake literally translates to "three milks," and it's made with evaporated, condensed, and whole milk. (And yes, evaporated and condensed milk are different!). Besides this classic cake, evaporated milk can be added to almost any dessert recipe you can think of. You can even use it for breakfast in pancake mixes, oatmeal, smoothies, and as a coffee creamer.
However, evaporated milk isn't just for desserts, and it would be a mistake to limit it to that. We can say that evaporated milk is ideal for making macaroni and cheese, and its thick consistency gives the cheese sauce a super creamy and delicious texture. Likewise, it can be used to give soups a rich, velvety texture, something that whole milk simply can't match. In fact, it can be used in practically any way you would use regular milk. You can even dilute it if you need a thinner consistency.
The versatility of evaporated milk makes it a pantry staple, as it has countless uses. While it doesn't last long once opened, once you get used to using it, you'll probably go through it quickly!
