I have a bottle of this in my fridge–great in coffee. Bought new, the sell-by date is 9/19/22 (a month ago tomorrow).
It’s non-homogenized and low-temp pasteurized. I hadn’t used it in a week or so-- been off coffee for a while-- and this morning when I went to shake the bottle (as they suggest), most of it had solidified. I know that’s because of the lack of homogenization. It doesn’t smell awful like spoiled milk, but the scent has kind of a tang about it.
What do I have here? Almost butter? Sour cream? I don’t know all the nuances of dairy.
Interesting! Is your fridge really cold? I ask because I keep mine just above freezing and, on occasion, certain liquids will solidify. I find ice crystals in my water bottle. LOL
Refrigerators also leech the moisture out of things. If the top wasn’t a secure seal, the cream could have lost moisture and solidified that way.
Since you have to pay for the cream, does making your own butter save any money and, if so, is it enough to justify the work? Does the butter you make taste any better than the butter you buy?
Oh, wow, every answer you give raises another question in my mind. Firstly, what is the correct temperature you referred to in your other answer? Secondly, what constitutes “good” cream. Is it the cow that gives the milk. Is it the process of getting the cream out of the milk?
As you can see, I won’t survive the apocalypse. LOL
Good tasting milk is dependent on cleanliness of handling at every stage, what the cow is eating, and the genetics of the cow. The farm I lived on when I was in my teens only churned butter in the summer when the cows ate grass, not hay as in winter. Grass make the butter yellow (carotene) and better flavored. When you churn your cream it should be about 62 degrees F. Over 65 it will get oily, under 60 it will won’t clump well.
I’ve kept cream too long, and the result was a solid top of very, very thick cream. I think if you leave the carton undisturbed for a long time, the fat continues to rise to the top (despite its being homogenized), and forms a solid thick layer. If you pierce this firm layer, you might find liquid milk below it, like I did. Maybe what’s on top might be called “clotted cream”? I don’t know.
I think she’s just saying that this happens even when it’s homogenized. So it would probably happen a lot faster with unhomogenized cream. Hence it only taking a week for you.
