How to Use Sour Milk

Last Updated: May 5, 2022 References

Yuck! The milk's gone sour! Rather than resorting to throwing out the curdled milk, it's still possible to make use of it. This article provides a few suggestions to help you experiment in the kitchen.

Note: This article only refers to milk that has soured under refrigeration or forced by the addition of vinegar or lemon juice. If milk has soured sitting in the sun or near heat, discard it, as that is spoiled milk, not sour milk, and could harbor harmful bacteria.

Ingredients

Sour milk
Additions such as chopped fresh herbs, vegetables or fruit, or spices (for cheese)
Cocoa or carob powder (for chocolate milk)
Eggs (for scrambled eggs)

Steps

1
Bake with it. Sour milk can be added to a suitable cake or bread; after the baking, it won't be noticeable.^{[1]
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Research source} Look for recipes containing sour milk (the internet makes this very easy!) Try sour milk ginger bread for starters.
- Use it instead of buttermilk in cornbread.
- Add to pancake batter.
- Add to bread dough baked in the bread machine or made by hand.
2
Use sour milk to make desserts. Suitable desserts include creme brulee, custard, cheesecake, and custard pudding.^{[2]
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3
Make scrambled eggs using sour milk.
4
Turn it into cheese.^{[3]
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- Line a colander with a cheesecloth (cotton or muslin work fine too). Pour in the curdled milk. If you want the cheese to be flavored, add some chopped herbs, or some spices, or chopped fruit or vegetables at this stage, and mix in.
- Pick up the sides of the cloth and gather it into a bundle. Tie a knot at the top.
- Hang the bundle over a bowl sitting in the refrigerator (use the shelf above or a taller object to hold it in place). Keep it in this position until it stops dripping.
- Remove from the fridge and take out of the cloth. Place the remaining cheese on a plate. Add salt if wished and enjoy with crackers. Keep refrigerated in an airtight container.
5
Add sour milk main meal dishes that have a creamy consistency or a cheesy, creamy topping. Dishes such as seafood stew, potato bakes, casseroles, etc. are ideal.
- Add it to meatloaf for a moist consistency.
- Add it to soups to make them creamier.
6
Make chocolate milk. Add cocoa or carob powder, some sugar, and the sour milk. Blend well. Enjoy!
7
Use it for pet food. Read How to use up sour milk for hen food to help get you started. Or add it to a dog biscuit or cat biscuit recipe that you're home baking.^{[4]
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8
Make a sour milk face mask. Read Make a sour cream face mask for details (substitute the sour milk for the sour cream).^{[5]
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Community Q&A

Question

Can I use sour milk in a banana bread recipe?

Community Answer

Absolutely! My recipe actually calls for sour milk. It makes the bread very light and fluffy.
Question

How much vinegar to how much milk creates sour milk?

Community Answer

Mix one tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar with one scant cup of milk and let stand at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. The mixture will thicken into small curdled bits which you can use as buttermilk in your recipe.
Question

How can I use milk that got separated when I froze it?

Community Answer

Put your thawed milk in the blender or whisk it and you can use it just like fresh milk for baking.

Warnings

This article only refers to milk that has soured under refrigeration or forced by the addition of vinegar or lemon juice. If milk has soured sitting in the sun or near heat, discard it, as that is spoiled milk, not sour milk, and could harbor harmful bacteria.

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