How long does oat milk last and how to tell when it’s gone bad

You love the taste and natural goodness.But how long does oat milk last?

Before we start talking about oat milk what exactly is it? Oat milk is dairy-free milk made from plant-based ingredients with oats as its base. This means it doesn’t contain any dairy from cows, or any animal-based by-products.

As it’s made from oats, oat milk does contain many of the vitamins and minerals that oats naturally contain. These include manganese, phosphorus, vitamin B1, folates, zinc, iron, selenium and copper.

Here at MIGHTY, we make a whole range of oat m.lks to make sure there’s one that’s just right for you. We have MIGHTY Whole, Semi, Protein Oat, and Barista specially made for coffee drinkers.

All of our MIGHTY M.lks are made with oats and added plant protein. They’re delicious, nutritious, vegan-friendly, 100% plant-based, dairy-free, sustainably made with allergy-free ingredients, and free from nuts or soy. So let’s answer your burning questions about oat milk.

Does oat milk need to be refrigerated?

To store your oat milk, simply keep it somewhere cool and dry like a pantry, cupboard or dry storage area. Once it’s opened and the seal is broken, oat milk is perishable. It should then be put straight in the fridge and resealed tightly after every time it’s opened – just like milk. How long does oat milk last once opened? It will keep for 5 days in the fridge.

An opened carton of oat milk should only be left out of the fridge for a couple of hours. And an unopened carton of refrigerated oat milk should be discarded if it’s more than a week past the printed Use By date on the carton.

Does oat milk go bad?

Yes, both refrigerated and unopened oat milk will go bad eventually, although you do have plenty of time to enjoy it. All of our MIGHTY M.lks are UHT products which means you can buy them in bulk and if unopened you can keep them in the cupboard for up to a year. Once opened, they need to be refrigerated and will last for up to 5 days in the fridge.

Here’s how to tell if oat milk is bad. If you open a carton and aren’t sure if it’s OK to use, it’s probably gone off if:

• It’s not smooth but lumpy, thick and difficult to pour, or slimy
• The colour has changed
• It smells different
• There’s mould in the carton

Does oat milk need to be refrigerated?

To store your oat milk, simply keep it somewhere cool and dry like a pantry, cupboard or dry storage area. Once it’s opened and the seal is broken, oat milk is perishable. It should then be put straight in the fridge and resealed tightly after every time it’s opened – just like milk. How long does oat milk last once opened? It will keep for 5 days in the fridge.

An opened carton of oat milk should only be left out of the fridge for a couple of hours. And an unopened carton of refrigerated oat milk should be discarded if it’s more than a week past the printed Use By date on the carton.

Can you freeze oat milk?

Yes, you can freeze generic brands of oat milk, but we wouldn’t recommend it for MIGHTY M.lks which have a special formulation. But you don’t actually need to freeze MIGHTY M.lks as they can be kept in a cool, dry place for up to a year! While any frozen oat milks should be only kept in the freezer for up to 3 months.

If you are freezing oat milk, don’t freeze it in the carton or any sealed container. This is because it also contains water which when it freezes will expand and burst out of the container.

A better idea is to pour your oat milk into ice cube trays, then you’ll have pre-measured pieces of frozen milk which will defrost more quickly. You can also add these pre-portioned oat milk ice cubes straight into your sauces when cooking.

To free up space in your freezer, you can pop your oat milk cubes out into a labelled tub or bag once they’re frozen. Remember, never refreeze already-defrosted oat milk, and make sure your oat milk hasn’t expired before freezing it.