Milk

[Villan]

Despite my best efforts I cannot keep fresh milk "fresh". When shopping I use cool bags with ice slabs etc and only buy if it has at least 2 days in date. The fridge setting is colder than I would normally set it but alas it still goes off. I suspect it was already on the turn when I picked it up.
My question to is what are the best alternatives to pasturised milk are there in sale in the supermarkets? Restaurants, hotels and cafes all serve milk with tea and coffees so there must be an alternative.

[Globetrotter]

The locals and ex pats always buy UHT mik (Leche), there are plenty of brands available in supermarkets, it is available in Entera (whole milk), Semi desnatada (Semi skimmed) and Desnatada (Skimmed), nobody buys fresh milk for the reasons you said.

[Deso]

I gave up on 'fresh' milk a while ago. Half the time when you buy it is has already gone off. 

You could try Asturias (spelling?) UHT Semi desnatada, semi skilled, they use this at the Trafalgar and my cups of tea are always fine there.
They have it at the Hiperdino Expresses.

I tried it last time we were over and it seemed OK, but, there was a slight taint to it and I'm not sure if it was the water, bottled, or the Asda tea bags I was using. I normally use tap water but as the place we have just bought has been empty for a while, with the water off, I thought I would let things flush through before using tap water for brews.
Just another thought, I use the cheap sugar that comes in the clear plastic bags with a blue and red logo on, could this be a cause?

Perhaps some of the other tea drinkers could post there combinations for the best brew. 

I do like the 'odd' brew.   

[djk99]

Just a personal observation, but, I find the most noticeable taste difference between Fresh and UHT milk is in the higher fat varieties, so have found the Desnatada (skimmed)  product to be the best accepted by UK/Irish tea drinkers. O.K. some will dismiss it as 'coloured water', but, when properly chilled after opening I find it the most agreeable option for 2 perhaps 3 days after which the taste deteriorates. I suspect Fresh milk sold in the Canaries probably suffers before it gets onto the shops' chilled display.....If transported or left standing after delivery at ambient Fue temperatures, it wouldn't take long to 'go off' .

[Villan]

Thank you all for your responses. I thought that UHT may be the solution. Will look out for the Asturias brand Deso.

[zedzedeleven]

I have picked up cartons of "fresh" milk in the supermarket and the carton has already blown so yes, it`s gone off before you even get it home. Desnatada uht for me, mebbe not as nice as fresh but a lot safer. I would like to hear from anyone who has found a supermarket that does have fresh milk that hasn`t gone off, maybe Mercadona or one of the bigger ones perhaps.

[Villan]

Hi Zed

I really enjoy fresh milk. I even take it in my coffee instead of water but I was tipping pints of it away. A couple of times this resulted in haveing nothing at all for the morning cuppa.  I agree that UHT is not as nice on your cornflakes but at least milk is available for your tea or coffee. I did recall seeing a delivery of fresh milk to a supermarket in Corralejo last year on large pallets from a refrigerated vehicle. We went for a coffee and it was still outside waiting to be taken into the building upon our return. We get ours from the Spar in Atlantico and despite taking those precautions mentioned in my initial posting we experience about 60% success rate.

[Can the Man]

We use the Semi Skimmed UHT, or the Extended Shelf Life Milk on our Cornflakes and it is fine, it just takes a bit of getting used to it. It definitley should be OK for tea or coffee.

[SheilaW]

We didn't bother with fresh until Mercadona stepped up their supplies just a few months ago. We haven't had one from them that's been anything but acceptable. They do full cream and semi-skimmed fresh milk. I agree with djk: go down a notch on the cream content if you're using UHT as the 'entero' has that strong evaporated milk taste, while the 'desnatada' is OK for us (on cereal anyway - we drink tea as it comes out of the teapot).

[Spike On Q]

The Mercadona "Fresh" milk in the dairy chiller display is processed using the same equipment as Cravendale milk in the UK - it is pasteurised then fine filtered to reduce any bacteria causing milk to go sour. The sell by date is normally 2 to 3 week post sale and it does last that long in the fridge

Other fresh milks are not filtered and go off rapidly

Kalise did it for a while but then it disappeared so as far as I know this milk is only available at Mercadona