In many B&B’s, hotels and workplaces up and down the country, the milk jigger has become a familiar sight. One of the reasons these little plastic milk containers have become so popular is their undeniable usefulness and the ability to keep milk drinkable for a very long time.
The benefits of the milk jigger
- Cost effect – the size allows portion control
- No refrigeration required – can stay safely on the trolley
- Convenient – just grab, go, peel and pour, no mess either
- Easy to transport – no hassle if you need to get milk from A to B
- Long shelf life – prior to opening, a milk jigger usually lasts between 6-9 months
A milk jigger can keep the milk up to 9 months????
Yes, your eyes aren’t deceiving you; milk jiggers do have a HUGE shelf life, this article now aims to explain why.
Why do milk jiggers keep the milk so long?
Well, the milk in a jigger is a form of milk known as UHT milk. UHT stands for Ultra High Temperature milk. During the UHT process the milk is heated up to a high temperature of around 280 degree Fahrenheit for 2 seconds. UHT milk is heated a lot longer than the typical milk pasteurization process which only heats milk to 161 degrees Farenheit for around 15 seconds.
Heating the UHT milk to this temperature has the effect of destroying all spoilage bacteria within the milk hence allowing it to have a much longer shelf life.
So as you can see, the high temperature at which the milk is heated allows our friend the milk jigger to keep its milk for a lot longer than normal milk. That the milk in a milk jigger can keep for so long as well as all the additional benefits listed above helps to explain the enduring popularity of milk jiggers in our nation’s hotels and workplaces.
