How long does Milk last?
- Canned evaporated or condensed4–5 days, fridge opened; 12 months, pantry from purchase
- Shelf-stable5–7 days, fridge opened; 6–12 months, pantry from purchase
- Lactose-free1 week, fridge opened
- Ultra-pasteurized7–10 days, fridge opened; 1–3 months, fridge
- Plain or flavoredPackage use-by date, fridge
Turning the range into a date
Enter a day and each row becomes a calendar date, worked out in your browser.
Milk, plain or flavored
- From purchase · in the freezerBest quality by3 months after the day you bought it
Milk, canned evaporated or condensed
- From purchase · in the pantryUse by12 months after the day you bought it
- Once opened · in the fridgeUse by4 days to 5 days after the day you opened it
Milk, lactose-free
- Once opened · in the fridgeUse by1 week after the day you opened it
Milk, shelf-stable
- From purchase · in the pantryUse by6 months to 12 months after the day you bought it
- Once opened · in the fridgeUse by5 days to 7 days after the day you opened it
Milk, ultra-pasteurized
- In the fridgeUse by1 month to 3 months after the day you stored it
- Once opened · in the fridgeUse by7 days to 10 days after the day you opened it
Every storage figure the USDA publishes for this item
USDA FoodKeeper lists 5 kinds under Milk.
Milk, plain or flavored
- From purchase · in the freezer3 months
- In the fridgePackage use-by date
Milk, canned evaporated or condensed
- From purchase · in the pantry12 months
- Once opened · in the fridge4 days to 5 days
Milk, lactose-free
- In the freezernot recommended
- Once opened · in the fridge1 week
Milk, shelf-stable
- From purchase · in the pantry6 months to 12 months
- Once opened · in the fridge5 days to 7 days
Milk, ultra-pasteurized
- In the fridge1 month to 3 months
- Once opened · in the fridge7 days to 10 days
Common searches, answered from this table
Can you freeze milk?
- Milk, plain or flavored · From purchase · in the freezer3 months
- Milk, lactose-free · In the freezernot recommended
How long does milk last after opening?
- Milk, ultra-pasteurized · Once opened · in the fridge7 days to 10 days
- Milk, lactose-free · Once opened · in the fridge1 week
- Milk, shelf-stable · Once opened · in the fridge5 days to 7 days
- Milk, canned evaporated or condensed · Once opened · in the fridge4 days to 5 days
Other foods on the same USDA shelf
Food safety rules that apply to every food
- Keep the refrigerator temperature at or below 40° F (4° C). The freezer temperature should be 0° F (-18° C).
- Never allow meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, or produce or other foods that require refrigeration to sit at room temperature for more than two hours—one hour if the air temperature is above 90° F.
- Though food will be safe indefinitely at 0° F, quality will decrease the longer the food is in the freezer.
- Never thaw food at room temperature, such as on the counter top. There are three safe ways to defrost food: in the refrigerator, in cold water, and in the microwave. Food thawed in cold water or in the microwave should be cooked immediately.
- Perishable foods should never be thawed on the counter, or in hot water and must not be left at room temperature for more than two hours.
- If you're not sure or if the food looks questionable, throw it out.
Sources: FDA: are you storing food safely · FDA: safe food handling · USDA FSIS: safe defrosting.
Where these numbers come from
Every figure and note on this page is reproduced from USDA FoodKeeper as published; the calendar date is the only arithmetic, and it runs in your browser.
Source: USDA FoodKeeper, retrieved 1 September 2026. A figure that does not match the source? Tell us. How the site is built.
No one of the 5 is shown first, so this page prints no single figure: the kinds are listed with their own windows and you pick yours.
USDA index terms: aseptic packaging, can, canned, condense, condensed, evaporate, evaporated, flavor, flavored, lactose, lactose-free, pasteurized, plain, shelf, shelf stable milk, stable, UHT, ultra, ultra pasteurized milk, ultrapasteurized
KeepsUntil is an independent reference built on public USDA data. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the Food and Drug Administration. Storage times are reproduced from USDA FoodKeeper as published; when in doubt, follow the FDA and USDA FSIS guidance linked on every food page.