Milk in bags (pictures added in #11)

I've posted about this a few times (and just put this same link up on facebook) but where I live, milk comes in bags. Its mostly an Eastern Canada thing (Ontario and eastward) but its an amazing thing.

My friend Bobby posted a link to an article about a viral video about how we do milk bags and I'm linking it here.

http://www.thespec.com/News/CanadaWorld/article/717446

I really can't imagine doing it any other way. I don't like carton or jugged milk.

(off to the kitchen at work to take pictures of the milk in the fridge Will add them later if there is any interest(though on Friday its pretty low)) We go though 6 sleeves at lunch.

 

I grew up doing it this way and I remember when I first came to the US, I was kind of grossed out by the milk cartons. I couldn't stand thinking of cardboard holding milk!

 

My DH is one of 8 kids and they used to have their milk in bags too. It reminds me of my college cafeteria milk dispensers.

 

I had no idea that milk was packaged any other way than jugs or cardboard cartons! I had seen big bags for milk dispensers but I thought that was the only purpose of the bags! It makes since and it seems like we would switch to bags! thanks for posting this!

 

We had our milk delivered in bags when I was a kid in western Canada

 

It seemed so bizarre when I first moved to Toronto. But it makes a lot of sense. Much less packaging waste, I think. I've never seen it like that anywhere in the states, though.

 

So what happens after you open the package? Can you reseal it? How does it stand up? (I didn't watch the video.)

 

There's a dairy here that sells milk in yellow jugs. The claim is, the milk tastes better in the yellow b/c the milk is kept out of the light. I don't know the exact science behind this claim, but I do know that I like the taste of the milk from the yellow jugs more. I grew up with milk in clear plastic jugs or cardboard containers. And I liked the taste of the milk fine!!!
There's also been (recently) a mild uproar over selling milk in square containers (proponents say the jugs are easier to stack and more can fit in a store's freezer that way) instead of the rounder, rectangular ones used a lot of places. One store even had demonstrators out to show how to pour the milk from the square jugs without spilling it.
My point: however milk is served, there's some part of the population that will prefer it over any other method of serving. I say, as long as it's good for you, and appealing, what's the big difference? Milk is milk. Maybe the new way will become my preferred way someday!

 

Wow. You learn something new everyday. I, too, had seen the bags for the milk dispensers in cafeterias and restaurants, but not in stores. What about juice??? bottled water???... why not bag those too?...soda might as well be on the list too... my only question is how do they shelve them in the stores... are they in bins of some sort or hanging? I can't imagine trying to stack them.

 

Having lived in Ontario, I can say with confidence that I really dislike milk in bags. The solution we used was to pour the whole contents of the bag into a glass container with a proper lid but it was still a pain to do it especially when we were in a rush. I am much happier with the plastic bottles I get here or the cardboard containers (although if I could get them in glass bottles I would prefer that option).

 

Like this. Look at the bottom shelf.

 

Adrian

You buy milk containers. They are generally $1 but can be used forever. Here is a picture of the 3 milks in the fridge at work. (3 rooms, 3 jugs. plus the rice milk tetra pack for the child who has lactose issues)
View attachment 6180

Each sleeve holds about 1.3 litres which is about 0.30 gallons. How quick do you go though a gallon? It stays fresh because it just has a corner cut off the top. Some people crinkle it down or use clips/clothes pins/etc but I've never known a problem.

There have been juices in bags that I remember. There is also chocolate milk bags. Never seen water or pop.

I took a picture of the dairy case at the store tonight anticipating just this question. View attachment 6181 View attachment 6182

The $3.99 is a sale, its usually about $5.

There is a whole culture in different families about the best way to do it. Cut one corner. Cut both. Take the sleeves out of the big bag. Leave the sleeves in the big bag. Take the tag off the big bag. Rip the big bag open. *I* say the only way to do it is to take the tag off the big bag, leave the sleeves in the big bag. cut a medium triangle off the top and thats that. I have a big bag ripper at work and it drives me crazy to see the big bag ripped!

One of the churches collects the big bags. Its for some mission project to make mattresses I think.

 

We collect the outer bags at work and give them to a local church that makes the sleeping mats. Here is an article about the sleeping mats made from the bags.

Milk Bag mats

T

 

Oh, we were the cut a small triangle on both ends so it comes out more smoothly... Also, ours never came in a big bag like that, you bought one small bag at a time, individually and they stacked them one on top of the other. I need to see if I can find a picture somewhere. I'm with Adrian though, I think it tastes better if poured into a glass container. Though for me in carton it tastes the worst.

 

Well this was very educational for me. The only time I've seen milk in bags is like Leighann said, in a college cafeteria. I'm not fan of cartons, but the jugs plastic jugs don't bother me. I'm not sure what's better for the environment. They are both recyclable right, although I have no idea about the energy needed for recycling, and if that plastic bag ends up in the landfill it's going to take up less space than a plastic jug.

 

Pretty cool! I had no idea. I think it's awesome.

 

Here is a picture of how we bought our milk in Buenos Aires. The bags were just placed one on top of the other in the store. Then we brought it home and placed it in a plastic holder like the one in the picture. It was nice because our refrigerators were not as big as they are here and it didn't take up as much space.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikz/2815924643/

 

Those are cute Cristina! I love the container!

They are recyclable and I know many people who re-use both types of bags.

I'm sure more than one child has been traumatized by their mother for leaving the corner cut on the counter. I know I was.

 

I am picky about what brand and store we buy our milk because I am picky about the taste.

I'm with Adrian. I would much prefer my milk be sold in glass. My 2nd choice would be cardboard for 2 reasons, light blocking and ease of use. We usually only buy it in a large plastic jug though because we need more than what you can get in the cardboard.

I am sure I could figure out how to handle milk in a bag but I would only do it if it tasted better or as good as my current milk and it cost significantly less being in a bag.

 

I had no idea that milk was sold in a bag...that was very eye opening for me. I think I could get used to it.

 

I grew up drinking milk that was packaged in bags in central WI. There is a dairy on the outskirts of that city that milked and sold their own in bags and it was delicious! And fresh! I only drank milk and water growing up. When I got to college, you cannot describe the culture shock when I saw they didn't have milk in bags. The stuff in plastic jugs and cartons tasted horrible. Off. Stale.

I'm used to drinking milk now from plastic gallon jugs but I swoon in delight whenever I return to my hometown and my mom has the milk out for me.

 

I can't believe I just wasted my time reading this thread.

 

Looks like breastmilk in a storage bag to me!

 

I think you are in the minority!
This has been so interesting Kendra!

 

Whoooaaaa! I had no idea!

Did it remind anyone else of IV baggies? :crazy:

 

They have always reminded me of them which is one of the reasons I don't like them. Holding them is even stranger since they feel like what I would imagine those bags to feel like when they are full.

 

ok for some reason I feel the need to say the same thing when my xh was telling me about milk in bags....
And I care because??????

 

A lot of people like learning about the differences in the way things are done from one region to another. I personally found the thread kind of interesting. ardon:

I haven't seen milk in bags here, but I know my husband has talked about how they used to get it in bags when he was younger.

 

I've mostly been reading TS on my phone and I thought this was about breastmilk and was wondering why it was in TC!



Here in the gluttonous 'burbs of the Midwest you can buy your milk in clear plastic jugs (most common), yellow jugs for "freshness" mentioned by a pp, paper cartons (mostly 1/2 gallon & pint), or reusable glass (organic)

These creep me out and I don't buy them: shelf-stable milk boxes because they remind me too much of catsip and because I wonder with all that processing of it's something I still want to feed my kids even though I know when my sister lived in Croatia that is how all their milk came.

 

This thread is nostolgic for me- I grew up in MI and had bagged milk for my childhood. PPs are right- there were definite rules of the bagged milk. We were a big triangle to pour, tiny triangle to let air in, family. There were times, though, when my dad would bite the bag if he couldn't find any scissors (which used to gross me out!)

My parents would buy at least 5 bags at a time-usually 10. If milk was on sale, maybe 30 and they'd freeze it.

Thanks for posting on this!

 

Frozen milk is icky to me but a lot of people actually use the bags to make iced milk instead of ice cream.

To me, the bags feel like a cold water baby doll. (anyone remember those?)

I don't think I've ever seen milk in plastic jugs here. Occasionally there will be small ones with chocolate milk in them but thats something of a novelty item.

 

Kelly, this is on page two. You could have stopped on page one.

Posting something in a thread just to be rude really isn't necessary.

 

Well you learn something new everyday! I thought bagged milk was the norm everywhere!


Erica

 

Add me to the minority then. I just don't see how this is any more interesting than other countries who have to grocery shop everyday because they only have a mini-fridge (Germany). Or that Coca Cola seems to taste a little different depending on the country you get it from. Yea....and?

 

I had no idea you could buy milk in a bag. We used to buy it in glass bottles from the milk barn when I was a kid.