Is sour milk, soured milk, and milk that has gone sour, all the exact same thing?

Is sour milk, soured milk, and milk that has gone sour, all the exact same thing? Related to this question: Is buttermilk another term for sour milk or some part of sour milk? and especially this answer to it: https://cooking.stackexchange.com/a/115571/93811 and two of the comments appended to that answer, specifically:

"Is soured milk the same as sour milk as in, 'I kept this milk in the fridge too long after opening, and now it is sour, although it was okay yesterday, and so I need to chuck it out and buy some more'. – Matthew Christopher Bartsh yesterday

@MatthewChristopherBartsh Not exactly. “Kept in the fridge and something grew” is the problem - you don’t know what grew. Way back before commercial milk production, there was a good(-ish) change that something desirable grew - souring meant “let stand, it’ll be thick by tomorrow” or it meant “add some of the existing product and let the microorganisms from that multiply and do their thing”. It’s too complicated for a comment to explain why exactly the former is less likely to work today than back in our (great...)grandparents’ time. – Stephie♦

Best Answer

Yes, it is the same. It refers to milk which has been left out until it has gone sour with whatever wild bacteria it has managed to catch, be they pathogenic, healthy, or neutral. It curdles a bit and changes in smell and taste.

If you find a person or author who makes a difference, then you have discovered either some regionally restricted distinction which is not widespread (maybe even restricted to that one author), or a too-literal translation from some other language.

Update, since you seem to be asking about the exact meaning of Stephie's comment. What she means is that back in the day, when milk went sour, the actual risks were lower than when today's milk goes sour. (not to speak of the perceived risks and of the implicit risks/reward calculations people make by gut feeling). The difference in her comment is not between "sour milk" and "soured milk", but between "milk that was freshly milked from a single healthy cow and left at room temperature until it went sour" and "commercially produced and processed milk which was distributed to me and left in the fridge until it went sour". There are no terms in the English language which make this distinction, both are called "sour milk" or "soured milk" - so the product is probabilistically different, but the words are not.

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Quick Answer about "Is sour milk, soured milk, and milk that has gone sour, all the exact same thing?"

Spoiled milk usually refers to pasteurized milk that has gone bad, while sour milk may refer to raw milk that has begun to ferment.

Can you use milk that has soured?

If the milk does not have any off-putting smell or taste, you can still use it. If milk has gone a little sour, it is still safe for consumption. However, you need to ask yourself whether you find it appetizing enough to use it.

What is the difference between fermented milk and sour milk?

Soured milk that is produced by bacterial fermentation is more specifically called fermented milk or cultured milk. Traditionally, soured milk was simply fresh milk that was left to ferment and sour by keeping it in a warm place for a day, often near a stove.

Can I use milk that has soured in baking?

Yes, you can use sour milk for baking. While you may not want to drink a glass of spoiled milk straight up, baking is a great way to use the stuff. The extra acidity the milk acquires as it ages can actually yield added flavor in baked goods, like cakes or muffins.

Will soured milk make you sick?

A small sip of spoiled milk is unlikely to cause symptoms beyond a bad taste. Drinking larger amounts of spoiled milk can cause stomach distress resulting in abdominal cramping, vomiting and diarrhea (like a food-borne illness). In most cases, symptoms caused by drinking spoiled milk resolve within 12-24 hours.

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