With the price of milk soaring through the roof lots of folks are reconsidering powdered milk for it’s economy. The dairy price hike hasn’t affected dry milk much yet, making it the best dairy bargain currently available. Through an informal investigation I’ve discovered that fresh milk costs between $3.50 and $4.50 a gallon in most places. Dairy towns still have it available for between $2 and $3 a gallon, but the rest of us are paying considerably more. Fresh milk is a delicious, versatile staple when it can be purchased inexpensively. Until the price drops off to a more moderate cost however, my family will be making do with powdered milk.
Instant nonfat powdered milk is to the urban dweller what the family cow is to the homesteader. True, powdered milk doesn’t taste as good as fresh milk from the cow, but it is a darned site more convenient to procure, and much easier to store. Additionally, it is a readily available source of protein and vitamin D. It’s also high in calcium which is good to know if you are pregnant, nursing or have osteoporosis in your family history. Since powdered milk has no fat, it’s low in calories (about 80 per cup of liquid milk) and completely cholesterol free.
Powdered Milk is available in two common forms: Instant Non-Fat Dry Milk Powder and Regular Non-Fat Dry Milk Powder. Regular dry milk is sometimes referred to as “Non-Instant”. It doesn’t dissolve as readily as instant milk powder and is a bit more troublesome to locate. Dry whole milk powder is available too. It doesn’t last as long as non-fat dry milk because the fat in it can go rancid over time. When it is fresh however, it has a very pleasing flavor. Dry whole milk can be difficult to find. I buy it in small tins in the ethnic section of a large grocery store. It costs a little more than instant non-fat dry milk, but it’s good to have on hand, for young children especially. All of the recipes and ideas that follow are made using Instant Nonfat Dry Milk. It is the cheapest and generally the easiest to find. Read the box label to be sure this is the kind you are buying.
Once reconstituted, powdered milk tastes a lot better than it used to. If you haven’t tried it in the past few years, it’s worth another taste. When mixed correctly and chilled overnight, it has a pleasant, sweet flavor that tastes especially good with homemade cookies. Reconstituted milk doesn’t taste the same as fresh whole milk. If you are already used to skim milk though, you won’t notice much difference in the flavor of reconstituted milk. In cooking, powdered milk performs flawlessly. It can be substituted for fresh milk in almost any recipe with excellent results. Many budget conscious women cook with powdered milk exclusively. This is smart use of resources because the results are so good.
Drinking powdered milk is another kettle of fish. Some folks find the flavor objectionable even after chilling it because they are accustomed to fresh whole milk. You cannot fool anyone into thinking that reconstituted dry milk is the same as fresh milk when used as a beverage. There are things you can do to make powdered milk taste better. Mixing it with fresh whole milk for body and flavor is a good alternative.
To get good tasting powdered milk make sure you start with fresh dry milk. If your box of dry milk is a year old, then buy a new one and use the old one for cooking exclusively. Mix up the milk following the package directions. If your box doesn’t have directions then you can use the ones below.
Large 4-pound boxes of powdered milk are available in most markets. A box this size will make 20 quarts or 5 gallons of liquid milk. At an average cost of $8 to $9 per box, this is the equivalent of less than $2 per gallon, making it fully half the price of fresh milk at this time.
Reconstituting Powdered Milk
|
To equal this amount of liquid milk |
Use this much |
And this much Instant Non-Fat Dry Milk Powder |
| 1/4 cup | 1/4 cup | 1-1/2 tablespoons |
| 1/3 cup | 1/3 cup | 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon |
| 1/2 cup | 1/2 cup | 3 tablespoons |
| 1 cup | 1 cup | 1/3 cup |
| 1 quart | 3-3/4 cup | 1-1/3 cups |
| 2 quarts | 7-2/3 cups | 2 -2/3 cups |
| 1 gallon | 15-1/2 cups | 5-1/3 cups |
The table above will help you work out the amount of powdered milk you will need to prepare a specific measurement of liquid milk. Here are some tips to help the milk turn out as fresh tasting as possible:
- Fill your pitcher or container with half the amount of water you will be using. Measure in the appropriate amount of dry milk powder. Stir to dissolve. Fill the pitcher with the balance of the water called for above. Stir again and chill.
- Use cool water when possible. The powder tends to dissolve more readily in cool water.
- Stir the milk a lot, to dissolve the milk powder. Then let the milk sit for a little while and stir again. The protein in the milk powder blends most easily if it gets a chance to stand after mixing.
- Powdered milk may be used immediately after mixing if desired. For the best flavor chill the milk for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Store the milk in a refrigerator if you have one. If you don’t, then wrap the milk in a wet towel. As the water evaporates, the milk will cool. If you have a root cellar or basement, you may want to keep the milk there, or even outside in the fall and winter.
- If you store the milk outside be sure that it is protected from critters who may be thirsty. A box with a large rock on top is sufficient to keep out most animals.
- If you do not have refrigeration, then only prepare enough milk to last the day. I prepare it the night before, so it has a chance to blend and chill overnight. About 2 quarts will be enough to last a family of 4 for most of the day. If you continually find you have some left over, then prepare less the next day. If you find yourself running out, then prepare more.
- Some people add a drop or two of vanilla to their milk to improve the flavor. Other people add a spoonful or two of sugar for the same purpose. I don’t use either of these ideas, because we are accustomed to reconstituted milk, and prefer it plain.
- Pitchers and wide-mouthed jars are the easiest to use for mixing and storing reconstituted milk. I used to try to use apple juice jars, but they are difficult to keep clean and awkward to pour the milk powder into. If you must use a narrow mouthed jar to mix your milk, then use a funnel. A chop stick or spoon handle is handy for poking down though the funnel tip when things get clogged up.
Products to Make with Powdered Milk
Sweet Vanilla Milk: Run a little hot water into a 2-quart pitcher. Add 1/4-cup each powdered coffee creamer and sugar. Stir well to dissolve. Add 1/2-teaspoon vanilla. Fill the pitcher half full with cold tap water. Add 2-2/3 cups of instant nonfat dry milk powder. Stir well. Fill the pitcher the rest of the way full. Stir again. Chill and serve. This milk is more palatable to some folks than straight reconstituted milk. The powdered coffee creamer gives the milk a rich fullness, while the sugar and vanilla make it taste sweet and almost dessert-like. If you must switch to powdered milk, and are having trouble with the flavor, this recipe can make the transition easier. For a gallon of milk use: 1/2-cup each powdered coffee cream & sugar and 1-teaspoon of vanilla flavoring. Add a dash of salt too if desired. Be sure to dissolve the creamer and sugar in hot tap water first. They do not dissolve readily in cold water.
A Very Rich Gallon of Milk: Measure 3-1/2 quarts (14 cups) of water into a gallon size pitcher. Add 5-cups of dry milk powder and a 12-ounce can of undiluted evaporated whole milk. Mix all together. Chill and serve. This makes about a gallon. It is richer than plain reconstituted milk. If you must use powdered milk, but prefer a richer product, this is the recipe for you. Children will sometimes tolerate it better than straight reconstituted milk, especially if they are already used to fresh 1% or 2%.
To Mix with Whole Milk: Powdered milk is easily mixed half-and-half with whole milk. When combined and well chilled, it’s nearly impossible to tell the difference between fresh milk and mixed milk. To do this, use an extra, clean milk jug and two 2-quart sized pitchers. First reconstitute 2 quarts of milk in each of the pitchers, using the chart above. Then, using a funnel, pour half of the whole milk into the clean empty milk jug. Using the same funnel, pour the reconstituted milk from one pitcher into each jug, making a gallon of mixed milk in each jug. Both empty pitchers then have to be washed, but they are pretty easy to keep clean. I used to try to reconstitute the powdered milk in the milk jug, with the whole milk, but it never worked as well as I’d hoped. Now I find it much easier to reconstitute the powdered milk in the pitcher first, and then pour the liquid milk into the jug with the whole milk. Like regular powdered milk, mixed milk tastes best if well chilled.
Sour Milk: To sour reconstituted milk, just add a little vinegar to it and stir it up. For instance, if a recipe calls for 1-cup of sour milk or buttermilk, then measure a tablespoon of vinegar into a measuring cup. Add reconstituted milk to reach the 1-cup mark. Stir the milk gently. In a moment or two, it will sour. This can replace soured milk or buttermilk in baking recipes.
Overnight Buttermilk: To make your own buttermilk, you have to start off with 1/2-cup of fresh, store-bought buttermilk and a quart (4-cups) of reconstituted milk. Combine the fresh buttermilk and reconstituted milk in a pitcher or jar. Mix it really well. Allow it to stand at room temperature overnight, or for about 8 hours. The milk will have thickened up and cultured into regular buttermilk. Refrigerate or chill and use anywhere fresh buttermilk is called for.
Easy Evaporated Milk: To make this you only need dry milk powder and water. Measure 1-1/3 cups water into a jar or bowl. Add 1 cup of instant dry milk powder. Stir or shake to combine. This is the equivalent of a 12-ounce can of evaporated skim milk. To make evaporated whole milk, you will need to add some fat to replace the milk fat in whole milk. Do this by preparing evaporated skim milk and then adding 2-tablespoons of vegetable oil to the milk. Stir it up vigorously to emulsify the fat with the milk. It will separate on standing, so mix it really well right before using it. This is best used in cooking and baking. A spritz of nonstick spray will help the emulsification process.
Sweetened Condensed Milk: On the stove, bring to a boil 1/2-cup of water, 1-cup of sugar and 3-tablespoons of margarine or shortening. Add a dash of salt. Stir the mixture every now and then. When it comes to a full rolling boil, remove it from the heat. Allow it to cool slightly. Add a cup of instant dry milk powder. Use a whisk to stir it smooth. A fork or a spoon will not work out all the lumps. You really need a whisk, or egg beaters. There, you are done. This is the equivalent of a can of sweetened condensed milk. This will keep unrefrigerated for a day or two because of the sugar. I have never kept it longer than that without refrigeration. In the fridge it will keep for 2 weeks. For longer storage than that, I freeze it.
Quick Whipped Topping: This recipe is best made if you have electricity. Put 1/2-cup of water into a large bowl and place it in your freezer. Whenice crystals form around the edges remove it from the freezer. Add 1/2-cup instant dry milk powder. Whip the mixture with electric beaters until it is light and fluffy. This will take a couple of minutes. Add 2-tablespoons sugar, 1-teaspoon of lemon juice, and 1/2-teaspoon of vanilla. Beat until thick enough to spoon like whipped topping. Use immediately.
Molasses Milk: High in iron, with a caramel-toffee flavor this hot beverage is quite delicious. Heat 3/4-cup of reconstituted milk in a cup in the microwave. Stir in a spoonful of molasses. Serve hot. My kids love this stuff.
Chocolate Milk: Fill a cup with reconstituted milk. Squeeze in a couple spoonfuls of homemade Chocolate Syrup. Stir to combine. Serve to thirsty children who object to plain reconstituted powdered milk. Cold chocolate milk can be heated in the microwave for hot chocolate. This is also great in lunch boxes. If you want to be really nice to the kids then make up a whole gallon of reconstituted chocolate milk at a time. They will brag to their friends and your reputation will become legendary.
Homemade Yogurt: Reconstitute a quart of milk in a very clean container like a wide mouthed canning jar. Add another 1/2-cup of milk powder for body. Whisk in 1/4-cup of commercial yogurt with active cultures. Read the label to be sure the yogurt has active cultures. Stash the milk in a warm spot, between 80° and 110°. Allow it to sit undisturbed for 6 to 8 hours. It should be thick and creamy, like commercially available yogurt. Chill your yogurt and use anywhere you would regular yogurt. It makes a great substitute for sour cream. Or mix it half and half with prepared mayonnaise for your own homemade low-fat mayo.
Yogurt Cheese: Line a colander with a clean, damp piece of cloth. Pour prepared yogurt into the cloth. Allow the yogurt to drain overnight. In the morning the remaining solids will be yogurt cheese. They can be used anywhere you would use cream cheese or thick sour cream.
Curds & Whey: In a large pot combine 6-cups of fresh water and 3-cups of dry milk powder. Stir to dissolve. Heat the milk over a medium flame until it is very warm, about 120°. This is hot to the touch, but not scalding. Stir in 1/2-cup of plain white vinegar. Allow to stand for 10 minutes. There should be a large mass of curds in an amber pool of whey. If the liquid is still milky, add another 1/4-cup of vinegar. Stir and stand again for 10 minutes. Line a strainer with a clean cloth and drain off the whey. It can be used as the liquid in bread or muffins or biscuits. Rinse the curds under cool water and store in the fridge. This recipe makes about 1-1/2 to 2-cups of curds.
Ricotta or Cottage Cheese: The dry cheese curds from the above recipe will work for ricotta cheese in most recipes. To turn it into cottage cheese add a little evaporated milk or yogurt to “cream” it and stir to combine. You can divide the mixture in half and make some of each if you want to give them both a try.
Does using instant versus non-instant powdered milk in recipes change the outcome?
I have used both instant and non-instant milks with no problems. You generally use less non-instant than you would instant in the same amount of water. A good source for the precise measurements is Adelle Davis’ cookbook “Cooking It Right.”
Non-instant milk can be found in the bulk bins at stores that offer bulk foods, in health food stores and online.
You will probably need to be more specific. Instant powdered milk can be non-fat, but it is powdered because all the water is removed and must be reconstituted for drinking. However, instant powdered milk can be used in recipes as a powder. My bread machine recipes call for it. I have never heard of non-instant powdered milk. Hope this is helpful.
Milk powder comes in two varieties: instant and non-instant. The difference lies in the ability of each to blend with water to create milk. Instant requires stirring only to completely dissolve the powder, but non-instant milk powder needs slightly more work.
When they make the two different kinds one is processed in low heat (non-instant) and the other at higher eat (instant) and in the processing it makes it so they work differently when you reconsitute them. Instant milk you can mix with cold water or warm water with a spoon and it dissolves and reconstitues fairly easily. Non-instant milk you have to arm wrestle to get it remixed.
Crystal at everydayfoodstorage.net explains it very well (and better and much more accurately than me) on her youtube videos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlSUc2uk5_8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f56xWckMfDo&feature=related
One thing she does say is that you get the non-instant from the LDS cannery. You can also get it in a lot of stores now, or from mail order from many, many suppliers.
How long does instant powedered milk last after opening? I have a very large open box that is well over a year old. Is it safe to use?
As long as it has not gotten wet or bugs have invaded is should be fine. If in doubt, use it to cook with rather than reconstituting it to drink.
If I use the instant in a recipe like a cake, can I leave it sitting out without being chilled?
Don’t know if you’re still looking for this answer, but don’t bother reconstituting the milk only to add it to the wet ingredients. Mix the equivalent powder in the dry ingredients… Add water where you would the milk. Much easier!
We’ve been using nonfat dry milk for a couple of years. It works great in all types of cooking. Ours rarely lasts more than a month, but we pour it out of the cardboard box and into glass jars to protect against bugs. Everyone in my family loves it.
PS: Thanks for the recipes. Can’t wait to try them.
ok the cottage and ricotta section is not clear to me!..lol..Im a bit confused!..so the curds a whey is the start of cottage how do u make it ricotta?..it could be just me..lol more info please..thanks!..j
Not thinking, I started making a cheesecake totally forgetting I needed heavy whipping cream. I only have half and half, but hoped to find a powdered milk substitute for it here. There is nothing I could find after a search. I will risk the half and half as I have already started, but does anyone know what I could use in the future?
Thank you so very much.
Janet the ricotta would just be the curds. Just gather up curds in cheese cloth and let it drain a while in the fridge. Some people do it on the counter but I’m pretty paranoid about bacteria. It should be pretty firm before you use it. Also you can salt the curds really good and let it drain thoroughly uncovered in the fridge. This makes a pretty decent feta substitute.
Years ago I found a way to make powdered milk taste wonderful. When I make up the milk, I add vanilla extract flavoring (to taste). The vanilla extract makes the powdered milk smell wonderful and taste “creamy”. Try it – you may be surprised.
I Made the ricotta put in sea salt and put in cheese cloth to drain and it made a very nice topping on spagettie thanks for the recipee.
Question? Once I make the milk how long will it last? The fresh milk has an expiration date, but when you make the milke from powder there is no expiration date…
Hi,
Wanted to give everyone a heads up on a great place to save on milk.There is a drug store called Happy Harry’s in the Northeast. They always have milk ANY type skim,1 percent 2 percent and whole milk for only $2.89 to the highest I have ever seen it there was $3.09.Hope this helps someone.
Hi there
I am Australian & have found your newsletter. Thank you! I have been using powdered milk for many years now. My husband went for a month to the US so I started using it to make it easier for my son & I. I just never went back. We have all got used to the taste. I never knew I could make evaporated or condensed milk with the powdered milk. That will save me some money too.
Something I do to make our powdered milk taste like whole mike is to mix 1 can whole evaporated milk, with one can of cool water.. Then mix your powdered milk like always and add to it. The taste is just like whole milk. By the way for your info. Years and years ago up in Alaska.when you were eating out. If you ordered a glass of milk, you would be giving two glasses. One with cool water and the other one with dry powdered milk in it. You would pour it from glass to glass over and over until it was mixed up!
I used to add canned/evaporated milk to a gallon of non-instant powdered milk until I read the cans (all cans) are lined with a BPA plastic coating! I stopped drinking fresh milk because of the plastic containers. Ithought they changed all this in the ’70s because the said there was a hormone like problem clear back then that they thought was sending girls into early puberty.
i am looking for a recipe for instant coffee creamer i can make. tired of high prices. any help would be greatly appreciated. thank you.
I have been using the instant non-fat powdered milk in place of non-dairy coffee creamer for years now. The instant powder is creamier that skim milk and is better for you than the non-dairy creamers with the oils in them. No special recipe needed.
one can sweetened condensed milk, one and a half cups of milk, one tablespoon vanilla. can use lower fat milk if you like. mix well refridgerate. fits into recycled coffee creamer bottle with nice pour spout that i used to buy for hubby.
I’m looking for recipes using the powder, not reconstituted. maybe casseroles, muffins, cakes, etc.? Anyone now of any?
I just found many on allrecipes dot com. You can click on “Ingredients” at the top of their site and then you can specify which ingredients you wish to use (and/or which you don’t) and it will come up with all the recipes containing what/those ingredients. I was there today and found 113 of them.
Sharon, you can substitute powdered milk for any recipe that calls for milk. For example: a muffin recipe calls for 8 oz. milk. – Use the recipe on the powdered milk box for the equivalent powder and mix it into the dry ingredients in the muffin recipe. When you are ready to prepare the muffin mix, substitute water in place of milk. If you like the recipe to be a little “fatter” just add 1 tablespoon of melted sweet cream butter when mixing. It really helps keep the recipe moist and yummy!
Instead of powder milk you can use evaporated milk.
I have some bags of instant nonfat dry milk, which I am keeping in a dry, cool place in some large old popcorn tin cans. I heard recently that this type of milk can be frozen in the freezer to keep it longer. Would it be okay to freeze the dry milk in its own bag in the freezer or refrigerate it in its own bag in the refrigerator? I am looking for longer term storage solutions. I do not have vacumn sealer. What would you recommend that I do?
Just thought I’d let you in on this tidbit…..I cannot find Instant reconstituted Milk in my area for less than $14 to $15 for the large box. I can find the small box, but it runs between $6 and $7. I live in Southside Virginia in between Martinsville and Danville area and it seems to be running at that price everywhere here. Sure wish I could find it for 8 or 9 $$ a box.
Angela,
I live in Lynchburg, and I was wondering where the best place to purchase powdered milk at the best price would be, also.
In reply to finding dry milk, I just recently (5-19-11) ordered an 40 quart box of Saco Mix n’ Drink Instant Non-Fat Powdered Milk for $34.42 plus Amazon offers free shipping or 3.99 for overnight shipping. This makes 10 gallons of milk. And I didn’t have to drive to the store to buy milk! Milk is almost 4 dollars a gallon for the generic brands and up to 8 dollars a gallon for organic. Farm fresh milk is 10 dollars a gallon. I decided to buy this based on price per gallaon and no driving to store considering how high gas prices are. I am in Texas so everything is a good drive for me to shop. I could drive down to the neighborhood convinience store but their milk is almost double that of the grocery store. So we are adjusting to powder milk. I hope this helps.
My problem with the non fat dry milk is:
I tried to make buttermilk out of it and as soon as i did put the vinegar in it it turned into a big ball, almost like fresh mozarella cheese.
Also i put some in my pastasauce (already in milk form) and i got little curds swimming in my pot.
Actually you did make a cheese and you could have used it like mozarella I hope you did not throw it away. If you are using non-fat dry milk it will “break” at a certain temperature or with the adding of an acid like the vinegar or the tomatoes in your pasta sauce. The way to keep that from happening is to add some butter. It is the fat that is the emulsifier which makes it smooth. If you want to use dry milk use the dry WHOLE milk not the non-fat type. You may have to go online or to a health food store for that however and it can be more expensive.
That is why the chefs on TV use so much cream – it works better for stuff like you are doing.
When I want to make a cream soup or something with a tang I use plain non-fat yogurt mixed with some canned evaporated whole milk (not the low fat kind). Sort of gets the taste of buttermilk.
I wish we could still afford powdered milk, it’s soooo convenient! I live in Central Virginia and the prices here have soared to between $16 and $18 dollars for a 20 quart box!!! It is no longer less expensive than a gallon of milk at any store!
I am in Charlottesville and I agree, the powdered milk is is the same price as milk if not higher.
put a carrot in your bottle of powdered milk for drinking
can’t find any reference.
but years ago an old woman told me that to make powdered milk taste like real put in a carrot. i thought a carrot what try it you will be amazed it will fool people who don’t know.i don’t know why it works, but a carrot goes in all my powdered milk now it really makes a difference maybe someone else has heard of this or knows why it works. try this just drop in a piece of carrot in you next bottle of powered milk to drink.
I will try your idea today. I just made a quart of powdered milk and the amount of two evaporated milk can sizes for baking needs. I shall put the carrot piece in the quart of milk.
Thank you. M
Yes you can keep it in the freezer for a very long time. I put the bags of milk in a tall kitchen trash bag and tie the top very tight so no moisture gets in and I have never had a problem with it . It totally taste fresh when I get it out.
PLEASE never use a garbage bag for storing any kinds of foods or dry pet food. It’s meant for your trash! Use canning jars,Tupperware-type containers,freezer bags,even those oven bags.
Does anyone know where I can get dry milk cheaper? Right now I buy gallons of skim milk at Aldi at $2.89 a gallon. So far, everywhere I’ve looked the dry milk has come out more expensive every time- even the dry milk at Aldi was $5.99 a box to make 2 gallons. We have 6 boys- 5 still at home, and even with strict Mama-style portion control, it seems like we’re going through milk like crazy. I’d like to mix it with fresh if I can, but if I can’t find some powder cheaper somewhere I’m giving up.
Can you use powdered milk to make instant pudding?
I use only powdered milk to make instant pudding. I have been doing this for years. It comes out great. It is even better if you substitute a little canned evaporated milk.
When i was first married, my in-laws showed me how to make the Instant Non-Fat Dry Milk Powder taste more like real milk, i love milk. They would add non-dairy coffee creamer to each gallon you mix. You have to disolve it first in hot water, but it realy does make a difference. like i say I’ve always loved milk.
Does anyone know of a source of dry milk either in Colorado or bulk-purchased online that is per gallon price comparable to purchasing fresh milk? Currently, powdered milk costs more per gallon than fresh.
Unfortunately powdered milk simply isn’t a cost-saving option anymore. I used to use it almost exclusively but have watched the price continually climb higher and higher until now it’s 50% more expensive than fresh milk. Absurd but true, at least here in Texas. A 10 quart box of Great Value (Walmart brand) nonfat powdered milk now goes for about $10. Four years ago that same box was under $6. I used to use it all the time for everything from my breakfast cereal to my bread recipe. Sure can’t anymore, not at that price and there seems to be no relief anytime soon.
I should correct that, it’s not 50% but more like 18% higher. Fresh milk at the Walmart I shop at here in San Antonio sells for $3.39 a gallon and the powdered stuff sells for about $4.00 a gallon. Am I the only one who thinks that’s backwards?
I agree – it is backwards. I just purchased Bob’s Red Mill (non-instant) powdered milk from Amazon on the subscription program – cheapest I could get was $4.19/gal. I bought liquid milk from Winco a week ago for $2.42/gallon (although our local, small town grocery store can be $3.69/gallon.) I’d like to buy raw milk but it’s $10 gallon!
Here in Ohio a 20 qt box of Evaporated retails at $15.99 and a gallon of fresh milk runs $2.89. Sad.
20 qts = 5 gallons so $3.20 per gallon.
It is simple. Some jerk with a business degree figured out we were saving money by purchasing this product.
I still don’t see a good answer to the question: how long does it last in the frig once I make and refrigerate it?
Also, if I do the Richer Milk formula to acheive a 1% or 2% taste (I have kids), does anyone know if adding a whole can is putting in the same amt of fat as 1% or 2%? I try to give kids 1% as they’re not babies anymore (7 and 4).
I did finally find somewhere that gave the answer to your question, CC. It said that once mixed it should be used within 1 week. Hope this helps you out.
Me and my boyfriend pound through 2 gallons of milk in about 2 days through the normal course of routine. Drinking, cooking, baking. It is just really expensive to keep up the addiction of whole milk. But my boyfriend and I are willing to try most for economics’s sake. I am hoping that all your wonderful tips will help us save some money. Thank you for the great page.
You state cost at $8 to $9 a box . Makes20 quarts. I checked at market and it was$16.66 a box. That’s more than regular milk H ow do you figure?
What about non-instant dry milk? Is it cheaper? Is it good for drinking or just for cooking/baking?
I don’t know where you get your powdered milk, but mine was 18.00 at wal mart for the biggest box, I was floored! I drink skim milk anyway, so I can’t tell much difference if I mix it half and half and make it night before, so it is cold. But WOW!! has the price gone up since I bought it years ago!! Need to do some math and see if it is really worth it!
I may be an odd ball but I love the powdered milk. Its also really handy because we don’t have a car so no one has to walk home with gallons of milk. BUT It is over $18 for the big box that makes 20 qts and per pound that is the best buy. Its actually the same price as milk fresh, at $4 a gallon here. Im going to try finding it online.
Diabetics beware! There’s quite a lot of sugar in most powdered milks. Check the label before buying or drinking.
Does anyone know how to dehydrate your own powdered milk? I have looked on the Internet for days to find a process that is housewife friendly to no avail. Any ideas?
Sam’s Club powdered milk is about $15.00 for 22 quarts. This is in Annapolis, MD.
Back in the 60s, I started using powdered milk at the advice of my children’s pediatrician. My husband swore he could only drink whole milk. I would make a half-gallon of instant milk the night before, adding a small can of evaporated milk to the half-gallon container and letting it get cold in the refrigerator. Initially, the half-gallon container was a store-bought whole milk container that I thoroughly cleaned before refilling. He NEVER knew the difference. Then, I got a 2-quart glass juice container to use for the milk and he swore the glass got the milk colder like the old glass milk bottles. He was delighted with the colder milk. He never saw the powdered milk box because I transferred it to canning jars when I got home from the grocery store.
He said the same thing about instant coffee — he could only drink Maxwell House. I saved the jar and bought A&P instant coffee and put it in the Maxwell House coffee jar — and he NEVER knew the difference.
They did a blind-folded ice cream test on people using Hagen-Das (sp?), another high-end brand, and Sealtest. All participants had said they could only enjoy Hagen-Das because it was so much better. Blind-folded, each and every one of the participants chose Sealtest as the best-tasting richer brand of ice cream. The sad truth, I think, is that we’re a land of name brands and don’t want store brands (bought from the name-brand companies) on our shelves. It’s actually somewhat narcissistic, thinking we are so special that we can only eat the ‘top’ or ‘best-marketed’ line.
To offset the higher (breathtakingly, higher, nowadays) cost of buying powdered milk, think of it as a means of getting to use every drop of it without spoilage, it’s longevity, and versatility, which saves you much money for the other high-cost cheeses, etc. And, don’t forget the master mixes that can be made with powdered milk, too.
Is it good like regular milk?
What got me researching dried milk , was the fact that 8oz of 2% or whole milk has 3 times the salt as
a 12oz can of Coca Cola.
2% milk has 130mg per 8oz
Sprite has 65mg per 12oz Dried milk may be in our familys future!
Howdy, folks.
I just wanted to put in a couple coppers on the dry milk thing. Currently here in Indiana, the price of milk is near equal for dried or store bought. In my situation, I used to buy a gallon or a quart of milk with good intentions, but never seemed to drink it all. Nothing like pouring 3/4 of a gallon of sour milk down the drain on occasion to wise a man up. That’s when I found dried milk. Given my usage, occasional breakfast with carnation instant, perhaps a little cereal, or sticking it in a recipe a third to a cup at a time, I just wasn’t the fresh milk type anymore, even though I adore it. In all these applications, the dried milk comes up aces. I can’t tell the difference in the drink, and the other two are obviously masked by other things.
The thing is, on a whim, I made up a couple cups of dried milk in a glass with cold water, covered it, and sat it in the fridge over night for straight consumption. I dug it as much as I do real milk, and I wouldn’t be hesitant to drink it as such in the future. Insensitive taste buds, maybe? Who cares? Heheh. I was happy for the revelation.
Since this epiphany, I’m on my second 23.6 ounce box of dried milk, with no end in sight. Get this as well… Every weekend, I do open to closes at our shop. I take a box of Carnation ‘Breakfast Essentials’ (they call them now), and a little tupperware full of dried milk with a 1/3 measuring cup. Boom! Instant pick me up breakfast with a little water from our water purifier (cold). From a guy that usually only eats twice a day, that’s pretty good, considering all the vitamins and such the BE and milk have in them that I wouldn’t normally get in the course of my day (packaged food or delivery). This box, I decided to move that philosophy home to get myself a little healthier. Plus, I feel like it kick starts my appetite better than cigarettes and a coke for breakfast, heheh.
So give it a shot, bachelors. You may find, like me, that although dried is comparatively equal in price, the savings will be in convenience, lack of waste, and perhaps a littler better health? What’s to lose?
Can you make hard cheeses with instant non fat milk?
I totally got ripped off on powdered milk at my local Kroger without realizing it. Milk here is $3.75 to
$4.00 fresh and I got store brand powdered milk for about $8.50 for 10 quarts. I’ll have to see if walmart has a better deal. I’m suprised that the reconstituted milk sours so well, but I made the yummiest soured milk pancakes with it the other day. : )
How’d you get ripped off? By buying the 10 qts (2.5 gal) dry milk you we’re only paying $3.40/gal. Yes, that’s only an immediate savings of $0.88-1.50 for that 2.5 gallons. Over the course of numerous boxes, that adds up!!
I wonder if all the Doomesday Preppers are causing the cost of dry milk to go up higher than store brand milk. My sons are into “prepping” and it is a staple for their stash. I remember 20 years ago when 20 gal. box of dry milk was about $3.00 to $4.00 a box, and I always mixed it half and half with whole milk, since I had four milk drinkers in the household that drank up a gallon a day.
I found if your a Sams club member, you can buy powdered milk on line from them a lot cheaper. I bought a 37 lb bucket and even with s & h it came to $1.67 a gallon. I measured out the milk and stored it in plastic bags, then sealed it in mylar bags. I had enough to make 57 gallons of milk, which is around a years worth of milk for us. Look for Augason Farms Morning Moo’s Low Fat Milk Alternative. I can’t tell the difference between it and fresh milk after it sets over night.
Powdered milk used to be cheaper but,
Powdered milk making 8 quarts is $5.39 at our Aldi’s store which comes out to about $.68 a quart x 4 =. $2.72 a gallon (plus the cost of your own water.) You can get regular milk anywhere from $2.39 to $2.69 here in the Cleveland OH area. So, powdered milk is more expensive. But I do use it because of the convenience of not going to the store. Even 1/2 a gallon goes bad for a one person family..
While powdered milk is not a lot cheaper than a jug of milk it certainly is a lot more convenient. My family call it “fake milk”. I was raised on powdered milk and can pick the taste out in any thing but baking. Yes you can camouflage it a little in things like sweet milks (vanilla or chocolate) and puddings but to mix it with 2% milk won’t really work in our house. The trick here is like I told my grand children “don’t think of it as milk but think of it as a different flavored drink. They will drink it with a teaspoon of vanilla creamer in it or put it on cold cereal. But My big fan is in the cooking. I never tip up a jug of milk for any thing except to drink or pour over cereal. Just keep a quart mixed up in the fridge and all is well with the fake milk at our house.
Even though powdered milk prices aren’t THAT much cheaper than fresh, it still usually turns out to be a deal for people like me who don’t drink a lot of milk. I don’t buy milk by the gallon because it will mostly go bad, so I have to buy half a gallon and of course per ounce a half gallon is more expensive than a whole gallon. Even then, I have had up to half of that half a gallon go bad because I simply forgot it was in the fridge or didn’t feel like drinking milk. Even if powdered milk were equal the cost of fresh milk, it would turn out to be a better bargain for me by eliminating waste.
I can buy it in bulk (Augason Farms, Honeyville or Saco brand from some preparedness sites – just do some research and price comparisons) and simply make a pint or two at a time and not worry about throwing money down the drain with spoiled milk. I currently have a 6 year supply (at a cup a day serving for 1 person – which is more than I currently consume) of powdered non fat milk for about 3.50 a gallon. At my local H-E-B a gallon of milk is nearly $4 a gallon so I have saved money on cost and on waste and future inflation of milk prices!