Powdered milk is made from fresh, pasteurized skim milk. First, the milk is concentrated in an evaporator until 50% of the milk solids remain. Next, the concentrated milk is sprayed into a heated chamber where the water almost instantly evaporates, leaving behind tiny dry milk particles. Instant and non- instant powdered milk are both made from nonfat milk. The main difference is the time and effort it takes to dissolve the powder in water for drinking. Dry instant powdered milk is light and fluffy, and it dissolves in cold water with just a few stirs with a spoon. Dry non-instant powdered milk is denser, must be dissolved in warm water, and requires more stirring.
Don't be fooled by milk alternative mixes like Morning Moo. That is NOT milk. It is a milk flavored drink. The main ingredient in milk alternatives is whey, a byproduct of cheese. While vitamins and minerals are added to the milk alternative it still lacks many of the health benefits of real milk.
In the newspaper today a gallon of milk was advertised on sale for $2.89. The current price for a #10 can of non-instant milk at the LDS cannery is $8.60. Divide that by 5, since a #10 can will make 5 gallons of milk and you get $1.72 per gallon. That is a savings of $1.17 a gallon. I use non-instant milk in all of my cooking to save money. Even if you don't drink straight powdered milk you can save money by using powdered milk in any recipe that calls for milk. I made a Milk conversion chart and posted it on the fridge for convenience. There is no need to reconstitute the powdered milk before adding to your ingredients, simply add the water to your wet ingredients and the powder to your dry ingredients.
Milk needed Water Dry Non-instant powdered milk
1 cup 1 cup 3 Tablespoons
3/4 cup 3/4 cup 2 1/4 Tablespoons
1/2 cup 1/2 cup 2 Tablespoons
1/4 cup 1/4 cup 3/4 Tablespoon
Store powdered milk in tightly sealed containers. Food-safe plastic (PETE) containers, #10 cans, and Mylar-type bags work best for long-term storage. Keep powdered milk in a cool, dry place. Although the nutrients in powdered milk will last about 20 years if it is stored properly, after 20 years you probably would not want to drink it, as the powder begins to taste stale after about two years in storage. But if you have older powdered milk don't throw it away, you can still use it in cooking without a noticeable difference in taste. Powdered milk that has spoiled can be used as a fertilizer on your garden too.
According to a U.S. government study on maintaining nutritional adequacy during periods of food shortage, you should store 16 pounds of powdered milk for each family member per year. (see Update on Milk Storage)
Did you know you can make Sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and buttermilk all from powdered milk? Here's how using non-instant powdered milk.(if using instant powdered milk, double the amount of dry powdered milk listed)
Sweetened Condensed Milk (14 oz can) Evaporated Milk (12oz can)
1/2 C Hot water 1 1/2 C water
1 C dry powdered milk 1/2 C + 1 T. dry powdered milk
1 C sugar mix well before adding to other ingredients
1 T butter
blend VERY WELL in blender
Buttermilk
Add a tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar for every cup of milk and let stand 5-10 minutes.
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