Most people stock powdered cow's milk because that's (1) most readily available, and thus (2) cheapest. However, some children are born unable to tolerate the lactose, or adults develop problems over time.What would happen to your storage plans if you stored only powdered cow's milk... you're in the middle of a 3-month quarantine... and your tummy suddenly can't handle the milk? You either leave it out of your recipes, or you drink it and get sick.
Don't.
Make plans for alternates. There are three that I can think of that can be found in most supermarkets or health food stores, and certainly online at amazon.com:
- powdered goat's milk - it's a bit strong and takes some getting used to. Add a bit of sugar or cocoa powder. My kid loves it! It can be mixed half goat with half rice or soy to change up the taste.
- powdered soy milk - I get the carob flavored because it tastes just like a chocolate malt! Also comes in plain and vanilla. And probably chocolate too.
- powdered rice milk - I like this the best because my kid's tummy can't handle cow or soy milk. Also comes in vanilla, which I find a little too sweet.
Most powdered milks will last a lot longer than the expiration date. Manufacturing plants have to do that for legal reasons. I'm going to tell you that I've opened a carob-flavored soy milk 5 years after the expiration date and not only did it not make me sick, it was pretty tasty. However, I'm also going to do the disclaimer thing because I don't want to get sued: follow expiration dates!Store in original packaging (sealed cans work best) in a dark cool area. Freeze if necessary. Don't allow to get too warm.
Start stocking now, and using them in your regular rotation. The tastes are a bit different and may take some getting used to. Start now!
Tips for Using Powdered Milk:
- add a tablespoon or two to smoothies for calcium and creaminess
- add 1/4 teaspoon of white table sugar to 2 quarts of reconstituted powdered milk, any kind, for added sweetness
- add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla to reconstituted powdered milk to bump up the taste
- cold milk just tastes better than room-temperature milk
- cold milk in a glass container tastes better than cold milk in a plastic container! Time to use those quart-size mason or bell canning jars!
- my mother would buy a gallon of 2% milk, and when it was half empty, add a half gallon of reconstituted powdered cow's milk... try this if you're working to get your family to accept the taste
- use reconstituted powdered milk when a recipe calls for a creamed soup
- add a tablespoon or two of powdered milk to the instant hot cocoa mix, combine, then add the hot water - makes for a creamier hot chocolate!
2 comments:
I always had some trouble with milk storage. Food storage is troublesome enough..
What kind of problems have you had with your milk storage? I assume you store powdered milk... sometimes you need to repackage it immediately upon purchasing. Use seal-a-meal (or something similar) and sometimes seal several small packages, then seal those in a larger package.
Just a thought. Vikki
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