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Ways to Use The Powdered Milk in Your Pantry STockpile
Powdered milk. Most households have some in the pantry or kitchen cupboard. It may not be used very often, but it's there, just in case. It could be hard and lumpy, in an opened packet or in a canister. We all know it's handy to have, but do we know how to use it for anything other than when the fresh milk runs out?
Powdered milk is useful. It's not just for drinking when you run out of fresh milk and it's not just for emergencies.
In my pantry I have both full cream and non-fat powdered milk. I use the full cream milk in baking, and the non-fat is used to make sauces and custards, in hot chocolate drink mix, and to make lots of other things, things you may not have ever thought of that use powdered milk as an ingredient.
It is a staple on my pantry list and as with everything in the pantry, I keep a one year supply on the shelf. Being shelf-stable is a bonus, but there are a couple of things to remember if you have or are adding powdered milk to your long-term pantry stockpile.
It is shelf-stable, but it has a lifetime.
Full cream milk powder has a limited life. It will be good for 15 - 18 months after the best by date. The name gives the reason away - full cream, or in other words, full fat. The fat in the powder will eventually go rancid. If you keep full cream milk powder, remember to use it and rotate it regularly.
Non-fat milk powder however is a forever food, IF, and it's a big if, IF it is stored properly. In the packaging it comes in it is good for up to three years on your pantry shelf. The time will depend on variables like temperature, light and humidity.
But, it will keep for up to 25 years if it is stored properly. To store non-fat powdered milk for long-term pantry storage you need to remove it from the packaging and vacuum seal it, preferably in a glass jar, but if you don't have jars to spare, bags will do the job. Vacuum sealed in an air-tight jar it will be good for up to 25 years! But still, use it and rotate it - your food storage is meant to be used, and replaced as things are used.
Now before I continue, I want to address price. Right now fresh milk is expensive - the store brands having increased 30 cents a litre a few weeks ago. So is powdered milk cheaper than fresh?
If you buy store brand, then yes, it is slightly cheaper per litre.
The average cost of a one kilo pack of store brand powdered milk is $8 and it will make 7 litres. That equates to $1.15 a litre. Store brand fresh milk is $1.50 per litre, with some of the branded milks being up to $3.60 a litre (nut milks are even more expensive!).
If your grocery budget is very tight, making the switch to using powdered milk instead of fresh will save you 35 cents a litre (store brand), and while that doesn't sound like much, it all adds up over the month and could mean you can keep something else on your shopping list.
So what are some things you can make with powdered milk?
Milk - duh! You can make it up with half fresh milk and half water to stretch fresh milk. Or you can make it full strength with water. Follow the instructions on your packet, but the general rule is 1 cup milk powder to 4 cups water. Whisk it up and put it in the fridge to chill; it's definitely better chilled.
Then there's condensed milk. I haven't bought condensed milk in years, I MOO it and it always works. You'll find the recipe and instructions for MOO Condensed Milk here.
MOO evaporated milk: this makes the equivalent of one 385g can. Combine 1-½ cups cold water with 1 cup powdered milk . Mix well with a whisk, although I use a Tupperware Quick Shake to mix it up and get a bit of a workout at the same time. If you are using non-fat milk powder and want full cream evaporated milk, add 2 tablespoons of a vegetable oil (not olive oil, it will leave a distinct taste). This will keep up to a week in the fridge.
Mock sour cream: Mix 1/3 cup powdered milk with ¾ cup plain yogurt to replace sour cream in dips and other recipes. Try it - it is delicious and means you can cross sour cream off your shopping list. If you use MOO yoghurt, the cost will be around $1.20 for 330g of Mock Sour Cream.
Regular milk in recipes: mix 1/3 cup powdered milk with 1 cup water. You can add the powdered milk with the dry ingredients and the water with the wet ingredients; that will save having to mix the milk before adding to a recipe.
Butter milk: Mix 1 cup cold water with ¼ cup powdered milk; stir in 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar and let stand 5 to 10 minutes to thicken.
Cocoa or Chocolate milk mix is easy to whip up and cheaper than buying it. Combine 1 cup cocoa, 4 cups powdered milk, ½ teaspoon salt, ¾ cup sugar and store in an airtight container. To make 1 cup hot cocoa add ½ cup mix and 1 cup hot water mix well. To make chocolate milk mix the mix with a little water to make a smooth paste then add the rest of the water.
Whipped topping: Did you know you can whip powdered milk to make a creamy cake or pie topping? It's easy, and perfect when you need cream but don't have any fresh cream in the fridge. One tip: make sure you use ice cold water - if you have a water jug in the fridge, that's perfect. Mix ½ cup ice-cold water and 1/2 cup powdered milk in a large bowl and beat with cold beaters until stiff. Add 1/2 cup of sugar slowly while beating, then add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and beat just until mixed.
Pudding mix: 8 cups powdered milk, 4 cups sugar, 4 cups cornflour, 1 teaspoon salt. Stir together until well blended. Store in a covered container. Attach a tag with mixing instructions.
To make a pudding you will need 1 cup of mix, 3 cups boiling water, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 tablespoon butter or margarine. Place one cup of the mix in a small saucepan. Slowly add 3 cups of boiling water, stirring as you add the water. Cook over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly until the mixture is thickened. Add 1 tablespoon of butter at the end of the cooking time once the mixture has thickened.
Chocolate pudding: add 3 tablespoons cocoa powder to the dry mix before cooking.
Lemon pudding: Swap vanilla for 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1 tablespoon lemon zest.
Banana pudding: add 1 tablespoon banana extract with the vanilla and 1 cup mashed banana to cooled pudding.
Ricotta Cheese: Mix 3 cups full cream powdered milk with 6 cups water. Heat to 110 to 120 degrees F. Turn off the heat and add 1/2 cup white vinegar and stir. It will quickly start to separate (if not, wait 10 minutes and add 1/2 cup more vinegar.) This is the curds and whey. After everything has separated, (doesn’t take long) drain the whey off, and rinse. At this point, stir in 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon of milk. This is a drier ricotta than one made from fresh milk, but still delicious and it's great for cheesecakes and baking.
Cottage cheese: Add 1 cup skim milk powder to 5 cups of water. Beat with egg beater or electric mixer. Heat milk in a saucepan, over low heat, until just warm. Remove from heat and slowly add 1/4 cup - 1/2 cup lemon juice and stir. When curds and whey have formed strain through a cheese cloth (use a clean Chux if you don't have cheesecloth). Before using, add salt to taste. I've been making this cottage cheese since I was a teenager, I learned the recipe at school. It has never failed, and is always delicious, especially when replacing béchamel sauce on a lasagne or pasta bake.
White sauce: Over low heat, mix 1/3 cup powdered milk, 3 tablespoons melted butter, 3 tablespoons plain flour to form a paste. Slowly add 1 cup cold water and whisk until smooth. You can add cheese, mushrooms, broccoli, or whatever you like.
Yoghurt: Mix 1-1/3 cups dry powdered milk to 3-¾ cup water, add another ½ cup powdered milk, over low heat warm to 110 degrees F, add ¼ cup store-bought yogurt (make sure it has live cultures), or a ¼ cup of yogurt left from your last batch or a package of yogurt starter. Cover and place in a warm spot and leave undisturbed 12 to 24 hours. It should be thick and creamy. Chill and add fruit or whatever flavoring you like.
Cream cheese: Make yoghurt, when done put in a dish towel, cheesecloth folded 2 or 3 times, or piece of muslin, place over a bowl and add the yogurt to the center of the cloth. Gather up the edges and tie a knot in the top, use a wooden spoon or chopsticks run through the knot to hang in the yogurt in the container, let the whey drip out for 12 to 24 hours depending on how dry you want your cheese. You can also make Greek yogurt this way just don’t strain as long.
Butter: Who'd have thought you could use powdered milk to make butter, but you can! You will need ¾ cup full cream powdered milk mixed with 1/3 cup cool water, 1/4 cup light oil ( olive oil can be used but it gives a distinct taste to the spread), salt to taste. Pour the milk into the food processor add water, slowly add oil and blend until it comes together, add salt to taste.
And last but not least a scented milk bath 2 cups full fat powdered milk, ½ cup cornflour,1/2 cup bicarb soda and your choice of essential oils, about 10 drops up to 15 drops. Mix dry ingredients well then add oils mix well and store in an airtight jar (I like to use a pretty recycled jar). Let it sit at least 24 hours to let everything combine. To use pour 1 to 2 cups under running hot water in the bath. This makes a lovely gift, I include it in pamper hampers with a hand knitted face cloth and some hand crocheted scrubbies.
Do you have any other uses for powdered milk? If you do please share.
Powdered milk is useful. It's not just for drinking when you run out of fresh milk and it's not just for emergencies.
In my pantry I have both full cream and non-fat powdered milk. I use the full cream milk in baking, and the non-fat is used to make sauces and custards, in hot chocolate drink mix, and to make lots of other things, things you may not have ever thought of that use powdered milk as an ingredient.
It is a staple on my pantry list and as with everything in the pantry, I keep a one year supply on the shelf. Being shelf-stable is a bonus, but there are a couple of things to remember if you have or are adding powdered milk to your long-term pantry stockpile.
It is shelf-stable, but it has a lifetime.
Full cream milk powder has a limited life. It will be good for 15 - 18 months after the best by date. The name gives the reason away - full cream, or in other words, full fat. The fat in the powder will eventually go rancid. If you keep full cream milk powder, remember to use it and rotate it regularly.
Non-fat milk powder however is a forever food, IF, and it's a big if, IF it is stored properly. In the packaging it comes in it is good for up to three years on your pantry shelf. The time will depend on variables like temperature, light and humidity.
But, it will keep for up to 25 years if it is stored properly. To store non-fat powdered milk for long-term pantry storage you need to remove it from the packaging and vacuum seal it, preferably in a glass jar, but if you don't have jars to spare, bags will do the job. Vacuum sealed in an air-tight jar it will be good for up to 25 years! But still, use it and rotate it - your food storage is meant to be used, and replaced as things are used.
Now before I continue, I want to address price. Right now fresh milk is expensive - the store brands having increased 30 cents a litre a few weeks ago. So is powdered milk cheaper than fresh?
If you buy store brand, then yes, it is slightly cheaper per litre.
The average cost of a one kilo pack of store brand powdered milk is $8 and it will make 7 litres. That equates to $1.15 a litre. Store brand fresh milk is $1.50 per litre, with some of the branded milks being up to $3.60 a litre (nut milks are even more expensive!).
If your grocery budget is very tight, making the switch to using powdered milk instead of fresh will save you 35 cents a litre (store brand), and while that doesn't sound like much, it all adds up over the month and could mean you can keep something else on your shopping list.
So what are some things you can make with powdered milk?
Milk - duh! You can make it up with half fresh milk and half water to stretch fresh milk. Or you can make it full strength with water. Follow the instructions on your packet, but the general rule is 1 cup milk powder to 4 cups water. Whisk it up and put it in the fridge to chill; it's definitely better chilled.
Then there's condensed milk. I haven't bought condensed milk in years, I MOO it and it always works. You'll find the recipe and instructions for MOO Condensed Milk here.
MOO evaporated milk: this makes the equivalent of one 385g can. Combine 1-½ cups cold water with 1 cup powdered milk . Mix well with a whisk, although I use a Tupperware Quick Shake to mix it up and get a bit of a workout at the same time. If you are using non-fat milk powder and want full cream evaporated milk, add 2 tablespoons of a vegetable oil (not olive oil, it will leave a distinct taste). This will keep up to a week in the fridge.
Mock sour cream: Mix 1/3 cup powdered milk with ¾ cup plain yogurt to replace sour cream in dips and other recipes. Try it - it is delicious and means you can cross sour cream off your shopping list. If you use MOO yoghurt, the cost will be around $1.20 for 330g of Mock Sour Cream.
Regular milk in recipes: mix 1/3 cup powdered milk with 1 cup water. You can add the powdered milk with the dry ingredients and the water with the wet ingredients; that will save having to mix the milk before adding to a recipe.
Butter milk: Mix 1 cup cold water with ¼ cup powdered milk; stir in 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar and let stand 5 to 10 minutes to thicken.
Cocoa or Chocolate milk mix is easy to whip up and cheaper than buying it. Combine 1 cup cocoa, 4 cups powdered milk, ½ teaspoon salt, ¾ cup sugar and store in an airtight container. To make 1 cup hot cocoa add ½ cup mix and 1 cup hot water mix well. To make chocolate milk mix the mix with a little water to make a smooth paste then add the rest of the water.
Whipped topping: Did you know you can whip powdered milk to make a creamy cake or pie topping? It's easy, and perfect when you need cream but don't have any fresh cream in the fridge. One tip: make sure you use ice cold water - if you have a water jug in the fridge, that's perfect. Mix ½ cup ice-cold water and 1/2 cup powdered milk in a large bowl and beat with cold beaters until stiff. Add 1/2 cup of sugar slowly while beating, then add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and beat just until mixed.
Pudding mix: 8 cups powdered milk, 4 cups sugar, 4 cups cornflour, 1 teaspoon salt. Stir together until well blended. Store in a covered container. Attach a tag with mixing instructions.
To make a pudding you will need 1 cup of mix, 3 cups boiling water, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 tablespoon butter or margarine. Place one cup of the mix in a small saucepan. Slowly add 3 cups of boiling water, stirring as you add the water. Cook over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly until the mixture is thickened. Add 1 tablespoon of butter at the end of the cooking time once the mixture has thickened.
Chocolate pudding: add 3 tablespoons cocoa powder to the dry mix before cooking.
Lemon pudding: Swap vanilla for 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1 tablespoon lemon zest.
Banana pudding: add 1 tablespoon banana extract with the vanilla and 1 cup mashed banana to cooled pudding.
Ricotta Cheese: Mix 3 cups full cream powdered milk with 6 cups water. Heat to 110 to 120 degrees F. Turn off the heat and add 1/2 cup white vinegar and stir. It will quickly start to separate (if not, wait 10 minutes and add 1/2 cup more vinegar.) This is the curds and whey. After everything has separated, (doesn’t take long) drain the whey off, and rinse. At this point, stir in 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon of milk. This is a drier ricotta than one made from fresh milk, but still delicious and it's great for cheesecakes and baking.
Cottage cheese: Add 1 cup skim milk powder to 5 cups of water. Beat with egg beater or electric mixer. Heat milk in a saucepan, over low heat, until just warm. Remove from heat and slowly add 1/4 cup - 1/2 cup lemon juice and stir. When curds and whey have formed strain through a cheese cloth (use a clean Chux if you don't have cheesecloth). Before using, add salt to taste. I've been making this cottage cheese since I was a teenager, I learned the recipe at school. It has never failed, and is always delicious, especially when replacing béchamel sauce on a lasagne or pasta bake.
White sauce: Over low heat, mix 1/3 cup powdered milk, 3 tablespoons melted butter, 3 tablespoons plain flour to form a paste. Slowly add 1 cup cold water and whisk until smooth. You can add cheese, mushrooms, broccoli, or whatever you like.
Yoghurt: Mix 1-1/3 cups dry powdered milk to 3-¾ cup water, add another ½ cup powdered milk, over low heat warm to 110 degrees F, add ¼ cup store-bought yogurt (make sure it has live cultures), or a ¼ cup of yogurt left from your last batch or a package of yogurt starter. Cover and place in a warm spot and leave undisturbed 12 to 24 hours. It should be thick and creamy. Chill and add fruit or whatever flavoring you like.
Cream cheese: Make yoghurt, when done put in a dish towel, cheesecloth folded 2 or 3 times, or piece of muslin, place over a bowl and add the yogurt to the center of the cloth. Gather up the edges and tie a knot in the top, use a wooden spoon or chopsticks run through the knot to hang in the yogurt in the container, let the whey drip out for 12 to 24 hours depending on how dry you want your cheese. You can also make Greek yogurt this way just don’t strain as long.
Butter: Who'd have thought you could use powdered milk to make butter, but you can! You will need ¾ cup full cream powdered milk mixed with 1/3 cup cool water, 1/4 cup light oil ( olive oil can be used but it gives a distinct taste to the spread), salt to taste. Pour the milk into the food processor add water, slowly add oil and blend until it comes together, add salt to taste.
And last but not least a scented milk bath 2 cups full fat powdered milk, ½ cup cornflour,1/2 cup bicarb soda and your choice of essential oils, about 10 drops up to 15 drops. Mix dry ingredients well then add oils mix well and store in an airtight jar (I like to use a pretty recycled jar). Let it sit at least 24 hours to let everything combine. To use pour 1 to 2 cups under running hot water in the bath. This makes a lovely gift, I include it in pamper hampers with a hand knitted face cloth and some hand crocheted scrubbies.
Do you have any other uses for powdered milk? If you do please share.