Using Powdered Milk

Powdered milk is probably the easiest "food storage" item to begin incorporating into your daily routine since we are all so used to using milk on a regular basis. Some people have an aversion to drinking powdered milk because it tastes different than what they are used to. It always takes some time to adjust to a new flavor. I'm sure we would adjust quickly if it was truly all we had.

For now, our family drinks regular milk and I do all my baking and yogurt making with powdered milk to rotate it and also to stretch out my trips to the store for more milk. I save money per gallon by using the powdered milk and I also save money by not going to the store as often and grabbing those impulse buys. Research suggests that you can easily spend an extra $20 every time you go to the store.

I bake with non-instant powdered milk that I purchase from the LDS cannery. To mix one quart, combine 4 cups warm tap water with 3/4 cup milk powder in the blender. (I actually only add 3 cups of water to start with and add my final cup of water after mixing. If I use 4 cups from the beginning, my blender always overflows and I have a mess.)

If you won't be needing your blender for a while, you can just transfer it to the fridge to chill and then use in any recipe calling for milk. Usually, I allow the milk to sit just a few minutes for the foam to separate on the top. If I pour slowly, the milk will come out of the blender and the foam will stay in. I can then measure the warm milk into the recipe I am making right away and store any remaining milk in the fridge for later use.

By storing pre-mixed milk in the fridge, it is very easy to just grab it when you need a little for Macaroni and Cheese or Hamburger Helper even. Commit to yourself that you are going to change your habit and start using some of that milk you have been storing forever. (It stores for 20+ years.) If you don't have any powdered milk, pick some up soon. It is like having your own cow without any of the smells, mess, or 4 a.m. milkings!