Dear Neighbor,
Powdered milk is not something most of us yearn to drink. However, milk is a staple for many recipes and in a pinch, powered milk will do. The health aspects of powdered milk are not great, but you can make smoothies, hot chocolate, soft ice cream, yogurt and even a few cheeses out of it. A dash of powdered milk creams your coffee with a whole less chemicals than powdered creamer. (I still dont’ really know what stuff is! It kind of scares me!)
Due to the heating, dehydrating and general treatment it takes to get milk into its powdered form, most milk is lacking natural nutrition. However, it still maintains a good bit of calcium and likely will be fortified with vitamins and is easier on the lactose intolerant. Organic milk is available.
When purchasing your powdered milk, make sure it is skim milk. Fat goes rancid in anything, so the lower the fat, the longer it will keep. Buy low moisture powdered milk, no more than 4%. Always buy grade A milk. Grade B powdered milk is sold. For those of us who have owned dairy cows, or any livestock, we know grade B is a bad thing. Grade B milk comes from cows who were recently innoculated or given antibiotics too recently before milking. Which means grade B milk is still tainted with the disease or chemicals given to treat them. Don’t buy it!
Grade A, low moisture, powdered milk should be able to stand on the shelves for five years after packaging. Note the expiration or processing date and make sure the milk is newly packaged and will last on your pantry for four to five years.
Happy Homesteading, S