Food savings: Give powdered milk another try
Posted
Jul 25 2008, 10:30 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
We remember powdered milk from our college days, and we don't do it fondly. It was thin in consistency and unappealing in taste. We've never bought it again, despite the cost savings.
We're going to give this versatile product another try, thanks to Canadian blogger "Mr. Cheap" at Quest for Four Pillars and "The Great Powdered Milk Experiment." Besides, other bloggers put the cost of instant milk in the $2- to $3-a-gallon range.
Contrary to the mixing instructions, Mr. Cheap drank some without chilling it first: "gritty" and not good. "Undaunted, I threw it in the fridge overnight. In the morning I opened the door, crossed my fingers and poured myself a glass," he said.
"I took a swig and it tasted just like the milk I usually drink." He's a skim kinda guy.
Melissa at A Penny Closer also recommended chilling it overnight after you add the water. "This gives it time to fully develop and reach the best flavor," she said. "I didn't know this when I first started drinking it and the flavor did improve over time."
Mr. Cheap listed a number of benefits in addition to cost: It's easy to store in the pantry, and handy to cook with.
Plus, it has many uses. Myscha Theriault at our partner blog Wise Bread said you can use it to make your own evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk. With powdered milk and vinegar, you can make cheese. For additional recipes and variations, check out this post at the Hillbilly Housewife.
Brian Dead at Randomly Firing Neurons also has advice on the subject. "Only use 2 cups per half-gallon, rather than the 2 2/3 cups recommended on the package. It tastes a lot better with less," he said.
Mr. Cheap wrote that you may need some help with the transition. "I'd definitely recommend grabbing a bag of powdered milk and seeing if you can switch over," he said. "If it's tough to stomach, try 'cutting' real milk with powdered milk until you get used to it."
