Powdered Milk 101

How to incorporate Powdered Milk into every day cooking
This newsletter was put together by Katie Turley and Megan Roylance from the Edinburgh Ward

Nutrition
Nonfat powdered milk, instant or regular, is an excellent storage item. It contains all the nutrients, except fat, found in fresh milk. It is one of the richest sources of absorbable calcium. It is also high in protein, potassium riboflavin and vitamins A, D, and B12, all essential to optimal health.
“If all you had in your food storage was powdered milk, you could survive on that alone because it’s a balanced carbohydrate, a balanced protein, and it has a lot of essential vitamins and minerals. That is why we have milk in our food storage.” - everydayfoodstorage.net -

Storage
If powdered milk is stored properly, it has a shelf life up to 20 years. So when storing, remember these conditions…
Temperature:  Store products at a temperature of 75°F/24°C or lower whenever possible. If storage temperatures are higher, rotate products as needed to maintain quality.
Moisture: Keep storage areas dry. It is best to keep containers off of the floor to allow for air circulation. Insects and rodents: Protect products stored in foil pouches and PETE bottles from rodent and insect damage.

Recommended containers for longer-term storage include the following:

• # 10 cans (available at Church home storage centers)
• Foil pouches (available through Church Distribution Services)
• PETE bottles (for dry products such as wheat, corn, and beans)

These containers, used with oxygen absorber packets, eliminate food-borne insects and help preserve nutritional quality and taste. Oxygen absorber packets are available at Church home storage centers or through Church Distribution Services.

Under certain conditions, you can also use plastic buckets for longer-term storage of wheat, dry beans, and other dry products.  – providentliving.org  -

Storage Amount

The amount of milk your family stores is really dependant on your individual family needs. Refer to your meal plan for how much you cook with milk and also the amount you will need for drinking. A guide could be how many gallons your family drinks in a week.

1 lb of powdered milk makes about 1 gallon of milk

This is just a suggested amount for a 1 year supply of powdered milk

Nonfat dry milk -------------- 14 lbs per person for 1 year supply

Evaporated milk ------------- 12 cans per person for 1 year supply

Total --------------------------  16 lbs per person for 1 year supply

- Instant VS Non-Instant -

QUESTIONS	Instant Powdered Milk	Non-Instant Powdered Milk
What is the powder consistency?	Higher quality powdered milk is finer Others are thicker/grittier	Fine powder…like flour
What does it take to mix?	You can use cold water. Mixing is easier.	Needs to be mixed in warm water.
How much powdered milk does it take to make a quart of milk?	Twice the amount of Non-Instant.  1½ cups instant powdered milk	Less than Instant. ¾ cup non-instant powdered milk.
What is the difference in taste?	Depends on brand. Easier to drink.	Has a different flavor, but not a bad flavor.
Is there a difference in baking?	No difference	No difference
How much to store?	Depends on individual family needs and meal plan. However, you will need twice the amount of Instant.	Depends on individual family needs and meal plan. * 25lbs of non-instant milk from the cannery will make about 25 gallons of milk.
How long does it last?	20+ years in sealed #10 can	20+ years in sealed #10 can

- Reconstituting Non-Instant Powdered Milk –

To equal this amount of liquid milk	Use this much Fresh Water	And this much                   Dry Milk Powder
1/4 cup	1/4 cup	3/4 Tablespoon
1/3 cup	1/3 cup	1 Tablespoon
1/2 cup	1/2 cup	1 ½ Tablespoons
2/3 cup	2/3 cup	2 Tablespoons
3/4 cup	3/4 cup	2 ¼ Tablespoons
1 cup	1 cup	3 Tablespoons
1 quart	1 quart	¾ cup
2 quarts	2 quarts	1 ½ cups
1 gallon	1 gallon	3 cups

*or to your own taste. For instant milk, follow directions on label. It is usually twice the amount.

STEPS:

1. Fill your pitcher or container with half the amount of water you will be using.

2.  Measure in the appropriate amount of dry milk powder.

3. Stir with a whisk to dissolve. Using a blender will make mixing non-instant milk fast and easy.

4. Fill the pitcher with the balance of the water called for above.

5. Stir again and chill.

TIPS: Some people add a drop or two of vanilla to their milk to improve the flavor. Other people add a spoonful or two of sugar for the same purpose. For the best flavor chill the milk for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Tammy Price’s Substitutions

Whole Milk: 1 cup water + 1/3 cup non-instant powdered milk


Buttermilk: 1 cup water + 1/3 cup non-instant powdered milk + 1 Tbsp white vinegar or lemon juice
To make 1 cup buttermilk or sour milk, put 1 Tbsp white vinegar or lemon juice in the bottom of a 1 cup measuring cup. Fill it to the top with reconstituted powdered milk and then add to your recipe. If adding buttermilk to a cake or some other baked good, you can add 3 Tbsp non-instant dry milk powder to the dry ingredients and then 1 scant cup water and 1 Tbsp white vinegar or lemon juice with the wet ingredients.

Evaporated Milk: 6 Tbsp non-instant powdered milk + 1 cup hot water (evaporated skim milk) 
6 Tbsp non-instant powdered milk + 1 cup hot water + 2 Tbsp vegetable oil (evaporated whole milk)
To make 1 – 12 oz can of evaporated skim milk, mix 6 Tbsp of non-instant dry milk powder with 1 cup hot tap water with a wire whisk or in your blender. If using the blender, allow the milk to sit just a minute or two for the foam to rise and then pour it slowly out of your blender, leaving the foam behind. If you would like evaporated whole milk instead of skim milk, you will need to add some fat. Mix the evaporated skim milk as described and then add 2 Tbsp vegetable oil. Whisk the oil vigorously to emulsify the fat and milk. It will separate as it stands so quickly add it to your recipe.

Sweetened Condensed Milk: ½ cup water + 1 cup sugar + 1 Tbsp margarine or shortening + 1 cup non-instant powdered milk

Mix ½ cup water, 1 cup sugar and 1 Tbsp margarine or shortening together in a saucepan. Bring to a full boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Pour into your blender and add 1 cup of non-instant dry milk powder. Blend until smooth. Store in the fridge for up to one year. If it begins to crystallize in the fridge, put it in the blender. This recipe makes about 2 cups. Use in all your baking and candy making. You can double the batch if you are making lots of holiday goodies. When your recipe calls for 1 can of sweetened condensed milk, it is equal to ½ cup + 2 Tbsp (10 Tbsp total) of the                            homemade version.
“Eagle Brand” Sweetened Condensed Milk: 1 cup hot water + 2 cups sugar + 4 cups non-instant powdered milk + ¼ c. butter.
Blend in blender very well. Can be stored in refrigerator or frozen.

White Sauce Mix: 3 cups non-instant powdered milk + 2 cups all purpose flour + 2 tsp salt
Mix together 3 cups non-instant dry milk powder, 2 cups all purpose flour, and 2 tsp salt and store in an airtight container. Use in any recipe that calls for making a white sauce using milk, butter, and flour. It is a completely fat free alternative and tastes great! It will store for up to 5 years on the pantry shelf. Mix up a large batch – believe me, you’ll find a million uses for it. It will become a great time saver.

Cream of Chicken Soup:
5 Tbsp white sauce mix + 1 cup hot water + 1 tsp chicken bouillon + seasoning to taste
Whisk all ingredients together in a saucepan. Seasonings can include onion powder, garlic powder, parsley, pepper, and poultry seasoning. Experiment until you get the flavor you like. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until very thick. Use in any casserole or recipe calling for 1 can cream of chicken soup. You can easily double the recipe as needed. To thin for using as chicken gravy, just add a little more water.

Ricotta or Cottage Cheese:
2 cups warm water + ¾ cup non-instant powdered milk (1 ½ cups instant) + 3 Tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar
If using non-instant milk, blend water and dry milk together and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. (If using instant milk, bring water to a boil and remove from heat. Stir in milk with a wire whisk.) Drip lemon juice or vinegar around edge of the pan and gently stir. Milk will immediately start to curdle, separating into curds and whey. If the liquid is still a milky color, add just a little more lemon juice or vinegar. Let rest one minute. Pour into a colander and rinse with hot then cold water. Drain until no whey remains. Makes about 1 ½ cups of curds. The dry cheese curds will work for ricotta cheese in most recipes. To turn it into cottage cheese add a little yogurt to cream it and stir to combine. You also may want to add a little salt. Instant milk gives you a softer curd. The non-instant milk creates curds that are more chewy, but they still work great in lasagna or other similar dishes. Our family enjoys this in baked recipes. We prefer the store-bought cottage cheese for eating plain or using in salads.

Homemade Yogurt:
Reconstitute powdered milk to make 1 quart. (Do no use the “Morning Moo” brand. It will not turn into yogurt.) Heat milk to 180° F stirring constantly, if heating on the stove. You can also heat the milk in the microwave. It takes about 7 minutes in my microwave. Remove from heat and let cool until milk reaches 120-125° F. Set a timer for about 20 minutes so you don’t forget about it. Use an instant read food thermometer to measure the temperature. Mix in ¼ - ½ cup of plain yogurt with active cultures. Stir with a wire whisk. Pour into a thermos and screw on the lid. Allow to incubate for 2 ½ -8 hours on your counter. I’ve found that when I use plain yogurt from the store it take 4+ hours to set up. If I use my homemade yogurt as a start, it is often done in 2 ½ -3 hours. The longer you incubate the yogurt, the tangier it will be. You know it is done when you open your thermos and you see a small amount of clear, yellowish liquid (whey) on the top and thick white yogurt below. If you still see milk, it needs to incubate longer. Quickly close the thermos so you don’t lose much heat and let it sit another hour or more before checking again. Refrigerate after incubating. It will thicken a little more as it cools.
If you have problems having success, it is one of two things. Either your thermometer is off or your thermos does not hold the temperature at 120° F. You can test your thermometer by putting it in boiling water. It should register 212° F. If your thermometer is on, then you can assume it is your thermos and you’ll have to try another one. There are other methods for incubating yogurt. A quick search online will lead you to some articles describing the other methods. The thermos method has always worked for me, it is the least costly, and requires less steps so it is my method of choice.

Storable Snack - Apricot Fruit Rolls

Preserving season is in full swing around here. One great way to use ripe, fresh fruit is to make fruit rolls. The kids love them, but adults gobble them up as well. We got a fabulous deal on apricots. I know that my kids are not real fans of apricot freezer jam or bottled apricots, but I knew they would eat them as fruit leather - this is the old-fashioned term for fruit rolls. (I don't feel that old - we grew up calling it fruit leather and I've had to shift gears since they started selling them as fruit rolls.) They are really quite simple to make and very healthy.

Puree the apricots in a food processor.

You want them good and smooth - 

Add just a bit of lemon juice to help the puree hold its color.

Pour into a large bowl.

If you don't have fresh apricots, that's OK. I had some bottled apricots from 2004 that I needed to use so I drained the juice off and pureed them. They look just as good as the fresh. So you could use canned apricots or peaches and achieve the same results. This also means that you can make fruit rolls any time of year, not just in the late Summer and Fall when the fruit is in season.

I always add some applesauce to stretch the flavored puree. Applesauce is inexpensive and takes on the flavor of what you mix it with. You could also use pear sauce the same way.

Sweeten with honey or corn syrup to taste. If you use sugar, the fruit roll dries brittle instead of being pliable and will just break apart into fruit chips instead of roll up like you want it to.

I use a dehydrator to create fruit rolls. (You can do it in the oven, but it is much more difficult to keep a consistent low temperature without hot spots. You can search online for tips about using your oven.) You need to purchase the special fruit roll trays to go with your dehydrator. Spray the trays with oil before spreading the fruit puree on them. This will make them easy to pull off when they are done.

Spread your puree out very thin and as uniform in thickness as possible. Cover any remaining puree and store in the fridge until you have room in your dehydrator for another batch. I always wait until I'm all finished with my puree to wash the trays. Just re-spray and use again.

Stack all the trays on your dehydrator base and dry at 130 degrees for about 8 hours.

When they are done, they will not feel sticky to the touch, just dry and leathery. (These pictures are from a different flavor of fruit roll so that is why they appear red.) Peel them up carefully off the tray.

Cut in half using kitchen scissors so they can fit on plastic wrap.

Roll up 

Once you are finished rolling all your fruit rolls, store in a gallon ziplock bag or airtight container for a year or more or as long as you can hide them from the kids.

Storable Snack - Snack Mixes

Snack mixes are a great snack, but they can be spendy per ounce. The kids and I make up a bunch of baggies every few months using things we have at the house. They are then in the pantry for them to grab for school lunch or a snack when they need one. I also love to store some in the van for when the kids get hungry when we are out and about. They also work great to take on trips. I don't have to worry about the entire box of crackers being dumped out as they pass it around in the car.

Go through your pantry or food storage areas and pick some items that would go good together.

Here we have pretzels and gold fish, pretzels and M&Ms, and small bags of cereal. Popcorn works great as a filler in snack mixes. Dried fruit and nuts are another good option. Get them in the bulk section to save money. 

With school about to start, fill your pantry now so you can be ready to make lunches in a snap or the kids have something easy to grab for that after school snack.

Whole Wheat Brownies

I experimented (as I am becoming famous for doing) on a whole wheat brownie recipe using bean puree. Knowing I was serving it to company, I played it a bit safe and didn't remove all the eggs and the fat. What I came up with is much more healthy than your everyday, average, run-of-the mill brownie from a mix. All the kids who were over devoured them and came back for seconds and thirds so I think I can count it a success. My kids didn't even warn them too loudly that I am always experimenting when company is coming over so be careful. (I did decide that next time I will cook it in two 9X13 pans instead of a jelly roll pan. It ran over the edge a little.)

Whole Wheat Brownies

4 cups whole wheat flour

4 cups sugar

1 cup cocoa

2 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

4 tsp vanilla

4 eggs

1 cup black or white bean puree

3/4 cup oil

3/4 cup water

Mix all the ingredients until well blended and smooth. Pour batter into 2 greased 9x13 pans and spread evenly. Sprinkle mini-chocolate chips and English toffee bits on top. You could also sprinkle nuts, if desired. One of the kids who came over has a nut allergy so we left them off. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until done when tested with a toothpick.

Storable Snack - Chewy (Egg-free) Cinnamon Cookies

Oh so tasty! If you like snickerdoodles, you will love this recipe. It has the chewy texture you expect with lots of cinnamon flavor. Who knew you could bake something so delicious with 1/2 the fat and no eggs? These are definitely worth trying and they freeze very well so don't hesitate to double the batch.

Chewy (egg-free) Cinnamon Cookies
½ cup butter	2 tsp baking soda
½ cup white bean puree	1 tsp cinnamon
1 ⅔ cup sugar	1 tsp vanilla
1 ½ cups whole wheat flour	¼ cup vegetable oil
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
Cream together butter, bean puree and sugar. Add flour, baking soda, and vanilla. It will look pretty dry at this point. Slowly add in the oil and mix until it has pulled together into cookie dough consistency. If it is too dry, add 1-2 more Tbsp of oil. Form into balls and roll in cinnamon and sugar mixture. Place on greased baking sheets and flatten slightly with your hand. Bake at 350° F for 8–10 minutes. Pull them out of the oven just as they are beginning to turn light brown in a couple of spots. They still look pretty doughy overall. Allow to rest on baking sheet for about 5 minutes to set and them move to a wire rack to cool. Makes 3 dozen.