We were out of milk the other day and so I decided to go ahead and open a can of
powdered milk. I immediately had flashbacks of the powdered milk days of my childhood. Some of you will remember those days full of a clumpy, weird tasting white liquid that your mother assured you was milk. It was still awful even when we tried to make chocolate milk or use it with our
cereal. I had second thoughts at this point, wondering how I was going to convince my own children of the fact that this really was milk. Well, the can was already open... I'll have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised by the results. The milk actually mixed up quickly and completely in cold water, and it tasted like real milk!
While researching why the taste is so much better than the powdered milk of years past, I learned some good information. Today's
powdered milk is clearly processed differently than it was in the past. It used to be slowly heated and cooked over time in order to get it into a powdered form. This process would usually end up burning it, giving it a weird taste and inability to mix well. Today the process includes spraying a fine mist of the milk into a large collection container which creates tiny droplets. As the droplets fall, the air quickly removes the water and all that remains is the milk powder.
You can even get your hands on a mixer pitcher designed specifically for mixing
powdered drinks. Simply plunge the pitcher several times and your powdered milk or other drink is mixed up. It truly is a blessing to live in this modern age where powdered milk actually tastes like... milk.
Tips: 1. Use a mixer pitcher 2. Chill overnight in the refrigerator before drinking 3. Cookin' with Powdered Milk Book
Many of our customers have had similar experiences. Here are some of their comments:
"Wife, kids, kids' friends, cats all liked this, no off-flavors or tastes. This is the clear winner of all of the milk products I've tried, and I'll be stocking up on it. " -Brian, Washington "WOW.....This is for sure a story to tell! We bought some
milk for "Y2K"-1999 supplies! About a month ago with the economy the way it is we opened the cans up and thought let see if it is true that the milk should still be good. We mixed it up and were amazed that it would even mix so good and smelled okay. We have a big family and really put it to the test. Everyone loved it and has been using it ever since. The milk was still good after 9 yrs. of being in the basement! We just bought a year supply! Thanks for such a good product!"
-Susan, Missouri
"I guess I'll drink it if I have to" has been our family motto regarding powdered
milk. However, the taste of this milk had everyone asking for more! What a wonderful surprise! This
powdered milk is a real winner! Thanks!"
-Mimi, Florida Click
here to see more customer comments.
You can even get your hands on a mixer pitcher designed specifically for mixing powdered drinks. Simply plunge the pitcher several times and your powdered milk or other drink is mixed up. It truly is a blessing to live in this modern age where powdered milk actually tastes like... milk. Tips: 1. Use a mixer pitcher 2. Chill overnight in the refrigerator before drinking 3. Cookin' with Powdered Milk Book 
Many of our customers have had similar experiences. Here are some of their comments: "Wife, kids, kids' friends, cats all liked this, no off-flavors or tastes. This is the clear winner of all of the milk products I've tried, and I'll be stocking up on it. " -Brian, Washington "WOW.....This is for sure a story to tell! We bought some milk for "Y2K"-1999 supplies! About a month ago with the economy the way it is we opened the cans up and thought let see if it is true that the milk should still be good. We mixed it up and were amazed that it would even mix so good and smelled okay. We have a big family and really put it to the test. Everyone loved it and has been using it ever since. The milk was still good after 9 yrs. of being in the basement! We just bought a year supply! Thanks for such a good product!" -Susan, Missouri "I guess I'll drink it if I have to" has been our family motto regarding powdered milk. However, the taste of this milk had everyone asking for more! What a wonderful surprise! This powdered milk is a real winner! Thanks!" -Mimi, Florida Click here to see more customer comments.
27 comments
Aunt Bea
I have to say that dear hubby and I were raised on powdered milk from the store. It was horrible. It was the main reason I refused to drink milk as I got older, because it left such a bad taste with me.
I bought some Swiss D'Lite last year and we have never used it; it was just part of the storage "in case". Well, yesterday, DH was making Swiss Meatballs, and we were out of milk. He opened the Swiss D'Lite and made it. "Hey, this smells like eggnog!" He said. Afterwards we had about 3/4 of a pitcher left, so we (very hesitatingly) tried it. WOW. That is GOOD milk! no yellow lumps, no clinging aftertaste, no nasty bitterness that stays on your tongue. I think we have found "our" powdered milk!
John
I agree with katie June 3, 2009 6:14 PM about milk I also use soy milk.
Emergency Essentials®
You should treat reconstituted powdered milk just as you would milk bought from the store. With proper refrigeration, the milk should be good for about 2 weeks.
Tawna
Once you mix up the powdered milk and have it in the fridge, how long is it good for?
Emergency Essentials®
Powdered soy milk is currently produced as is powdered rice milk. We don't currently carry these products, but we are constantly looking into new and innovative food and other preparedness products. This includes alternatives to powdered milk products. Please check back with us periodically to see our new products. Thank you for your input.
Tammy
I live in Utah and we opened a can about a month ago. I've just been using the lid. I made some yesterday and it was perfect. I didn't think about using a plastic bag. Thanks for the tip, and thank you for the great tasting milk.
Emergency Essentials®
Unfortunately, we really don't have one answer for how long the powdered milk will last after opening. There are 3 main factors that will affect how long it will last after opening – Oxygen, Temperature, and Moisture. Thus, there is a big difference in the duration between say Florida (won't last too long) and Utah (will last quite a while.) You can do a few things to prolong the shelf life after opening. Placing it in a zip lock type bag and then back in the can with the lid will help. Storing it in a refrigerator or other cold location will also help. You want to try the best you can to keep it in a dry, dark and cool location.
Anonymous
I use Provident Pantry powdered milk on my breakfast cereal every morning. I am not a fan of milk that tastes like skim milk so I add about 1/3 cup of non-dairy creamer (powder form) and 1 cup of provident pantry powder milk to 1.5 quarts of water. The non-dairy creamer gives the milk "body" and in my estimation, improves the taste.
Tricia
Make sure that if you are going to use powdered milk on cold cereal, you mix it up well ahead of time. If you mix it up right before you use it, your cereal will become soggy VERY quickly! Interesting that if you allow it to be in the fridge for an hour or more, your cereal does not become soggy as quick. Also, to rotate our milk storage, we mix our powdered half and half with our store bought milk. That way, everyone is used to the flavor more.
Caroline
After opening, how fast should it be used up? Thanks!
Elaine
I always use it for cooking and have used it half and half when whole milk was running low. I use it full strength when there is just nothing else to do (smile). In my area it runs about the same price as whole milk. When my son was young it was a real bargain. As it improved apparently so did its price. But I wouldn't be without it on the pantry shelf.
Lon Samuels
Don't have the Mixer Pitcher?… don't worry.
I mix up my powdered milk in a Quart "Mason" (canning) jar. Just fill the jar to about an inch or so from the top, screw on the lid, and then give it a good shaking. I find that the milk blends perfectly; no lumps at all. You will have a layer of bubbles at the top of the jar; but after it has chilled in the fridge, those bubbles are gone by the time you're ready to use the milk.
That size jar is great for shaking (not too heavy). Plus, I find the taste (lack of plastic taste) to be superior with the glass jar.
enjoy!
Hilary
I use powdered milk all the time in cooking. Especially in a cream soup mix that I use in replacement for canned creamed soups in casseroles and such.
Katie
I'm allergic to caseine (the milk protein), so I drink soy milk. I searched your website for "soy" but got no results. Doesn't soy milk come in a powdered form for long-term storage?
Lori LeVar Pierce
Would love to know more about how to get my kids to drink powdered milk. I personally don't drink milk – powdered or otherwise – so I'm not much help. But, I do use a lot of powdered milk in cooking. I use a 2-cup Tupperware quick shake to quickly mix up what I need in a recipe.
rayb403
Thanks for the information re: "Life Sustaining" shelf life of the milk, I am now looking forward to trying it.
MOM/Kandy
All our older kids were raised on non-instant powdered milk while my husband was in advanced degree schools. We loved it and they had a hard time going to regular milk after we started making money!
Mike Springer
This will be a good medium for the exchange of information and tips.I will visit often.
Aaron
I'm glad to know this. I grew up on powdered milk and haven't wanted to buy it for my food storage because I assumed it would taste aweful like I remembered.
Jesse
I tried the sugar suggestion and it worked pretty well. Didn’t take too much to help the flavor. Thanks!
Grant
I like to use a glass or metal container which keeps the milk a lot colder in the fridge vs. a plastic one.
Tammy
A great flavor enhancer for powdered milk is a little vanilla.
Keith
Thanks for the storage info.
Grant
I like to add just a little bit of sugar (like 1/4 tsp) to about 2 quarts of powdered milk. This adds a nice little bit of extra flavor, and the kids like it.
Emergency Essentials®
Although there are many factors associated with storing any kind of food (light, temp, humidity, packaging, etc.), our milk retains it’s “Best Taste” if used by 13 years (this is according to a recent study at Brigham Young University.) This same study also recommends the “Life Sustaining” shelf-life of powdered milk to be 20 years. Look for an upcoming post about Best Taste vs. Slightly Dislike vs. Life Sustaining.
Keith
How long can you store powdered milk?
Tim
It’s true, the milk is a great substitute for store-bought. I like to use it in peanut butter milkshakes. Note that you’ll get more bubbles if you mix the milk in a blender.